Marcellinus Siringoringo
Silence Piles
The Trunyan Project
In Trunyan, the dead are not buried or burned, they are laid to rest beneath the open sky, surrounded by stone, wood, and the roots of the Taru Menyan Tree. Here, nature becomes both witness and caretaker, completing the rites with quiet gestures. Skulls—weathered and radiant—gather not in horror, but in solemn testament to the passage of time and the persistence of memory. This series was photographed using Ilford Delta 100 and Delta 400 black and white film on a Nikon F801s. Each frame was hand developed and wet printed in the darkroom of Film Photography Club, Tegal Temu.
Working without color removes distraction and emphasizes form, texture, and the interplay of light and shadow, revealing stories etched in bone and bark rather than words. I do not seek to explain this tradition, nor to romanticize it. Instead, The Trunyan Project stands as a meditation on transience, dignity, and the earth’s gentle reclaiming of what we leave behind. These images invite stillness and contemplation, grounding the viewer in a world where all things return and nothing is truly lost.
About the artist Born in Medan raised in Jakarta, a chef for living. I began exploring film photography a year ago after I made a big decision of my life, drawn to places where ritual and landscape meet. My work combines documentary practice with personal reflection—seeking quiet moments in overlooked corners of memory and culture. Through this series, I honor a tradition that embraces death without fear, and I continue my commitment to analogue craft, every roll, every print, an act of care, reverence, and presence.
2025
24.2 x 16.2 cm
Gelatin Silver Prints
In this resting place, death is not hidden, it gathers, layer upon layer, beneath the breath of the banyan.
Roots of Remembrance
2025
24.2 x 16.2 cm
Gelatin Silver Prints
Time weaves gently through the skulls, where vines do the mourning and the forest remembers the forgotten.
Quiet Assembly
2025
24.2 x 16.2 cm
Gelatin Silver Prints
Constellations of fragments, each skull gathered in solemn celebration, honoring ritual’s echo, memory’s resonance, and life beyond absence.
Three Faces of Return
2025
12.2 x 8.5 cm
Gelatin Silver Prints
Collage
Bone, leaf, and shadow entwine offering three meditations on decay, belonging, and the way all things return.