The Project – Wangsit: Revelations of Java

Wangsit is a long-term photographic project dedicated to the intangible heritage of Java.
Shot during three months of fieldwork in 2025, it captures rituals, masked dances, martial arts, and spiritual practices, often not on stage, but in the intimate moments of preparation, transmission, and trance.

Through black and white photography, the project seeks not only to document, but to reveal the spirit behind the gestures, the tension before the performance, and the collective energy that sustains these traditions.

It is both an artistic statement and a contribution to the preservation and visibility of Javanese culture.

The Photographer – David Haefflinger

David Haefflinger is a French photographer and art director based in Paris.
After a career in advertising between Singapore and Jakarta, he turned to photography with a focus on cultural heritage, spirituality, and the unseen.

His visual language, influenced by Sebastião Salgado, Pieter Hugo, David LaChapelle, as well as the cinematic worlds of Ridley Scott and Tim Burton, blends documentary depth with a strong artistic sensibility. Wangsit is his first major documentary project, born from four years of life in Indonesia and a lasting fascination with Javanese traditions.

The project has been recognized with support from the Permanent Delegation of Indonesia to UNESCO and has been labeled by the Institut Français d’Indonésie for the 75th anniversary of France–Indonesia diplomatic relations.