International Engagement Fund :: Memetica's Support Material
Content
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:: Artistic support material ::
Images, videos and written material
:: Mithu Sen : mOTHERTONGUE
Video from Mithu Sen solo exhibition at ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Melbourne 2023
:: Mithu Sen : mOTHERTONGUE
ACCA’s video: Mithu Sen solo exhibition at ACCA (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art), Melbourne 2023
:: Memetica : For Want of a Better Word
This language-based project explores unique, practical and at times profound aspects of the human condition that transcend cultures yet lack direct expression in every language. Supported by Maribyrnong Council, it highlighted the rich cultural knowledge present in the local community—often lost due to the predominance of English as the only shared language.
The Naming project exemplifies Memetica’s collaborative community intervention, employing large-scale visuals to assert cultural content through non-confrontational narratives and purposeful use of language. Rather than merely translating existing English signage, The Naming introduced new markers that actively deconstructed topological, historical, and imposed colonial narratives, reaffirming the traditional and ongoing cultural, geographical, and historical identity of the landscape.
Puppet and Its Double last work for the National Taichung Thaeatre in collaboration with La Cie MaxMind and SHIH Ju-fang
The logo and name of the company in Chinese is a Chéngyǔ itself. More about it in the written material section)
Participatory inflatable installation. Audience members are invited to enter the installation and contribute to its growth. After a brief tutorial on creating inflatable pieces using sticky tape and recycled building plastic, participants craft shapes of their own invention and attach them as new appendages to the original structure.
:: Memetica : Tendon
Inflatable constructions. The Tendon is an abstract installation that transformed the iconic Edinburgh Garden Rotunda into an immersive, kaleidoscopic experience. Visitors can enter the installation and experience it from within. The Tendon is made with camping tent discarded at music festival and collected by Daniele to repurpose them into art projects.
:: Memetica : Inflatable giant body parts
Inflatable constructions. Daniele’s complex concave inflatable structures (giant lungs and pelvis pictured) for Snuff Puppets’ 2016 show Everybody
Written material
成語 (Chéngyǔ)
Chéngyǔ are Chinese idiomatic expressions, typically consisting of four characters, that carry deep cultural significance and condensed meaning. These idioms often originate from historical stories, fables, classical literature, or philosophical teachings, and they encapsulate complex ideas, moral lessons, or cultural values in a succinct form.
Chéngyǔ are distinct in how they convey meaning; their brevity often demands a nuanced understanding of both the language and the cultural or historical context behind them. Unlike phrases that can be directly translated word-for-word, chéngyǔ often require interpretation based on the underlying story or cultural reference, which makes them inherently rich and expressive but challenging to fully grasp without background knowledge.
The interest of exploring Chéngyǔ forms was born from a conversation Daniele had with the company members around the meaning of the name Puppet and Its Double.
無獨有偶 (wú dú yǒu ǒu) is an idiom (Chéngyǔ) that translates as “not alone; there is a counterpart.” It conveys the idea that something is not unique, but has a match or double. Adopted by the company as its name and translated in English as “Puppet and Its Double,” this idiom reflects the concept of duality intrinsic to puppetry: the puppet itself and the performer who animates it. The phrase implies that neither the puppet nor its performance is solitary; instead, they exist in a paired relationship. This captures the essential interplay between the puppet as an object and the actions of the puppeteer, symbolizing the inseparable connection between the physical and the animated.
:: Biographies and CVs ::
Mithu Sen : Daniele Poidomani : Hemli : 無獨有偶 (Puppet and Its Double)
Mithu Sen
Mithu Sen is a conceptual artist who explores myths of identity, and their intersection with the structures of our world, whether social, political, economic, or emotional and performs her work across mediums to explore hierarchies and conventions with particular reference to ‘myths’ of language, sexuality, market, and marginalisation. Braiding grotesque fiction, personal ephemera, and piercing humor to obscure societal codes, the by-products of her conceptual practice take the forms of drawings, poems, performances, videos, glitches, and instructional interventions.
Sen works fundamentally as a performer, tangling with the politics of language, disciplining of bodies, conventions of society, and polite impositions of the art world. Known for her provocative, alluring, and playful examination of these hierarchies, Sen is committed to perpetual unbecoming through performative interventions, symbolic and linguistic counter-narratives and intricate territorial tracings.
