After 1965: Historical Violence and Memory Activism in Indonesian Contemporary Art

#Thursday Colloquium mit Wulan Dirgantoro

Wulan’s presentation is an overview of a work in progress about the representation of historical violence in the practices of artists such as Tintin Wulia (b. 1971), Rangga Purbaya (b. 1976) and Leyla Stevens (b. 1982). These artists have consistently explored Indonesia’s anti-communist killings of 1965-66, that has been considered as “one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century.” Scholars have considered Indonesian visual arts as reflecting changes that happen within Indonesian society. Indeed, Indonesian artists have drawn their inspiration from historical, cultural and sociopolitical changes, both visually and conceptually. However, little scholarly attention has been paid about the aesthetic impact of these changes. In this regard, the presentation will use the term ‘After 1965’ to describe the impact of Indonesia’s anti-communist killings on selected practices in Indonesian contemporary art. The presentation will consider the strategies and challenges in the representation of the mass killings and its attendant trauma through a discursive approach in the practices of these artists.

^{Diese Veranstaltung richtet sich an HIAS-Fellows und ihre Tandempartner*innen.}