Performing artist Melati Suryodarmo carries a thin, rolled up mattress to the grubby yard. She smacks the bundle against the body of artist Hendra Setiawan, covering them both in a cloud of dust. She and five other artists from Plesungan Studio in Karanganyar, Central Java, lay the mattress down on the ground and lie down.

An Estonian song about an orphan who has lost his home plays in the background. Tiring of slumber, the dancers get up and w