It is the theme we picked and chose to articulate how we and the other artists participating in Biennale Jogja Equator 5 perceive a few problems concerning “the periphery” which take place in South East Asia. Particularly, we pay more attention to problems intersecting with the issues of identity (gender, race, and religion), small narratives, socio-political conflicts, labor, environmental issues, or more specifically, art practices.
PLAYGROUND is an allegory of our living space and/or means of expression which frequently seems pleasant, while it actually comprises multilayers of problems beneath. Not only that we need to disentangle and identify the said problems, but it is also necessary for us to deeply think about how we position ourselves (either as an artist, curator, connoisseur, or other position) against a wide range of common issues we have been confronting lately.
Why Southeast Asia?
Southeast Asia as a Perspective for History and Identity
The idea of holding an exhibition focusing on Southeast Asia does sound like a cliché as such an event has been continuously conducted. Regardless, it encourages us to see an alternative, namely the fact that Southeast Asia provides far richer potentials relevant to the global situation. Southeast Asia is not just a geographic region politically known as ASEAN.
What we discuss on the notion of “the periphery” is not merely refers to the the idea of place, but most importantly is about the subject or community that live within: the subjects who were not benefited from or suffered from economically or politically within a social structure. Therefor the subject on periphery is also appeared in main areas, because the periphery is an antagonist for “the center”. Shortly, the notion of the periphery here includes issues, life practices or subjects that are excluded from the academic discourse, public policy and media coverage. This will touch upon the matters of power relationships, how the subject of the periphery forced to be in face to face situation with the hegemonic power wherever they exist. As issue, the notion of periphery can be extended to various problems in our everyday life: the gap of gender equality, the violence to human rights, labour and working class problems particularly related to migrant workers, discrimination based on race or religions, and many others.