The word “interculturalism”, once it became linked to the word “performance”─ a wedding attributed to Performance Studies guru Richard Shechner to refer to the practice of overt mixing of performance forms from various cultures to fashion artistic product ─ suddenly took on the power and aura of “ theory”. The practice of cultural networking in a “globalized world”, via the label “Interculturalism”, was given particular prominence in academic and performance circles in last two decades of 20th century.
But what has been the impact of such highlighting of “interculturalism” on audience and critical response to recent ‘intercultural’ performances? Given that “intercultural” projects are grounded in imagined cultural cooperation that transcends cultural specificity, how do audiences in different places now react to this imagined cooperation and transcendence?
With these questions in mind, this paper examines different expectations and responses to Robert Wilson’s production of the Sulawesi epic I La Galigo.
