Retrospeculative #02
feat. Asarela Dewi
The second episode of Retrospeculative on ASSOY Radio features Asarela Dewi — also known among friends and collaborators as Arel — a longtime colleague, comrade, and close collaborator within the sōydivision constellation.
Originally from Bandung, Indonesia, Arel arrived in Berlin through an au pair program before continuing their studies at HTW Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin in Schöneweide, where they studied Visual Communication Design with a minor in Media Art and Film. Their practice gradually developed through filmmaking, moving image, and visual art, often navigating between personal narrative, collective processes, and experimental visual language.
In this conversation, Arel reflects on how their artistic practice evolved through education and collaborative environments in Berlin. The episode touches on several open studio moments, filmmaking experiments, and visual projects that have shaped their trajectory in recent years. We also revisit Arel’s involvement in multiple initiatives within the sōydivision constellation since 2019, where they have contributed across different formats — from visual works and installations to collaborative research and production.
The discussion also looks forward. Arel shares early thoughts on reviving KAUM, the film and performance festival originally initiated within sōydivision in 2021 and later reactivated in 2023 in collaboration with Unthaiteld. Within the framework of TRUSTPICTION (2025–2027), Arel speculates on how the festival might mutate once again — opening new possibilities for film, performance, and collective curatorial experimentation.
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