Indonesia
Otonom (The Tale of Ngata)
2019
Natural debris from 2018 earthquake on the coast of Palu bay
Dimensions variable
Kukuh Ramadhan is a multimedia artist living and working in Indonesia. After the disastrous events of the earthquake on September 28, 2018, Kukuh Ramadhan together with his collaborator and community architectural activist Ruang Dualapan developed several programs aimed at empowering the local victims of the disaster to be able to make independent and immediate improvements to their surroundings.
Otonom was one such program, and took place in Palu Valley. Otonom was a temporary, site-specific sculpture which was constructed over the course of seven days using the debris collected from the earthquake. To design the structure, the artists turned to the oral folklore passed on by the ethnic people of Palu Vally, the Kaili people. Natural phenomena of the area feature prominently in these folklores. Many of the words themselves were developed by the Kaili people to embody the environmental characteristics of the land. By embracing these traditions, Ramadhan sought to showcase the importance of exploring often times overlooked venues for knowledge – such as linguistic traditions – to rebuild in the most impactful and respectful way after a disaster.
Select Previous Exhibitions
- Media Art Week, Local Genius, Palu Central Sulawesi, IN, 2018
- For Our Art Identity, RDL Art Space, Palu Central Sulawesi, IN, 2016
Education
Universitas Komputer Indonesia, Bandung, IN
