Arsya Ardiansyah

Click images to watch

Below Zero | Experimental Film | 05:45 Min | 2022

This work emerged as a result of my effort to give meaning to an astral experience from a dream I had, involving natural context and experiments. The process of giving meaning began by questioning the truth of common myths in my culture, especially the myth of meeting deceased family members in dreams. This myth suggests that those who have passed away will visit their families in dreams. This artwork explores the theme of the cycle of life and death experienced by humans. Originating from the dream experience I underwent as the thesis, the process involved research on dream interpretation, encompassing concepts such as layered dreams, lucid dreams, psychological theories, childhood amnesia, below zero, and déjà vu as the antithesis. This journey then reached my personal interpretation as the final synthesis. This synthesis is portrayed in the artwork as an imaginative reconstruction of the experience I had during the moment of agreement between God and the fetus in my belief, before the human soul is blown into the fetus at four months of gestation.

The Interpretation of? | Video Installation | 10:30 Min | 2022

This work, in a contextual sense, still focuses on the exploration of dream interpretation, but at the core of my creation this time is a response to Roland Barthes' essay "The Death of the Author". The piece "The Interpretation of?" indeed addresses several contexts discussed by me as an author, but in the presentation of the final work, I conceal the true meaning from the constructed context with the visual abstract end result, which I refer to as a moving abstract painting, characterized by slow and calming movements and accompanied by the musical audio blend that I composed. This relates to my research on dreams, where the explanation for why dreams are abstract is because the reality in dreams can only be understood through deep contemplation. Abstract visuals in dreams signify that the brain hides the true meaning, and the brain needs to work harder to comprehend it, whether it's related to memories, desires, hopes, or feelings.

Dive Into the Shallows |  Multi Channel  Video | 03:00 Min | 2022

This artwork reflects my efforts to explore shallowness from a unique perspective. Delving into shallowness, for me, is intriguing because it involves not only seeking meaning in a particular space and time but also attributing significance to what is encountered within that space and time. In this context, shallowness (banality) characterizes endeavors and ideas that might be initially perceived as meaningless. I believe that something considered meaningless by one person can be highly valuable to another. Through this exploration, I aim to convey the idea that the value of shallowness is relative and can vary for each individual. In this artwork, I strive to present a perspective on how shallowness can be interpreted in diverse ways by different people.

Lamentation #1| Video & Poem | 06:47 Min | 2023

In this work of art, I explore interpretations of life and death through a lament, inviting exploration of consciousness and human existence through the medium of moving image art, accompanied by a love for poetry. My deepest fear, besides death, is the uncertainty about oneself and the purpose of life and death. Although I have previously discussed life extensively, in this work, my focus is directed towards the exploration of death as a dimension of life. The psychoanalytic approach serves as the foundation for research, delving into the depth of consciousness, raising questions about layers of consciousness, and the existence of the body. This artistic research delves into the complexity of consciousness and the body, where reality is defined, represented, and presented in collective consciousness. In the creative and experimental process, I adopt a scientific approach as a tool to create this moving image art. Using human bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, sweat, and blood as material elements in these works, I strive to present sensory dimensions and profound meanings, captured with a microscope.

Lamentation #2 |  Video  Installation |  Looping  | 2023

In this work of art, I explore interpretations of life and death through a lament, inviting exploration of consciousness and human existence through the medium of moving image art, accompanied by a love for poetry. My deepest fear, besides death, is the uncertainty about oneself and the purpose of life and death. Although I have previously discussed life extensively, in this work, my focus is directed towards the exploration of death as a dimension of life.The psychoanalytic approach serves as the foundation for research, delving into the depth of consciousness, raising questions about layers of consciousness, and the existence of the body. This artistic research delves into the complexity of consciousness and the body, where reality is defined, represented, and presented in collective consciousness. In the creative and experimental process, I adopt a scientific approach as a tool to create this moving image art. Using human bodily fluids such as saliva, urine, sweat, and blood as material elements in these works, I strive to present sensory dimensions and profound meanings, captured with a microscope.

Forms of Perception | Video Installation | Looping | 2023

This preliminary study unfolds as an autonomous gesture—an exploration where perception is caught in motion, before structure solidifies. It captures the raw encounter between the eye, light, and form, allowing moments of instability, blur, and surprise to shape the experience. Objects waver between presence and abstraction, offering a glimpse into the origins of visual thought. As a quiet counterpart to the main composition, it reveals how meaning begins—unfixed, intuitive, and always becoming.

If Water Ever Fall, Does it Ever Rise? #1| Video Installation | Looping | 2023

In reflecting on this work, experimental spaces are approached with singular questions between abstraction and the formalism of reality. The composition, in essence, explores the hidden potential of objective forms through the lens of abstract sensory perception. Initial connections portray objects in their clearly defined reality. Formal structuralism translates with authentic precision, crossing detailed sides, dimensions, and penumbra. Although highlighting sophistication in representation and dedication to tangible order, a deep observation invites the audience to enter abstract territory. Colors reinterpret perception, dancing in harmony and contrast, creating waves that influence visual perception. This is simultaneously a voice of formal freedom, marking the evolution of dynamics and structure. This expression is about reframing the connections between the physical and essence, promoting discussions about form, meaning, and manifestation. The work presents paradoxical questions between reality and experiment, offering a catalyst to delve into the core of existence. Objects become gateways for an unlimited visual journey, freeing the audience to embark on a transcendental imaginative exploration.

If Water Ever Fall, Does it Ever Rise? #2 |  Video Installation | Looping | 2024
Collaboration With Rakarsa Foundation, 4E Collective, Endira F Julianda, Kaka, and Bulat

This work explores the hidden potential of objective forms through the tension between abstraction and the formalism of reality. Initial compositions portray objects with precise structuralism, but a deeper observation invites the audience into an abstract sensory space, where colors and forms shift perception and meaning. In this second edition, the process expands through collaboration, embracing fluid authorship inspired by the nature of water. Individual voices dissolve and merge, creating a shared current where identity and intention intertwine. Authorship becomes a living, adaptive force, mirroring the artwork’s movement between reality and experiment, inviting viewers into a collective, ever-changing visual journey.

The Pidada Intimacy |  Artistic Research | 2025
Collaboration with Labtek Apung

"The Pidada Intimacy" is an artistic exploration project that stems from research findings in the mangrove forest of Muara Bendera, on the northern coast of Bekasi. During the dry season, the decline in the mangrove ecosystem population causes an increase in salinity levels, even affecting the mangrove leaves (pidada) consumed by primate colonies, including the vulnerable Javan lutung species. This situation highlights the potential for conflicts between primates and humans, serving as a small excerpt of the broader possibilities of multispecies conflicts. This project serves as a reflection on conservation efforts: how can we involve stakeholders who possess different forms of consciousness than humans?

The Pidada Intimacy | Moving Images Artwork | 13:03 Min | 2025
Collaboration with Labtek Apung

The Pidada Intimacy presents an ongoing artistic exploration derived from Labtek Apung's research in a Muara Gembong, a collapsing coastal region on West Java island, Indonesia. The short film showcases a speculative filmmaking approach that explores the nonhuman primate inhabitants’’ slice of life. This perspective was particularly inspired by one of the research findings: irregular consumption behavioral patterns in Javanese Langurs. These arboreal primates, which typically obtain sufficient hydration from leaf consumption, were observed venturing onto the ground and even into residential areas in search of fresh water—a behavior indicating environmental stress. This film raises questions about how cinematic recording, as understood by humans, can convey nonhuman expressions and experiences in testifying the ecological instability faced by multiple species simultaneously.