Studio Malya was officially established in the end of 2017 and was initiated by several students as well as the alumni of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol), Gadjah Mada University. They once participated in the students’ activity called Teater Selasar. Studio Malya is a shared study space in which people assess and explore various discourses or knowledge. The objective is to reveal many new alternatives, both in terms of perspectives and methodologies, to read the dynamic socio-cultural situation in Indonesia. The findings discovered in the process are then presented through different media and utilized as a basis for meetings and knowledge discussions involving a number of social groups.
Studio Malya along with its collaborating partners (survivors of the 1965 tragedy) will bring up the cultural reconciliation discourse faced by the youths after the 1965 conflict for Biennale this year. Such a discourse will be effectively presented by involving 51 informants consisting of artists, archivists, academics, social activists, musicians, religious figures, and the youths. They will create a sound installation consisting of 64 pieces of tin can “telephones”, telling various testimonies and comments on the 1965 conflict. A red telephone will also be displayed, serving as a means for the audience to provide their responses to the 1965 conflict. Through this installation, Studio Malya and its collaborating partners attempt to evoke the public’s imagination by creating a new museum. This new museum displays various historical events and conflict management practices which have long been overlooked due to the existence of dominant narratives/interests.
