Literature

The Future Trauma,The Past Paranoid; 150 x100 cm, Oil and Giclee on Canvas 2022

The Future Trauma,The Past Paranoid; 150 x100 cm, Oil and Giclee on Canvas 2022

This painting employs collage techniques to construct a multifaceted visual narrative that delves into several themes, including the profit-driven pursuit of speed and efficiency, the inclination to attribute human qualities to objects and technology, and the historical backdrop of Indonesia. My inspiration for this work drew from the oeuvre of Hito Steyerl, particularly her piece “Hell Yeah we Fuck Die,” featured in the Munster Skulptur Project. Steyerl’s exploration of the consequences stemming from the desire for swiftness and efficiency struck a chord with my examination of how this relentless pursuit has impacted Indonesian history.

The painting hints at a narrative I've heard from friends, Ih revolves around the Suez Canal and its unintended consequences. During the 19th century, there was a transition from trading companies to colonial powers, and the Dutch Indies emerged as a significant player in the global trade network. The Melaka Strait held immense importance as a trade route, and control over this region meant control over the taxation of goods passing through it. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 stands as a marker, eventually leading the Netherlands and England to agree on the need for delineated borders and the shared goal of combating piracy in the region. This was essentially a rationale to divide power and determine who had the authority to govern in the Aceh region. It was one of the causes of the prolonged Aceh War, creating a trauma that has been passed down through generations and continues to be relevant in today’s society, even under the administration of the People’s Republic of Indonesia.

The storytelling surrounding this historical event is akin to fiction, a romance, a fantastical tale, a sculptural script to be deciphered word by word. It endeavors to probe the spatial imagination encompassing the contexts in which these historical events unfolded. I incorporate Michael Dean’s sculpture, “Tender Tender.” In many of Dean’s works, he develops a sculptural script within a given space. However, his objects, frequently crafted from materials like cement, sand, and earth, don’t necessarily depict distinct letters. Instead, they should be viewed as an abstract semiotic system that generates meaning through interaction—much like words in a sentence. I drew inspiration from this concept and used it as a conceptual foundation in my collage, intertwining the notions of a tropical island, piracy, technology, efficiency, apprehensions about the future, the haunting specter of the past, and the enduring consequences in the present.