Art as a medium of activism
By Nabila Giovanna W

Midpoint is a monthly series that invites established Southeast Asian contemporary artists to take stock of their career thus far, reflect upon generational shifts and consider advantages and challenges working in the present day. It is part of A&M Dialogues, and builds upon the popular Fresh Faces series.

Our guest for this month is Arahmaiani, an Indonesian artist who has worked in a wide range of mediums, from paintings and drawings to installations, and community projects. The works carry bold messages about climate change, social justice and gender discrimination. At times, Arahmaiani has paid the price for championing these causes. In spite of the consequences, she continues to utilise art as her medium of activism.

In this conversation, Arahmaiani speaks about her exploration with experimental art, her community project in Tibet and the importance of creative freedom.

Arahmaiani, ‘Handle without Care’, 1996 - 1997, performed at the 2nd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia. Image courtesy of the artist.

Could you share a decision and/or event that marked a significant turn/moment in your path as an artist?

After being critical and asking many questions about power’s game or manipulation and receiving no answer, I realised that I was the one who had to answer the question. Besides creating artworks, I began to work with communities to deal with the reality on the ground and do concrete actions. This happened in 2006 after I went through several hard times, from having been imprisoned, dealing with death threats from hard-liner Islamist group and living nomadically to survive.

Monks of Lab Village, Khamp Area, Tibet collecting trash. Image courtesy of the artist.

When have been milestone achievements for you as an artist, and why have they been particularly memorable?

When I began to realise that creativity is not only limited to aesthetics but also related to all aspects of life, I wanted to explore more of its possibilities and to start working on an experimental art approach and expression. This realisation brought me to the Tibet Plateau and encouraged me to work with monks and laypeople to overcome environmental challenges.

“When I began to realise that creativity is not only limited to aesthetics but also related to all aspects of life, I wanted to explore more of its possibilities and to start working on an experimental art approach and expression.”

The Tibet Plateau is known as the water tower of Asia and the Third Pole, as it is one of the largest ice-fields on earth. As the earth’s temperature increases from climate change, the ice starts to melt rapidly and cause various natural disasters such as floods and landslides throughout the Asia continent. My work in Tibet began in 2010 and continues until today. Together with monks and laypeople, we have worked on various projects such as managing waste and recycling, reviving the organic farming system and nomadic culture and lifestyle, planting trees, managing the water resources, and producing alternative energy systems. Since 2015, this project has been supported by the Chinese government.

Could you walk us through a typical work day, or a typical week? What routine do you follow to nourish yourself/your artistic practice?

In principle, I divide my time equally between things that are private and public, such as engaging with communities. There needs to be a balance between personal and community voices, especially in terms of expressing it.

Arahmaiani, ‘Accident 1’, 1981. Image courtesy of the artist.

Arahmaiani, ‘Lingga-Yoni’, 1994, acrylic on canvas, 182 x 140cm. Image courtesy of the artist.

Looking back, you have produced works such as ‘Accident 1’ (1981) and ‘Lingga-Yoni’ (1994) that sparked controversy and led to sanctions from your campus (Institut Teknologi Bandung) and self-exile to Australia. At the time, what was the main decision that drove you to create those works? Were you ever worried about the consequences? Was there something that you would do differently?

The main decision was based on the desire to express honesty and on the basis of knowledge and awareness. Yes, I was a little worried about the consequences, but the urge to express myself and what I think to be the truth was stronger. Well, for sure it is possible for it to be expressed differently, but I wanted to be honest and follow my heart.

Another distinct part of your works would be the involvement of local communities, as seen in ‘Flag Project’ (2006-now) and ‘Lab Village’ (2010). Why has it been important for local communities to be involved in the creation of the works? What do you hope for them to achieve with their participation?

The community has power that transcends individual means. More than a reminder to not be selfish, working with the community also gives a possibility to implement a so-called “bottom-up” strategy. This could lead to systemic changes.

