sōydivision is
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Sōydivision is a collaborative platform and artist collective shaped by the lived experiences of the diaspora. Initially composed predominantly of Indonesian diaspora artists in Berlin, its constellation has since expanded to include diasporic artists of the global majority (an emerging, decolonial term that recognizes the lived realities of Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities who represent the majority of the world’s population) mostly based in Germany. Rooted in the complexities of displacement, identity, and cultural hybridity, Sōydivision operates at the intersection of art and activism.

Since 2017, it has curated, produced, and participated in more than 250 artistic projects across various formats. As a collaborative platform, Sōydivision has curated concert series, exhibitions, workshops, festivals, film screenings, radio and discourse programs, and residencies. As an artist group, known as Sōydivision Ensemble (SDE), they have produced experimental theater pieces, collaborative and participatory installations, performances, and multimedia publications.

Their artistic strategies emphasize socially engaged art creation, deeply rooted in grassroots and community-based practices. By fostering collective reflection, participation, and empowerment, they explore themes of catharsis, critical inquiry, and therapeutic healing—concepts they have distilled into "Diaspora Diorama: Drama and Euphoria." Through a distinctly diasporic lens, Sōydivision offers alternative perspectives on contemporary issues, using art as a means to build dialogue, reimagine belonging and coexistence, and amplify voices from the margins.

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History 

Sōydivision was founded by Ariel William Orah, a Berlin-based Indonesian artist, musician, and cultural practitioner. The collective's roots trace back to 2014, when Ariel initiated IN/NN (Indonesian Initiative), an early attempt at creating an art collective for Indonesian diaspora artists and creatives in Berlin. IN/NN had the vision of fostering collaboration and connection among these artists, organizing various events such as concerts, collective publications, culinary and tattoo events, and film screenings. The initiative culminated in a group exhibition titled "The Equator: Slow Down the Greed" in the summer of 2014, which explored the environmental and ethical consequences of fast fashion, featuring contributions from 50 artists and collaborators. However, IN/NN disbanded in 2015 after a brief but impactful existence.

In 2016, Ariel launched Sōydivision as a sub-project under the Luftmenschen collective, a group he co-founded, consisting of diverse artists and creatives—alumni from the Design Thinking School in Potsdam—focusing on artistic, cultural, and empathy-driven art experimentation. At the same time, he developed L_KW (Luftmenschen Klangwerk), another sub-project dedicated to sound art. Within these projects, Ariel experimented with merging culinary and sound art, using food and soundscapes to create narratives. When Luftmenschen disbanded in 2017, Ariel continued developing Sōydivision and LKW as independent projects, collaborating with a growing network of artists.

One of the key formats that emerged during this period was "Empathy Supper", a theatrical culinary event featuring diverse Indonesian dishes, each tied to a specific narrative. These events incorporated artistic collaborations spanning music, installations, and performances, transforming the dining experience into an immersive artistic encounter. Meanwhile, LKW evolved into a DIY record label, releasing music generated through these collaborations.

Expansion and Major Initiatives (2018-Present)

In 2018, Sōydivision launched Soy and Synth, a concert series that combined experimental music improvisation with culinary intervention. Soy and Synth also marked the moment when Ariel began reconnecting with the latest wave of Indonesian diaspora artists and creatives, who attended the event series, leading to various collaborations. Through co-producing the series, these artists worked together and later expanded their collaborations into many other formats. From 2022 onward, the series underwent a recalibration as Sōydivision expanded the Soy and Synth curatorial team, inviting guest curators from other Berlin-based sound entities and collectives from the diasporic global majority background. This curatorial collaboration included partnerships with Radical Sounds Latin America, Black Communion, Midnight Shift, Decolonoize, Späti Funk, and AL Berlin. This series became their longest-running project, reaching its 49th edition in 2024, with support from Musicboard Berlin (2022-2023) and the Berlin Senate (2024-2025). The 2024 and 2025 editions of Soy and Synth are also supported by the Berlin Senate.

Another significant initiative was KAUM Film and Performing Art Festival, first organized in 2021 and later in 2023 (in collaboration with Unthaiteld). Supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste and Hauptstadtkulturfonds, the festival provided a platform for Indonesian and Southeast Asian film and performance practitioners, showcasing narratives from the diaspora and beyond.

