SAMSARA

Subversus is a creative studio, artist collective and production house working across culture and commerce. We connect artistic practice and commercial opportunity, enabling work that’s ambitious and culturally sharp.

Founded by filmmakers, artists and cultural producers, Subversus was built from within these worlds. We understand commercial realities, their workflows, expectations and standards, because we work inside them every day.

Subversus acts as the bridge between artists and commercial partners, providing a support structure that protects the artist’s practice, serves the brief, and creates the conditions for shared authorship and collaboration. We make commercial production navigable for artists, and prioritise creative environments over traditional hierarchy. We work with artists who move across film, art, music, performance, fashion, installation, experiential and tech.

As a creative studio and production partner, we work alongside agencies, brands and cultural partners from concept through to delivery. Work is artist-led, brand-initiated, institutionally commissioned, or developed through independent practice and extended into commercial and public contexts.

Based in Sydney and operating globally, Subversus takes on unconventional briefs while honouring artist authorship and the ambitions of our partners.

We’re for agencies and brands seeking artist-led projects with cultural weight, for institutions exploring alternatives to traditional commissioning structures, and for artists whose work demands more room than a single category allows. Subversus is where artists and commercial partners meet on equal terms.

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Subversus acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, create and collaborate. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise the ongoing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to land, culture and story. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and commit to working with care, respect and responsibility on this land.

Tanya Babić
Co-Founder / Executive Producer
tanya@subversus.com

Jason Sukadana
Co-Founder / Creative Director
jason@subversus.com

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SUBVERSUS KASIMYN

SAMSARA

Samsara(2024) is an Indonesian silent feature film directed by Garin Nugroho, conceived as a contemporary cineconcert inspired by the golden era of silent cinema and the visual language of Indonesian shadow puppetry.

For the film’s score, Kasimyn collaborated with Balinese gamelan composer Wayan Sudirana to create an otherworldly sonic world that merges traditional gamelan with electronic composition.

The work exists in two formats: a theatrical cinema release, and an expanded cineconcert version performed live with more than 25 musicians on stage. Samsara premiered on 10 May 2024 at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore, and became the first immersive Balinese gamelan recording produced using Dolby Atmos technology.

The film’s score was awarded Best Music at Piala Citra, Indonesia’s highest film honour.

Director: Garin Nugroho

Composers: Kasymin + Wayan Sudirana