Estudio semiótico del Teatro Wayang Kulit en la cultura de la sociedad malaya

The art of shadow play theatre is unique. This research is encouraged by the existence of shadow play which is loaded with important symbols and philosophy contained in it to formulate the direction and guidelines in human’s life. So, researchers who are interested in describing the value of the reviewed symbolism helped to preserve the cultural semiotics for shadow puppets as one of the legacy that necessitate to be preserved by the young especially in Malay society. This study aims to describe the symbolic value of each form of engravings, symbols and puppets listed in the wayang kulit (shadow play) semiotics such as Gunungan (Pohon Beringin). Puppet characters design the semiotics review through qualitative descriptive method; researchers analyze data in the form of words and verbal statement of the observed behaviour of informants as well as documents related to wayang puppetry semiotics. Therefore, this research will hopefully provide more depth into aesthetic world of shadow play puppetry and give impact towards the Malay society since this art is starting to extinct due to new media technology existence and unpopularity of shadow play among young generations.El arte del teatro de sombras es único, rico en símbolos substanciales y con una filosofía que contiene directrices en la vida humana. Por lo tanto, el interés de los investigadores es describir y revisar el valor de su simbolismo para ayudar a preservar la cultura semiótica de las marionetas de sombra, una antigua cultura comunicativa que requiere ser conservada por los jóvenes, especialmente en la sociedad malaya. Este estudio tiene como objetivo describir el valor simbólico de cada forma de los grabados y de las marionetas del “Wayang Kulit” (teatro de sombras). y el diseño de los personajes de las marionetas a través de la semiótica como método descriptivo cualitativo. De este modo, esta investigación se propone ofrecer un estudio con profundidad en el mundo estético y comunicativo del teatro de las sombras de la sociedad malaya y contribuir a que la sociedad malaya preserve este tesoro cultural ante la amenaza de su extinción por la irrupción de las nuevas tecnologías de los medios de comunicación, y por el consiguiente desinterés hacia el arte del teatro de sombras entre los jóvenes malayos

Basic Components in Creating Contents for Mathematics Subject Using Digital Wayang Kulit: A Conceptual Model

This research intends to develop a conceptual model that illustrates how multimedia approaches could be used to enhance teaching and learning of a Mathematics subject in primary school as well as to preserve Wayang Kulit in younger generation. A prototype will be developed to demonstrate how the content of a standard one Mathematics subject in primary school could be transferred into multimedia form. The prototype is developed in a form of Digital Wayang Kulit to present the contents based on the syllabus of Mathematics education using the actors of Wayang Kulit

Digitizing Wayang Kulit Using Core Elements for Education

This research intends to develop a digital wayang krllit prototype that illustrates how multimedia approach could be used to enhance teaching and learning of Science subject in primary school as well as to preserve wayaizg kulit for younger generation. This research is camed out to tackle the problem related to ineffective teaching approach of Science subject at the primary level by using a multimedia to create a learning environment which is more student-centered instead of teacher-centered. Besides that, this digital wayang kulit prototype is also intended to be used as one of the way to preserve wayang kulit as one of the national cultural heritage so that it could continue to live and appreciated by future generation. The development of the prototype involved the use of three methods; Arrifin methodology, Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology, and Laudon & Laudon methodology. After the prototype was developed and implemented, user satisfaction evaluation has been carried out by teachers and students from two primary schools. The results of the evaluation indicated that the digital wayang kulit prototype has succeeded in providing a high level of satisfaction among the users in term of usability and user interface

Cultural inspirations towards Malaysian animation character design

Culture is part of human development which evolves with civilization from ancient times to today’s digital era. Animation contributes to the cultural industry through signs and symbols and is captured from people’s different lifestyle and various grounds including religion, belief systems, politics, tradition, language, tools, costumes, buildings and arts. Wayang Kulit or ‘Shadow Play’ was once a famed traditional culture in the 1960s for entertainment purposes in Malaysia which fundamentally led to the continuation of the 2D and 3D animation studies. Nevertheless, students these days seem lack the sense of local identity as shown in their final animation project, as if the culture sentiment is getting faded. Since culture is also emerging with an identity where both fundamentals are strongly connected, this research aims to identify the influence of culture towards artwork, produced by art and design students who study animation. Content analysis was used to analyze the complete final artwork from selected university in Sarawak which offers this subject as a requirement. Besides a good storyline, animation must have a strong character design with a good personality, appropriate costumes and accessories. Results found that there are cultural influences where the character’s costume design is similar to the Sarawak traditional clothing. Thus, it proves that Malaysian culture is still sturdily inspiring students in creating their artwork

