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.
The concept of periphery in Biennale Jogja focuses more on the discussion on how the countries of Southeast Asia share similar problems in their territory. So the concept will be the bidge to connect different region with the memory of conflicts and complexities: Jogja, Aceh, Pontianak, Polman, Sabah, Pattani, Mindanao, Suluh, Ho Chi Minh, and so on.
This opportunity can be used also for the peripherial subjects to imagine the region (Southeast Asia) and the global world. The term “southeast” Asia itself is not an generic term born by the awaraness of society to be seen as one region, but mostly shaped as the effect of the end of Cold War. There are evindents to prove that the relationship of societies in the region had developed way before the birth of naton state, including the establishment of borders between those states. The curators will not bringing a romantic perspective to reveal those traditional relationships, but to investigate impacts of post-colonial era and what happened after this establishment of nation states. The areas such Pattani and Sulu, for example, it is not an in-between territory, but places who try to differ themselves with the State that had claimed to be their “umbrella”. The tensions and battle of identity can be traced from their cultural or arts expression.
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.
Biennale Jogja Equator #5 in collaboration with countries in Southeast Asia tries to avaoid a typical direction towards the idea to “represent” the term of periphery, or not to use periphery only as a source of inspiration. Furthermore, by showing how the periphery express themselves and to bring up their own narration, we propose a different approach of speaking about this region.