Sōydivision’s current curatorial project, Mutating Kinship Lab (MKL), which was initiated together with Asian Performing Art Lab and later expanded by inviting other Asian-led artist initiatives in Germany, was launched in 2022 and continues into 2023. This initiative serves as a think tank, co-creation space, and archival platform for artist-led initiatives within the Asian diaspora in Germany. Supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste, MKL’s 2022 edition focused on intergenerational artistic practices within the Asian diaspora, while the 2023 edition explored audience engagement in the post-pandemic era. MKL continues to operate as an ongoing initiative, further expanding its role as a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and archival development within the Asian diaspora arts community in Germany. Annual multi-format publications from MKL document these evolving conversations.

Artistic Productions 

As an artist group, Sōydivision Ensemble (SDE) has produced several experimental theater and multimedia works. Notable productions include:

• “Nur-Hin Trilogy” (2020) - site specific performance series in 3 different spaces in Berlin during CTM Festival Vorspiel 2020.
  

• "Aryati" (2021) – An experimental music theater piece premiered at Uferstudios, supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds.

• "Kiamat" (2022) – A project supported by Musikfonds e.V., exploring apocalyptic narratives through sound and performance.

• “Tana Sadji” (2022) - a participatory performance at Hamburger Bahnhof, an intervention to the exhibition “Nation, Narration, Narcosis”.
  

• "Akkuklturasa" (2023) – A multi-channel audio-visual installation and performance showcased at Berlin Asian Art Festival, Movingpoets Novilla, Uferstudios Berlin, Valby Kopenhagen, and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien.

• "Tanamantra-Salamantra" (2022,2023) – A site-specific installation and performance presented at HF Pforzheim, Documenta Fifteen, Uferstudios Berlin, and Hebbel am Ufer (HAU).

• "TAHANGUENTAR" (2024)– A cinematic sound performance premiered at Sinema Transtopia, supported by Musikfonds.

• "Jendela Sonorama on : Stepping on Each Other's Feet" (2024) – Commissioned by SAVVY Contemporary.

Tours and International Partnerships
As a diaspora collective predominantly composed of Indonesians, Sōydivision actively collaborates with artistic entities in Indonesia. Notably:

• In 2019 and 2022, Sōydivision and its sister collective L_KW Berlin organized two experimental music tours across five Indonesian cities, partnering with Studio Eksotika Bali, Yes No Wave Yogyakarta, Orange Cliff Bandung, Nu Art Bandung, Norrm Radio Bandung, Rubanah Jakarta, and Rumah Rawa Samarinda. These tours connected Indonesian diaspora sound artists from Berlin with local sound artists in each city, fostering cross-border artistic dialogues across Southeast Asia and beyond.

• In 2023, Sōydivision partnered with Rakarsa Foundation to curate LINTAS, a residency program in Bandung, Indonesia, focusing on socially and environmentally sustainable art practices. Hosted at Grey Art Gallery, Bandung, the residency challenged conventional narratives on identity, migration, and social justice, utilizing art as a tool for community building and activism. The first edition involved five artists from Berlin and was supported by Goethe-Institut Bandung, Musikfonds e.V., and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe.

• In 2024, Sōydivision organized the Silahturami Tour in collaboration with Wildpearl Radio Singapore, Anima Art Space Manila, Lokananta Solo, and NORRM Radio (Indonesia), further strengthening artistic connections across Southeast Asia.

Since 2018, Sōydivision has been actively engaged in various art and cultural spaces in Berlin. It was previously based in Sari-Sari project space, Neukölln (2018-2021), and Uferstudios, Wedding (2021-2022) before relocating to Novilla Schöneweide, where it collaborates with Movingpoets e.V., the artistic collective behind the Novilla project space since 2014.

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pic taken from Empathy Supper (x) Impuls Festival 2023 in Technesphere Leipzig photo by Sophie Vân Schwenke
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pic taken from SUARANTAU at Tangente St Pölten Festival 2023 in St Pölten Austria photo by Katie-Aileen Dempsey
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Pic taken from “Tanamantra - Salamantra” at Ausfern Festival - Uferstudios Berlin, 2022. Pic by Dico Baskoro

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