(Archive) Alé rasa, beta rasa

A longing feeling towards home

The unreliable promise of a temporary stay is the reason my grandfather lived his whole life with the nostalgia for a place that once was home, Maluku. I, being a fourth-generation Moluccan myself, grew up with his stories about his homeland. My grandfather tried to keep his memories alive by sharing them with us, and so his memories became memories of my own: Alé rasa, beta rasa (what you feel, I also feel).

The audio experience Alé rasa, beta rasa, embodies longing feelings towards home — both from my grandfather’s perspective as well as my own. An ambience of warm memories, playing on cassette tapes, is present in the space. The A and B sides of the tape represent both generations, while also being in conversation with each other: to connect, reflect and share.