Art in The Midst Of Enviromental Conflict: On Tisna Sanjaya-s IBU Cigondewah
Aulia Ibrahim Yeru
Department of Visual Art, Universitas Telkom
Abstract
In this paper, the author will examine the work of artist Tisna Sanjaya titled IMAH BUDAYA (IBU) CIGONDEWAH / CIGONDEWAH CULTURAL CENTER. Created in 2011, this work can be regarded as one of the breakthroughs done by Tisna Sanjaya as an artist. By posing as a building, this work has shown Sanjaya departure-s from previous approaches which put the issue of politics and the environment as mere inspiration for his artworks, to become directly involves within the vortex of political and environmental conflict. To analyse IBU CIGONDEWAH as artwork and its impact on the environment and society, the author examines the symbolic aspects of this building and its physicality and functionality as a building. In order to explore its impact upon people and ecology, the author also explores the programmes run by IBU CIGONDEWAH. The author also conducted interviews with stakeholders in the Cigondewah area (including Tisna Sanjaya himself, people of Batu Rengat, and the local authoritative) to get a wider perspective on the artwork-s impact upon the environment where the artwork is located. Cigondewah itself is well-known as the centre of textile industries which regularly dumped their waste into its river, namely Cikendal-which also serves as a tributary of Citarum River. The latter recently become the centre of attention because of its pollution and how the river itself increasingly attracts political interests. This paper ultimately aimed to reconsider and dissect artistic practice as one of the alternative approaches in solving the issue of ecology and political issues. This paper could be seen as an effort to evaluate artistic practice in comprehensive manner, not only for its artistic/symbolic merit but also to dissect how the artwork or artistic/speculative practice could play a role in the conflict of everyday life.
Keywords: Citarum River, environmental art, ecology, political issues
Topic: Art