11/7/2002
Art Against the Machine
24HR Art, Darwin
An exhibition of the work of Indonesian political collective Taring Padi, which has been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement in Central Java in recent years. Taring padi', literally, means the teeth' of the rice kernel which is a symbol for the people and is at the heart of Indonesian livelihood and cultural tradition.
political posters, banners and paintings by
tARING PADI COLLECTIVE
Following hot on the heels of exhibitions at the Adelaide Festival and in
Melbourne, 24HR Art is proud to present an exhibition of the work of
Indonesian political collective Taring Padi, which has been at the forefront
of the pro-democracy movement in Central Java in recent years.
taring padi', literally, means the teeth' of the rice kernel which is a
symbol for the people and is at the heart of Indonesian livelihood and
cultural tradition. Taring Padi is a collective of art workers and activists
which formed amid the social, economic, and political turmoil that
accompanied the demise of Indonesia's former president Suharto in May 1998.
Taring Padi members spent most of their time creatively animating street
protests through the use of banners, comics, posters and performance,
concentrating on issues of anti-militarism and social justice. Usually their
art work is produced collectively and exhibited in the public arena: on the
streets, in villages and marketplaces.
The media employed by Taring Padi are those of popular culture in Indonesia,
including posters, street banners, comics and performance. This exhibition,
curated by Heidi Arbuckle and Cath Bowdler will showcase a cross-section of
collaborative and individual works produced since 1988 and features a number
political banners as well as a huge painting on the gallery walls.
Taring Padi's work in Art Against the Machine
is restricted to black and white. This is both an aesthetic choice and also
represents the realities under which Taring Padi often produces work. A
Darwin Fringe Festival event
Launch and performance: 6pm Fri 12 July
Opened by Mr Abdul Rachman, Indonesian Vice Consul
Gallery viewing hours are Wed - Fri 10am - 6pm Sat 10
am - 2pm or by appointment.
For more info contact Cath Bowdler or Fiona
Cocks Ph (08) 89815368 24HR Art is financially assisted by the NT Government
through the Department of the Arts and Museums and the Australia Council,
the Federal Government's arts funding and advisory body.
24HR Art,
Northern Territory Centre for Contemporary Art, Vimy
Lane, Parap, Darwin.