Tianzhuo Chen and Siko Setyanto’s Ocean Cage is a visually hypnotic blend of projection, dance, and sound inspired by an Indonesian whaling village. It’s a ritualistic, immersive show that pulls you deep into questions of ecology, tradition, and belief.

Ocean Cage is a new collaborative work by Chinese visual artist and director Tianzhuo Chen and Indonesian dancer and choreographer Siko Setyanto. Drawing from the emotionally charged and complex narratives of the Lamalera village, the piece explores the entangled relationships among whales, fishermen, and ancestral spirits. Through an interspecies encounter with sperm whales, it reveals a delicate yet deeply rooted ecological symbiosis—one that serves as both a foundation for communal survival and a source of spiritual belief, blurring the lines between beginning and end like interlocked chains.

Combining dazzling installations, large-scale projections, and powerful choreography, Ocean Cage transforms the theater into an immersive evocation of a traditional village where fishing and whaling remain central to life. Within Tianzhuo Chen’s meticulously constructed environment, Setyanto embodies multiple roles, weaving together a ritualistic storm of visuals, movement, and sound alongside Indonesian musicians Kadapat and Nova Ruth. The work invites the audience into a sensory collision between tradition and ecology, spirituality and technology, faith in progress and interspecies coexistence—echoing long after the performance ends.

• Director: CHEN Tianzhuo
• Choreography and Performance: Siko Setyanto
• Music: Kadapat, Nova Ruth
• Costume Design: Chenting Yu
• Make-Up: Una Ryu
• Textile Design: Diane Esnault
• Lighting Design: Raquel Rosildete
• Sound Design: Martin Ortiz
• Technical Director: Francisca Marques
• Technical Production: Paul Mede
• Assistant and Management: Diane Esnault
• Production and Management: Partner In Crime

Ocean Cage is a production of Partner In Crime and Chen Tianzhuo.

Recommended for audiences 16 years old and above.

• Stage & Dance