Under the Banyan: A storyteller responds

In Malay folklore, the banyan tree is a gateway into other realms and an important source of Indigenous knowledge in contemporary urban life. Inspired by Shooshie Sulaiman’s Kancil Mengadap Beringin and informed by a visit to the Southern Islands where the artwork is sited, oral tradition practitioner Kamini Ramachandran presents a lecture-performance that weaves her personal stories with extracts from the artist’s storybook, which accompanies the artwork. Joined by sound artist Syafiq Halid, with contributions by photographer Joseph Nair, Under the Banyan is an intimate, multi-sensorial experience that uncovers our metaphorical and spiritual connections to the banyan tree as a mediator of worlds, mother of the forest and the tree of life.