Indieguerillas

Taipei, ANIMAMIX BIENNIAL: VISUAL ATTACK & ATTACK, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan, December 5, 2009 - January 31, 2010

 

The work is in good condition. The acrylic plates and digital prints are in good condition with neither scratches nor chips.
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"The title is actually two Javanese words: Sato Kewan means 'animals' and Rajabrana means 'gold'. If we put those words together, for us it means 'greedy animals looking for gold, or money'. This scene is what we see in our everyday life, in our society. A lot of humans lose their humanity and become more and more like greedy animals. Injustice is the result of this situation. You can buy Law through corrupt law enforcement officers (some of our characters wear clothes with Law Enforcer symbols). Some of the characters also have diamond-pierced tongues, symbolizing that truth is no longer present. The truth now depends on how much money you have. Money rules us now. The trees also symbolize the jungle as we now live in a situation that is driven by 'Jungle Law'."

INDIEGUERILLAS CITED IN THE ARTIST'S STATEMENT, 2009 (TRANSLATED)

Some time in the future, humanity will look back into the first decade of the 21st Century and try to remember what defined it. On the one hand, it has survived the Wall Street meltdown in 2008 and the ensuing global downturn, and on the other it saw the most number of billionaires and highest sum of their combined wealth in the world in 2010. This jarring contradiction truly resonates with the present work. With their cynical wit, hipster manner and blazing humor, Indieguerillas captures the essence of contemporary society and all its facets – the good and the bad. Behind this blasé façade, however, is a sincere appreciation for roots and tradition. Although they poke fun at the society of today, who revere brands, logos and products made in anywhere but Indonesia, they also try to educate them about the value of tradition by creating revamped, hip wayang characters in a form they can relate to. If you can't beat them, join them. Indeed, Indieguerillas are criticizing themselves as much as they are commenting on society. Consumerism may be a way of life in the present, but is not and should not be a culture. Brands may make their user appear cool, but they do not define identities.