Samboleap Tol (b. 1990) 's practice focuses on unearthing the postcolonial diasporic psyche, with a central focus on questions of psychological inheritance. She explores ideas of dignity, love, and family that emerge after centuries of colonial brutality, and she delves into the role of reckoning through truth-telling, on both a personal and political level, in restoring faith and dignity in current, past, and future lives. She is currently developing a series of DIY instruments through creative coding, drawing inspiration from ancient Southeast Asian instruments.
She is a research associate at The Research Centre for Transnational Art, Identity and Nation (TrAIN), University of Arts London and a recent graduate of the Piet Zwart Institute, where she won the Piet Zwart Institute's Masters Research Awards. She was a resident at the Cemeti Institute for Arts and Society in Yogyakarta Indonesia from 1st of April until 30 of June 2023 and is nominated for the Dolf Henkes Award 2023.
Dharma Songs v2 - Dharma Songs v2 is an interactive sound installation.
A viewer is invited to dip one of six fresh flowers into the water of the gong. Suddenly, a voice will start playing (from a hidden speaker within the wooden structure). Viewers can dip as many flowers as they desire, creating an unintentional symphony of narratives and voices.
All six voices belong to individuals who are close friends or family. I had asked them to respond to the following questions via voicenote: "If you could share or ask something with one of your ancestors, what would you say?" and "What's something you're grateful for that you've received from your family?"
The installation consists of a weathered 150 year old iron gong connected to a mini computer, which, in turn, is connected to electric wires covered in banana leaves that are linked to living flowers. When the petals make contact with the water in the gong, an electric circuit is completed, sending a signal to play a designated voice.
Dharma Songs v2 was developed during a 3 month residency at Cemeti Institute for Arts and Society, Yogyakarta Indonesia, funded by the Mondriaanfonds. The work is currently on display at TENT Rotterdam as part of the Dolf Henkes Prijs 2023, until Jan 7 2024.
Your Heart is a Window to Another World - This is part of a lecture-performance series I started developing in mid-2022, as a way to showcase my writing and performance. I rewrite my performances for each occasion, employing different dramatic elements (dance, dj, objects) depending on my anticipation of audience(s) present and the capability of the venue in their ability to support me. This lecture performance combines storytelling, music, animations, and dance. It was the last installment of 11 editions of lecture-performances and was held at Ufer Studios in Berlin as part of Wandering Salon festival.
Tails of the Past - "Tails of the Past" (2023) is an engraving with Khmer script. The script is made by bending iron wires and hammering the script onto the aliminium. "Tails of the Past" was developed during a 3 month residency at Cemeti Institute for Arts and Society, Yogyakarta Indonesia,funded by the Mondriaanfonds. The work is on display at TENT Rotterdam as part of the Dolf Henkes Award 2023, until Jan 7 2024.