Wayang Kulit as a Media to Support Javanese and Indonesian Languages

Wayang Kulit is Indonesian cultural heritage that has been recognized worldwide and awarded by UNESCO in 2003. Wayang Kulit emerged in East Java and has been translated into various languages ​​since then. It greatly supported Javanese and Bahasa developement. Wayang kulit performances are very popular abroad, making it easier for the language to developed. The purpose of this study is to describe that Wayang Kulit very valuable and really influence Indonesian language and culture. This study used qualitative descriptive method, the analysis provided is following the facts and can be accepted. Using a data collection technique in the form of a questionnaire, there were 16 participants from various universities in Indonesia from young to old. The participants agreed that wayang kulit is a cultural heritage and can support the development of Javanese and Indonesian languages

Shadows, touch and digital puppeteering: a media archaeological approach

Aims The practical aim of this research project is to create a multi-touch digital puppetry system that simulates shadow theatre environments and translates gestural acts of touch into live and expressive control of virtual shadow figures. The research is focussed on the qualities of movement achievable through the haptics of single and multi-touch control of the digital puppets in the simulation. An associated aim is to create a collaborative environment where multiple performers can control dynamic animation and scenography, and create novel visualisations and narratives. The conceptual aim is to link traditional and new forms of puppetry seeking cultural significance in the ‘remediation’ of old forms that avail themselves of new haptic resources and collaborative interfaces. The thesis evaluates related prior art where traditional worlds of shadow performance meet new media, digital projection and 3D simulation, in order to investigate how changing technical contexts transform the potential of shadows as an expressive medium. Methodology The thesis uses cultural analysis of relevant documentary material to contextualise the practical work by relating the media archaeology of 2D puppetry—shadows, shadowgraphs and silhouettes—to landmark work in real-time computer graphics and performance animation. The survey considers the work of puppeteers, animators, computer graphics specialists and media artists. Through practice and an experimental approach to critical digital creativity, the study provides practical evidence of multiple iterations of controllable physics-based animation delivering expressive puppet motion through touch and multiuser interaction. Video sequences of puppet movement and written observational analysis document the intangible aspects of animation in performance. Through re-animation of archival shadow puppets, the study presents an emerging artistic media archaeological method. The major element of this method has been the restoration of a collection of Turkish Karagöz Shadow puppets from the Institut International de la Marionnette (Charleville, France) into a playable digital form. Results The thesis presents a developing creative and analytical framework for digital shadow puppetry. It proposes a media archaeological method for working creatively with puppet archives that unlock the kinetic and expressive potential of restored figures. The interaction design introduces novel approaches to puppetry control systems—using spring networks—with objects under physics-simulation that demonstrate emergent expressive qualities. The system facilitates a dance of agency¹ between puppeteer and digital instrument. The practical elements have produced several software iterations and a tool-kit for generating elegant, nuanced multi-touch shadow puppetry. The study presents accidental discoveries—serendipitous benefits of open-ended practical exploration. For instance: the extensible nature of the control system means novel input—other than touch—can provide exciting potential for accessible user interaction, e.g. with gaze duration and eye direction. The study also identifies limitations including the rate of software change and obsolescence, the scope of physics-based animation and failures of simulation. Originality/value The work has historical value in that it documents and begins a media archaeology of digital puppetry, an animated phenomenon of increasing academic and commercial interest. The work is of artistic value providing an interactive approach to making digital performance from archival material in the domain of shadow theatre. The work contributes to the electronic heritage of existing puppetry collections. The study establishes a survey of digital puppetry, setting a research agenda for future studies. Work may proceed to digitise, rig and create collaborative and web-mediated touch-based motion control systems for 2D and 3D puppets. The present study thus provides a solid platform to restore past performances and create new work from old, near forgotten-forms. ¹ Following Andrew Pickering, puppetry is ‘a temporally extended back-and-forth dance of human and non-human agency in which activity and passivity on both sides are reciprocally intertwined’ PICKERING, A. 2010. Material Culture and the Dance of Agency. In: BEAUDRY, M. C. & HICKS, D. (eds.) Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies. Oxford University Press.

EMANCIPATING DESIRE, EMPOWERING FANTASY: CULTURAL POLITICS OF CONTEMPORARY CINEMA IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH