In this Javanese archery philosophy-inspired performance, Melati shoots 800 arrows in a room where the audience is allowed in the space with her.
06.11.2021 – 07.11.2021
About the Performance
Melati Suryodarmo Transaction of Hollows (2016) 4 hours performance
Wielding a Javanese bow, Melati shoots arrows in a room, where the audience is allowed in the space with her. We hear the sound of the arrows as they whizz through the air and pierce the walls with a hollow thud.
Through this performance, the artist meditates on the direction of our lost society. To ‘aim’ at something can be both literal and metaphorica — an archer aims for the bull’s eye on the target, just like people aim to achieve personal goals.
The philosophy of Javanese archery teaches us that the process is as important as the outcome, an idea which Melati amplifies in this work, as she proposes a more direct relationship with the world around us, suggesting that dealing with the process of life should be a personal philosophy rather than aiming for socially imposed outcomes.
How to Watch the Performance Art
Transaction of Hollows (2016) is part of the performance series within the exhibition 'Melati Suryodarmo: Why Let the Chicken Run?' at Museum MACAN.
Saturday – Sunday, 6 – 7 November 2021 at 11 – 3 PM (GMT+7)
