We are proud to present 4 exclusive works by Arahmaiani from the 1990s. Although these works date back over 20 years they share relevance with our position today, especially with artists of colour in post-Brexit London. Born into two different religions and ideologies (her father being a strict muslim and her mother coming from Hindu and Buddhist origins) Arahmaiani’s work is a balance of both worlds, though often seen as a critique of Islam by the Indonesian religious police. She has become a political activist, infamous for getting arrested for her performances and even having to flee countries in South East Asia for questioning the monolithic image of Islam. In the 1980s and 1990s she was one of the first to explore the field of performance art in South East Asia, a natural process for her as she was trained in traditional Indonesian dance, something which appears again and again in her work. Her performances question the paradoxes of neoliberalism: how the traditional, the indigenous and the natural have to suffer and become second to consumer culture in order for it to thrive. Over the years she has worked with marginalised communities to protest against political corruption, injustice, violence and woman’s position within society. Since the 1980s her work has been included in over 100 solo and group shows globally, including numerous Bienalles making her mark as one of Indonesia's leading contemporary artists.
Four Faces, 1993 Offerings from A-Z, 1996 Do not prevent the fertility of the mind, 1996 Handle without care, 1997
In light of current events, we have invited four artists to respond to her work. In an age where the divide between different cultures is expanding we need to unite, represent and have a voice for our communities. This event is a night to spark conversation about exoticism, neo-colonialism and how a non-white identity has become disparaged in the western world.
Performances by:
Raju Rage (http://www.rajurage.com/)
Daniel Brathwaite-Shirley
(https://www.facebook.com/
Georgia Lucas Going
(https://vimeo.com/
ALSO: 8pm - FOOD FOR THOUGHT PT. 2 Vegetarian Malay curry served as a platform for conversation
so come down early to eat some curry and spread some love ♥