Beyond Elasticity (Rubber and Material): Indonesian Established Artists Exhibit Their Thoughts and Qualms on the Nation’s Rubber Plantations
Jagad Gallery, a bold art gallery from Jakarta, Indonesia, has created an exciting art residency and exhibition in collaboration with Sekolah Seni Tubaba (Tubaba Art School) to reflect on the often overlooked rubber plantations Tubaba, Lampung, Indonesia. The rubber plantation art residency, which includes established and renowned Indonesian artists such as Agus Suwage, Dolorosa Sinaga, and Handiwirman, culminated in an exhibition titled Beyond Elasticity: Rubber and Material. The artists were given the task of creating pieces that use rubber as a material, effectively making pieces that convey the stark reality of life in the plantations.
The pieces in the exhibit reflect how rubber plantations, like any other agricultural phenomenon, have brought both positive and negative effects on people and the environment. For the environment, plantations have reduced biodiversity as they call for large masses of land that are often gained through deforestation. Local communities, including Indigenous peoples, are also often exploited by the rubber industry. In today’s market, small-scale rubber farmers often have to sell their unprocessed rubber below the market price. They also fall victim to nefarious schemes, such as middlemen who cheat their rubber measuring scales. As a nail to the coffin, they are also simultaneously threatened by the presence of large industrial-scale farms.
Despite all this, rubber remains an important and essential commodity for both national and international economies. The question that the exhibit ponders now is how can the local industry move to help both people and nature whose lives have been affected by these plantations. This is why Beyond Elasticity: Rubber and Material is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Responsible Consumption and Production, Decent Work And Economic Growth, and Reduced Inequalities.
One of the exhibited pieces, Winner’s Journey by Elyezer, is a 3D painting whose surface is made entirely from rubber. Affixed on the painting’s surface are tire tracks, representing an everyday rubber-made item which costs quite a lot despite raw rubber costing very little as a commodity. Exhibition curator Asmudjo J. Irianto writes that this piece is the culmination of the artist’s frustration with this elusive reality, represented in tire tracks that are literally driving and stepping all over the canvas. This piece is a symbol of how rubber plantations can be a double-edged sword, simultaneously bringing profits to multinational corporations, all while small-scale farmers who tend to the crops suffer.
In another piece, Terganjal, Gulung Karet (Stuck, Rolled Rubber) by Yuli Prayitno, a large slab of untreated raw rubber has been rolled tight like a sleeping bag and fastened together with a belt. Several household items, such as a tablecloth, ceramic plates, and a blanket, have been caught inside it. Irianto interprets that piece as Prayitno’s reflection on how rubber plantations have overtaken the lives of locals in Tubaba. This sentiment strikes deep once viewers understand that rubber trees were never native to Indonesia. They were brought to the nation in the early 1900s, when it was still a Dutch Colony, in order to be yet another commodity produced by the Dutch East India Company.
The most personal and sentimental piece in the exhibit is HOME by Anusapati. Anusapati is the only artist from the roster who has had previous firsthand encounters with rubber plantations. In fact, he used to live in one as a child, growing up on the outskirts of Jakarta in the 1960s. Today, there are no rubber plantations in Jakarta. The megacity now boasts nothing but asphalt and concrete, with little to no green areas. Hence, HOME by Anusapati becomes a nostalgic piece, for a childhood spent closer to nature, even if it was at a plantation.
Beyond Elasticity: Rubber and Material at Jagad Gallery offers a profound exploration of the complexities surrounding Indonesia's rubber plantations. The exhibit delves into the dichotomies of the rubber industry — highlighting both its economic significance and the environmental and social challenges it poses. The artworks presented have poignantly captured the tension between exploitation and sustenance, urging their viewers to reflect on the ethical implications of rubber production. Hence, Beyond Elasticity: Rubber and Material not only showcases artistic innovation but also serves as a call to action for more sustainable and humane practices in the rubber industry.
Find out more about Beyond Elasticity at Jagad Gallery and their other initiatives by checking the gallery's Instagram on @jagadgallery.