A Manusia Silver standing at the entrance to the mystical Sunyaragi Cave in Cirebon, West Java

Topeng Malang dancer adjusting mask backstage before Bersih Desa ceremony. Malang East Java

Jaranan performer posing in front of a bamboo fence.

Gandrung dancer in traditional ornate costume with headpiece, standing in front of bamboo forest.

Reog Ponorogo dancer under a banyan tree, East Java

Three Topeng malang performers dressed in traditional attire with Topeng masks and headdresses, standing against a textured wall.

Group of female dancers dressed in traditional ndolalak costumes with ornate embroidery and feathers, wearing hats with feathers, standing in a row in Purworejo, Central Java

Gandrung dancers performing with a large decorative lion or dragon head costume in the background, Banyuwangi East Java

Jaranan performer getting assistance from pawang in Banyuwangi, East Java

WANGSIT is a long-term photographic journey into Java’s intangible heritage by French photographer David Haefflinger.
Through rituals, masks, trance, and the unseen moments behind the stage, the project explores traditions that remain largely hidden from the international eye.

It is not just about documenting culture, but about revealing a spirit, a living memory that still pulses at the heart of Java.

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