The Visuality of Upuh Ulen-Ulen in the Guel Dance: A Roland Barthes Semiotic Analysis of Kerawang Gayo

Abstract

Upuh Ulen-Ulen is a traditional textile of the Gayo people that holds a significant role in both customary ceremonies and the performance of the Guel Dance. Previous studies on the Guel Dance have primarily focused on its historical background, movement philosophy, and cultural identity, while research on Upuh Ulen-Ulen has generally examined its motifs and symbolic values as a cultural artifact. However, studies that specifically investigate Upuh Ulen-Ulen as a visual sign system that constructs performative meaning through its relationship with the dancer's body remain limited. This study aims to analyze how the motifs, colors, and use of Upuh Ulen-Ulen generate cultural meaning in Guel Dance performances through the semiotic perspective of Roland Barthes. The research employs a qualitative approach using visual ethnography as its primary method. Data were collected through observations of Guel Dance performances in Central Aceh and Bener Meriah Regencies, in-depth interviews with dancers, artists, cultural experts, traditional leaders, and Upuh Ulen-Ulen artisans, visual documentation, and a review of relevant literature. The data were analyzed using Barthes' three levels of signification—denotation, connotation, and myth—integrated with perspectives from visual culture and performance studies. The findings reveal that Upuh Ulen-Ulen functions not merely as a dance property but as a visual sign system that produces meaning through the interaction between the dancer's body, Kerawang motifs, colors, and the performance context. At the denotative level, Upuh Ulen-Ulen appears as a traditional textile decorated with Kerawang motifs. At the connotative level, it signifies honor, protection, spirituality, and the cultural identity of the Gayo people. At the mythological level, these meanings are naturalized through cultural practices, transforming Upuh Ulen-Ulen into a collective representation of Gayo identity. This study offers a novel contribution by positioning Upuh Ulen-Ulen as a performative artifact that generates cultural meaning through a visual sign system, thereby expanding the application of semiotic studies within the field of Indonesian traditional performing arts.