Sen has exhibited and performed in major international forums including Sharjah Biennale 15, APT9-9th Asia Pacific Triennial, Brisbane; Guggenheim Museum, New York (2016); Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan, USA; Kochi-Muziris Biennale; Dhaka Art Summit; Tate Modern Project Space, London and a major survey show at ACCA, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne in 2023 among many other forums and institutions.
She was awarded the Skoda Prize in 2010, India, the Prudential Eye Award for Contemporary Asian Art ( Drawing ) in 2015, Singapore and the Performance Artist of the Year award by India Today in 2020.
Daniele Poidomani (Memetica)
Daniele Poidomani has over 20 years’ experience in giant puppetry, live performance art and large-scale participatory installations. His versatile skills span direction, design, construction, performance, and facilitation. Renown for work with Snuff Puppets since 1998, Daniele was part of the company’s artistic associates before founding Memetica as artistic director in 2013 to expand his practice into content-based artwork with a social, and cultural outlook. Daniele pursued an interdisciplinary Master’s at DAMS, University of Bologna, in 1996, focusing on linguistics, semiotics, cognitive science, and cultural studies.
Memetica’s process favours collaboration, empowering participant groups to create community-driven work with a social, cultural and political outlook, as well as high visual and aesthetic impact.
Daniele has directed communities in Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Taiwan, Indonesia, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Macau, and China.
Highlights of Memetica’s recent work include: The Woodfordia Elders, 12 giant puppets that have become iconic at Woodford Folk Festival; In Visible Sights, a year-long program in Far North Queensland featuring Janggaburru, a giant character sharing indigenous language and culture; Air Camp, a children’s multi-art project engaging adults on important topics; Deadly Totems, a collaboration with Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association for the creation of Yana Daadigan, featuring four new giant characters.
Puppet and Its Double Theater
Puppet and Its Double was founded in Taipei in 1999 with a mission to transform puppetry into a medium of contemporary, experimental performance art. With an ethos rooted in the belief that “everything can be a puppet,” the company pushes the boundaries of what puppetry can be, embracing an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates hand puppets, string puppets, rod puppets, table-top puppets, shadow puppets, and object theater. Their innovative blend of puppetry with live actors on stage results in dynamic and thought-provoking performances that challenge the conventional limits of puppet theater.
Puppet and Its Double Theater has consistently focused on cultural exploration—both by drawing from Taiwan’s own rich heritage and by engaging with global influences through international collaborations and exchanges. The company creates work that speaks to the intersection of cultural narratives, inviting audiences to question and reflect on both personal and shared stories. Since relocating to Wujie, Yilan in 2013, Puppet and Its Double has transformed abandoned barns into the Lìzé Puppet Art Colony, establishing a major international platform for experimental puppetry. This space not only serves as their creative base but also as a hub for domestic and international puppet artists to experiment, exchange ideas, and participate in professional workshops.
The company’s dedication extends beyond performance; they are also committed to education and the evolution of the puppetry artform. Puppet and Its Double conducts a range of educational initiatives, including puppet-building workshops, puppetry training, lectures, and publishing efforts. Their commitment to nurturing creativity in puppetry has led to collaborations with other esteemed artists and theater groups worldwide, bringing fresh perspectives to their work and exposing audiences in Taiwan and abroad to the innovative potential of puppet arts.
Puppet and Its Double Theater has garnered international acclaim for its boundary-pushing contributions to contemporary puppetry. Their work has been showcased at numerous art festivals across Europe, America, and Asia, earning recognition for its unique storytelling and inventive use of puppetry. The company has been supported for over a decade by the Ministry of Culture’s long-term cultivation project, and several of their productions have been nominated for the prestigious Taishin Arts Award, with some making it to the shortlist of finalists.
With its commitment to experimental forms, cultural exploration, and artistic innovation, Puppet and Its Double Theater continues to establish itself as a significant player on the international puppetry stage, elevating both the artform and its cultural impact.
:: Letters of Support and Intent ::
Letters of Support from Woodford Folk Festival, Snuff Puppets, Puppet and Its Double, and Letter of Intent by Mithu Sen