“24,901 Miles” is a 10-hour durational performance over two days that takes inspiration from the circumference of the Earth. 24,901 miles is the official reported distance around our equator. In this work, Suryodarmo presents her feelings toward distance, displacement, migration and the strangeness between strangers. The circle is a perfect geometric shape that has no beginning or end. This idea is taken up by many cultures around the world to explain completion, eternity and the infinity of life. Conversely, the circle is also used to represent boundaries, enclosures and repetition.
Having lived between Germany and Indonesia and travelled extensively around the world, Suryodarmo has found that her connection to the world lies within her body rather than a physical space. It is her familiar shelter that is a stronger constant than any physical space. Rather than root herself in a specific geography, she marches on bravely on red earth, the material for bricks, with only a mattress on her back. She has found her own shelter, that quintessential thing that we all seek.
