Riar Rizaldi: Fanfictie

“Fanfictie” unfolds Riar Rizaldi’s ongoing exploration of the intersection between science, technology, and fiction through speculative narratives. The video installation marks the first chapter of a trilogy examining colonial scientific practices in Indonesia, focusing on the Dutch geologist Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn and the contrasting cosmologies surrounding volcanoes. Junghuhn embodies the tension between Western rationalism and local spiritual beliefs, revealing how colonial science sought to categorise nature while simultaneously encountering its own limits. Rizaldi transforms this historical dialogue into a hallucinatory, poetic vision where observation becomes absorption: an Indonesian alter ego of Junghuhn devours a volcanic icon, turning knowledge into a bodily and spiritual act. Within a mist-filled space, projections of Junghuhn’s lithographs merge romanticism and colonial gaze, while sculptural remnants recall the props and shadow-puppet figures used in Javanese Wayang theatre. Through this blending of film and installation, fiction and material trace, Rizaldi reflects on how understanding emerges through fabrication, contemplation, and world-building.