Editor’s note: I received this press release from Reinette Senum:
THIS Friday, August 2, for the final First Friday Art Walk of 2019, Digital Dalang Indonesian Shadow Puppet Theater will be coming to Nevada City. The Bonanza parking lot along Bridge St. will be transformed into a magical outdoor amphitheater for the Art Walk. This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to come witness a beautiful ancient Indonesian art form in the heart of downtown Nevada City.
“Digital Dalang is a 25-foot wide Burning Man art installation that promotes cultural art & technology with an interactive Indonesian shadow puppet theater integrated with motion-reactive projected visuals,” stated project creator, Ali Agus Ardie.
Ardie will be hosting a Shadow Puppet-making Workshop onsite from 5-8pm. The Interactive Shadow Puppet Show will run from 8-10pm.
This is the first time Nevada City has hosted a Burning Man installation. The interactive art installation combines traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppetry with motion reactive projection mapping. Burning Man’s late founder, Larry Harvey, handpicked Digital Dalang, to receive an Honoraria Art Grant and he shortlisted the project as one he was most excited to see.
At last year’s Burning Man Nevada City’s then Vice Mayor, Reinette Senum, attended the festival. It was while touring the playa at three in the morning that Senum came across this imaginative installation. Immediately she got excited about the possibility of bringing this interactive and family-friendly art form to her hometown and asked the team if they would be willing to transport and install the theater in Nevada City. She was surprised when without hesitation they said yes. For the last 11 months Senum and Ardie have been communicating, keeping the flame going, and have figured out the logistics to make this a reality.
A Big Thank You goes out to the generous sponsors for making this event possible; LAB Properties, Elevation 2477′, The Higher Commitment, The Nevada County Cannabis Alliance, Highest Health Collective, Bloomfield Co., The City of Nevada City, the First Friday Art Walk, and the Nevada County Arts Council. It could not have been done without them!
Bring the family, bring your neighbors, and the young at heart. Just look for the magical theater proscenium at the bottom of the Bonanza parking lot this Friday and that’s where you will find the magic!
For more information, contact Nevada City Mayor, Reinette Senum, reinettesenum@gmail.com
Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report 