Talk Details

In 1965, between five hundred thousand and one million Indonesian leftists–in particular members and associates of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI)–were killed or forcibly disappeared by the military and other right-wing forces. Until today, discussion of these events remains heavily suppressed.

Rangga Purbaya (b. 1976) is a visual artist from Yogyakarta and co-founder of the Ruang MES 56 art collective. In this talk, he will discuss the collective practice of MES 56 as well as his life and practice as an artist confronting the legacies of 1965. As well as discussing the impacts of 1965 on Indonesian society today, Rangga will explore the intersection of culture and activism and ask: how can art resist ‘official’ histories?

Indonesian artist Rangga Purbaya gave an insightful talk and facilitated a lively Q&A with lots of pertinent questions and comments from the audience.

This event was presented in partnership with Asia Pacific Solidarity Network (APSN)

Click the link below to listen to an interview with the artist featured on SBS (in Indonesian).