A Grain of Hope: Who Owns the Land?

The rich Asian soil has fostered life and the traditional culture of many peoples for centuries. However, much of this connection with the land was lost from the 16th century onwards, with the spread of Western colonialism and the rise of large-scale land development. Divided into three sections, this exhibition showcases artworks with strong social messages, exploring issues that affect people and their land under the influence of globalization.

1,  Tidal Waves of the Globalization to Indonesia

Indonesia came under Dutch colonial rule for a long period after the 17th century.  This part of the exhibition focuses on the influence of globalization which flooded into Indonesia after the Age of Discovery.  This is evident in artworks such as “The Horn Bill and the Missionary,” which illustrates the painter’s imaginary vision of the Dutch colonial period, and paintings from Bali, an internationally famous tourist destination.

2, Taring Padi — Who Owns the Land?

“Taring Padi” or Fangs of Rice is an Indonesian artist collective that formed in 1998. As their official group name “Institute of People Oriented Culture of Taring Padi” suggests, they passionately tackle various social issues in Indonesia from the perspective of the farmers, fishermen and laborers.

3, Idealism and Reality of Countries

Numerous “New-Nianhua” or New Year’s Picture posters, which depicted the aspirations of socialist state, were distributed in China, following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.  Artworks that confront social realities, however, were produced from the 1990s; in this decade socially aware pieces were created one after another.  This part of the exhibition features examples of such artworks by Zhang Dali, who focus on expressing the reality of governmental urban development and subsequent forced evictions. His pieces are shown alongside woodcuts by Lee Yunyop from Korea and other works.