From May 31 to June 11, 2026, a Ukrainian-Indonesian art project dedicated to ecological memory, ritual, and the human connection to the earth took place in the Banyuwangi region of East Java. The result of the collaboration between Ukrainian and Indonesian artists was the performance *In Flux: No Land for Mothers*, created specifically within the local context of Banyuwangi and presented outdoors among rice fields for approximately 80 local residents and members of the arts community.

The project began with research into Seblang—a ritual practice preserved in the village of Bakungan. On May 31 and June 1, the participants attended pre-ritual events, joined the processions, observed the main ritual, and met and spoke with the ritual’s performer. It was important for the team to try to understand the role of the ritual in the relationships between the community, the land, memory, and ancestors.

In subsequent work, the experience of researching Seblang entered into a dialogue with the Ukrainian traditions of Vodnya Kusta and Rusalia rituals. The team did not seek a direct equivalence between these practices nor did it attempt to create a hypothetical “shared ritual.” Instead, various cultural traditions served as starting points for a conversation about the human connection to the land and previous generations, the role of the female presence in ritual and spiritual practices, and the ways in which knowledge is transmitted through the body, music, repetitive action, and collective memory.

It was from this dialogue that the concept of *In Flux: No Land for Mothers* emerged.

From June 3 to 9, work on the performance continued at Studio Klampisan—a space for interdisciplinary artistic practice in Banyuwangi. A separate phase of cultural and professional exchange took place on June 9 at Studio Musik Damar Art and the Sumberayu Market. Participants presented their own artistic practices to one another, discussed approaches to working with traditional music and performance, improvised together, and selected musical instruments and stage materials for the final piece.

The concept was developed in collaboration with the Opera Aperta team. The final performance featured Abi Muhammad Latif, Dayu Prismawati, Yulia Mykolaychuk, Yulia Vitranyuk, Lista Devi Ramadaningrum, Bunga Shintia, Moh. Rofayat, Nabila Fitri Handayani, Ahzank Ilhami, and Gevodn.

The project served as a space not only for creating an artistic work but also for an ongoing professional and cultural exchange. Through research on Seblang, engagement with Kusta’s Guidance and water spirit practices, and collaborative work with music, the body, and the local landscape, the team created a work that addresses the ecological crisis as a crisis of relationships—between humans and the earth, between generations, and between different forms of knowledge.