Flag Project
Arahmaiani

Flag Project took place on Bali Island, Indonesia in 2022.

 

"My dream of fertile and beautiful land, whether in the country where I was born or on the entire surface of the earth, has indeed arisen since I realized that humans are living things that are part of nature. And not the ruler who only makes nature just as an object. In fact, humans do depend on nature to survive. Clean and fresh water, soil and air are the basic supports for the continuity of human life for generations. So that it can build a sophisticated civilization that gives birth to the noble values ​​of life in togetherness and harmony.

Awareness about living in harmony with nature in diversity is the basic capital of life that supports sustainable systems that are safe and bring happiness to all creatures that live on this earth. It's just that in today's reality this kind of consciousness sinks and disappears. Ego and greed have blinded human awareness of the future and the continuity of the lives of their children and grandchildren. Nature is made into an object and just a commodity for unlimited profit. Then the planet was hit by disaster and threatened with destruction! Flash floods, landslides, burning forests, rivers and lakes drying up – apart from earthquakes. The Corona epidemic is also rampant. And of course the Russian and Ukrainian wars which threaten the world!

I have tried to deal with the problem of the threat of environmental destruction and worked with various communities, both in Indonesia and other countries, such as: Singapore, Thailand, Tibet/China, Japan, Australia, Israel & Palestine, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and America. It started this kind of project working together with the Amumarta Islamic boarding school community in Yogyakarta (led by Kyai Jawis Masruri) in 2006 when Yogyakarta was hit by a big earthquake. And the work with this community is still ongoing today.

This community-based work has created a sustainable work of art entitled “Flag Project” – in addition to concrete work in the field to address environmental challenges and maintain ecological balance such as: waste management and recycling; organic farming and animal husbandry (with the aim of food self-sufficiency); tree planting; management of water sources and cleaning from pollution; and creation of alternative energy system. That could support sustainable economic system.
 

For the “Dreaming the Land” art project, I focused on working with communities on the island of Bali created a performance work with the “Flag Project” (Global version) and then made it into a video art work. I also want to emphasize the importance of traditional local cultural aspects with their wisdom. Which in the context of Indonesia (formerly called the Nusantara Archipelago) is based on the principles of togetherness and tolerance - in addition to the principle of living without violence. And in my working method then this past knowledge and wisdom is connected with modern science and technology."

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Written by Arahmaiani