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Illusionist Demian Aditya plans to try his luck in US
After wowing the judges of TV show America's Got Talent and audiences worldwide, illusionist Demian Aditya plans to try his luck in the United States.
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After performing on America's Got Talent 2017, Demian says he plans to try his luck in the United States. (facebook.com/OfficialDemianAditya/File)
B
y the end of May, illusionist Demian Aditya had wowed not only the judges of TV show America’s Got Talent but also audiences worldwide who watched his audition on YouTube.
During his audition, he performed an escape act where he was handcuffed and buried under 408 kilograms of sand.
After the show, Demian says he plans to try his luck in the United States. “The reason is not because I don’t love Indonesia. I do this to pursue what I’ve been dreaming of, for the world to enjoy my magic,” he told to The Jakarta Post via e-mail.
“I will always be an Indonesian who loves his country," he added.
His decision is perhaps related to his Instagram status on mid-May where he wrote that “each of my performances – the majority of them received a warning from KPI [Indonesian Broadcasting Commission]. All the acts I presented for Indonesian audiences were restricted.”
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Demian also expressed his disappointment toward Indonesian audiences as they “cannot appreciate and enjoy magic as entertainment; they always perceive it as a deception.”
He says that the post was based on his experiences a few years ago. “After performing on TV, people used to come to me and comment that [my performance] was [merely] deception; that my magic [act] was bad,” Demian said, adding that such comments were also sent to his social media accounts.
“Whenever I upload a video, there are people who will make such comments, while those who appreciate [my performances] are mostly from outside Indonesia.”
He admitted that such negative responses made him sad. “There were moments when I felt useless; because the purpose of my performance is to entertain, but in reality, no one seemed to be entertained."
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In his Instagram post, Demian criticized KPI for issuing warnings regarding his performances via the TV shows or TV stations that hosted them. The illusionist says he was once asked to stop giving live magic performances after a TV station received a direct warning from KPI.
In a separate interview, KPI chairman Yuliandre Darwis told The Jakarta Post that the commission never prohibits magic-related creativity. “What we forbid is [creativity that involves] violation and sadistic acts,” he said, citing a local magician who often showcased such acts, such as soaking himself in boiling water or being run over by a motorcycle with nails under his body.
Yuliandre also said that KPI's warnings were always issued to TV stations, not the performers.
Meanwhile, Demian said, “I will always do magic, I don’t want to be like my predecessors who eventually retired. Magic is my biggest love; I’ll be wherever this art is accepted. If I’m welcomed in my own country, there’s no reason for me not to go back to this dearest country.” (kes)
