24 Jun 2023
18:00 - 20:00
Opening: Tanah Merdeka
Join us for the opening of the new exhibition Tanah Merdeka on 24 June 2023. The exhibition brings together works by the Indonesian collective of art workers Taring Padi and various collaborators to reflect on the concept of land and its socio-political implications through a cross-cultural network of solidarity.
Members of Taring Padi will be present at the opening, while artist and activist Richard Bell – a close comrade of the collective – will offer an opening speech on the legacies of colonialism and the urgency of art and collective practice. Netherlands-based Indonesian cellist Alfian Emir Adytia will activate the space with a musical performance.
Tanah Merdeka is presented by Framer Framed in partnership with Jewish Brazilian cultural centre Casa do Povo and the Brazilian Landless Workers’ Movement.
Tanah Merdeka
Drawing from the Indonesian expression ‘tanah merdeka’ (liberated land/space), the exhibition sees land as a broad concept with many complexities. It considers forces of extraction, preservation, colonisation, occupation, identity, and emancipation, and thinks of land not only as a physical and territorial site to be protected, defended, and reclaimed, but also as a spiritual, cosmological, and vibrant space that enables different forms of interrelation, conversation, and genuine exchange beyond boundaries.
In 2022, together with participants of the Wayang Kardus Workshops at Framer Framed and other locations, Taring Padi co-produced cardboard puppets that were later presented at documenta fifteen in Kassel, Germany. Tanah Merdeka (2023) continues this approach with the realisation of new collaborative works. During a one-month residency in Brazil, four members of Taring Padi developed Retomar Nossa Terra / Rebut Tanah Kita (2023) in collaboration with the Jewish Brazilian cultural centre Casa do Povo and the Brazilian landless movement, Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), followed by the production of the banner De Levende Erfenis van Koloniaal Geweld (2023) at Framer Framed in Amsterdam.
The exhibition also speaks to the importance of open, collective conversation as a transformative tool for dealing with issues that are interlaced with forms of racism, colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchal structures. Following discussions about the depiction of antisemitic figures in one of Taring Padi’s earlier works and motivated by the collective desire for a restorative process, the ongoing partnership with Casa do Povo is based on the idea that stand-alone denunciations of any kind of prejudice are not enough to create effective transformation.
Tanah Merdeka is at the same time a presentation of work by Taring Padi and the result of intensive collaboration with various groups in Brazil and the Netherlands, roundtable discussions, and a public program. It aims to create an open field to critically engage with the legacy of colonialism, as well as a transformative space that restores connections between communities and our relationships to land. Reflecting the continuous change of land over time, the works will evolve throughout the exhibition as individuals, communities, and collectives of Moluccan, Papuan, Indonesian, and Indonesian-Jewish backgrounds will respond to the exhibition and collaborate to co-create new works.
Opening Program
With contribitions by:
Josien Pieterse,
Alex Supartono,
Richard Bell,
Alfian Emir Adytia.
Taring Padi at the opening of Tanah Merdeka (2023) at Framer Framed, with on the background the new banner Retomar Nossa Terra / Rebut Tanah Kita (2023). Photo: Maarten Nauw / Framer Framed
Side presentations
Throughout the evening, visitors are welcome to explore the adjacent exhibition Anonim by Atelier KITLV-Framer Framed artist-in-residence Theo Frids Marulitua Hutabarat, as well as contributions by artists that will inform Non Native Native’s upcoming fair PRO$PERITY NOW!.
Supported by
Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap; Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst; Gemeente Amsterdam and VriendenLoterij Fonds.
Collectives / Indonesia / Colonial history / Art and Activism /
Exhibitions
Exhibition: Tanah Merdeka
An exhibition with the Indonesian art & activist collective, Taring Padi, reflecting on the concept of land as the object and site of decolonial struggles.
Agenda
Roundtable Conversation: Tanah Merdeka
Roundtable conversation with researchers and curators from different art museums and institutions within the context of Taring Padi's exhibition, Tanah Merdeka.
Network
Richard Bell
Artist, Activist
Alfian Emir Adytia
Musician
Alexander Supartono
Art Historian
Taring Padi
Collective
Muhammad 'Ucup' Yusuf
Artist