What I hope to achieve from community participation and movement is to be able to find alternative and creative solutions to all the problems they are facing in an independent manner.

“The community has power that transcends individual means. More than a reminder to not be selfish, working with the community also gives a possibility to implement a so-called “bottom-up” strategy. This could lead to systemic changes.”

What do you think were the unique advantages and disadvantages you had when you were an emerging artist, and with establishing your place since then?

When we are in an emerging position, there seems to be more space to explore. However, at the same time, we have to be able to convince the public that our idea or approach is creative and important. That situation is challenging. There is freedom on the one hand,but also significant obstacles on the other hand.

When the position is already established, surely there is more space to communicate and the public might be more receptive to our perspective. At the same time, we need to continue developing and growing our ideas.

What has become easier or more difficult to do as time has gone by?

It becomes easier to move around on a higher level, but it becomes harder to move on the lower level. It is easier to access the international art world, but in a local or national context, I am in a challenging position.

In our competitive modern life, if one is considered successful, one also has to deal with negative consequences such as jealousy and hatred. This is especially someone like me who one already faces stigmatisation within religious and political contexts.

Arahmaiani in Tibet, 2014. Image courtesy of the artist.

What do you think has been/is your purpose? How has it kept you going, or at times, how has it been challenging to push against boundaries in order to keep your focus? How has your purpose remained steadfast or evolved over the years?

For me, art and life are not separate entities. Since the beginning of my career, I have asked myself about the meaning and purpose of this life, along with questioning the function of art media in relation to the understanding of life. This kind of approach is not easy and if we are focused and consistent with this approach, we often have to jump over boundaries and face the consequences. It can be a challenging situation.

To make my purpose remain steadfast over the years, I have had to live like a nomad in order to receive the support and facilities from people or institutions that appreciate my ideas and activities.

Could you talk about your current/upcoming projects?

Since last year, I have started working again in my city of residence, Yogyakarta, Indonesia because there is an enthusiasm from various communities to create a network of cooperation that deals with environmental, social and cultural issues. This network is not only limited to Yogyakarta but also on a regional and global level.

My dream is to make Yogyakarta a model for communal activities in Indonesia. These activities will empower people to face their life’s challenges in a creative and innovative way, and also function positively in the context of a global network. I will connect this project with communities that have been working with me on an ongoing basis, such as in Tibet, China, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Netherlands, USA and Germany.

Activism has started to seep into the social media realm. Do you have plans to utilise social media platforms in your future works?

Social media can be a practical, effective and inexpensive tool for communal activities. My friends and I have used it to support collaborative work by spreading new and useful ideas, positive activities in togetherness to the public or anything that the inhabitants of the earth need today.

I will not deny that in reality social media can also be used for power and profit-related interests, which can have a negative impact and bring disaster to those who are obsessed with it.

If you asked me whether I will utilise social media platforms for future activities, my answer will be yes, for sure. I also realise that we have to study its possibilities because technology is constantly evolving and it can be used for both negative and positive things. As a human being, we must be aware and uphold the values of truth and honesty if one does not want to get caught up in negative and dangerous things.

Arahmaiani, ‘Handle without Care’, ‘Nation for Sale’ and ‘Sacred Coke’, 1996-1997 performance and installation at 2nd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia. Image courtesy of the artist.

And finally, what would be a key piece of advice to young art practitioners? What has been your formula for success that they can learn from to apply to their own careers?

Be yourself – be honest and truthful, learn about nature and its laws as that will lead you to a deeper understanding of life. This will aid in inspiring our creative activities and live this life consistently in a wise way. There are many possibilities and mediums to express ourselves in what is called an artwork. Do not get stuck with existing beliefs and definitions of what it could be. Creativity is an unlimited space that should be explored by each creative being.

The formula for success is consistent exploration of creativity and combining art with other knowledge disciplines. This helps us to move beyond aesthetic concerns. We all have freedom and should not be entrapped in a limited area or space.

This interview has been edited.

Access the full Midpoint series here.