Artist and the Community
‘Mulung’ in Belian ritual 2023, scratching on photo paper, 200 x 250 mm
Maryanto’s Mulung series of scratching on photo paper comprise of 9 small works to inform a larger collective story. His intention is for the audience to engage with the works, creating their own interpretation and stories to seek further curiosity and information. Storytelling and narrative are important aspects of Maryanto’s practice, driving conversation and exposure to local communities and issues faced by the Indonesian people.
Think About/Discuss:
Existing within community and aquiring knowledge first hand was a crucial step in creating this series. Maryanto spent time researching in campsites with local communities, staying for days and walking around to see the forest and mangroves. Surveying the impact of coal mining and collecting stories and materials from people. To continue his research Maryanto also collected news and other documentation to support his perspective. The works are comprised of images of devastating and environment damage, as well as moments of community, celebration and ritual.
Compare and contrast Maryanto’s community research based practice to other artists seeking to disrupt and exposure social, political and environment issues to the wider world:
Jason DeCaires Taylor, Underwater Sculptures, Mexico https://www.underwatersculpture.com/
JR, Women Are Heroes, Cambodia, Kenya, India etc. https://www.jr-art.net/project-list/woman-are-heroes
Ruangrupa, Collecting Memories: The Village of Paper-Making For Thousands of Years, China
To view more Mulang works from this series being exhibited in แผ่นดิน/Tanah/Land, please visit https://www.16albermarle.com/ex14_artworks