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Tanda Seru! exhibition highlights women’s emancipation, gender equality
The exhibition is held from March 31 to April 13 at Uma Seminyak in Badung regency, Bali.
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A visitor looks at Citra Sasmita's "Portrait of The Other 1" and "Portrait of The Other 2", which are on display at the Tanda Seru! exhibition at Uma Seminyak in Badung regency, Bali. (Futuwonder/File)
T
anda Seru! (Exclamation Mark!) is an exhibition featuring works from artists who aim to raise awareness about women’s issues, especially emancipation and gender equality.
The exhibition is held from March 31 to April 13 at Uma Seminyak in Badung regency, Bali.
Presented by cross-disciplinary collective Futuwonder, Tanda Seru! features eight artists: Aria Gita Indira, Citra Sasmita, Cristine “Manda” Mandasari, Intan Kirana Sari, Irene Febry, Pangestu Widya Sari, Putu Sridiniari and Santi Permana. The event was opened by renowned artist Arahmaiani, who is known for being outspoken about women's issues.
Two paintings from artist Citra Sasmita are on display at the exhibition: Portrait of The Other 1 and Portrait of The Other 2. One of the works depicts a naked woman with two heads; she is wrapped with a red, thorny rope. “The reality is that society currently puts women in a secondary position, hence when they try to escape from values that restrict them, it is often perceived as a rebellious act and [likely to] generate social conflict,” Citra said in an official statement.
Read also: Why feminism in Indonesia is important
Artist Manda is exhibiting three works: Happy to Bleed #1, #2 and #3. The art explores the patriarchal reconstruction of women’s menstruation, particularly in terms of worship, work and marriage. Sanitary pads cover the art and one of the pieces reads, “This is [not] the reason why women should take the day off.”
Meanwhile, Putu Sridiniari, a member of Futuwonder, presents Res Publica: Security Mirror for Genitalia, which examines how much the law and the public limit women’s freedom. “Despite how often they are presented, art exhibitions tend to be commercial and lack innovation. Exhibitions like Tanda Seru! should be held more often to accommodate an alternative exchange of ideas and visuals that are comparable to the mainstream ones,” said Putu. “This exhibition is also necessary to build constructive behavior, especially for women artists, in communication.” (wir/mut)
