Tisna Sanjaya (b. 1958, Bandung)
Teater 5 Agustus (August 5th theater), 1994
Etching42 x 52 cm, ed. 3/20
Collection of Galeri Nasional Indonesia
Etching, for Tisna, is a means to find enlightenment and give meaning to life. The incision of a steel blade on a metal plate and covered with black asphalt is an effort to find light in a dark world.
Through this work, Teater 5 Agustus (5th August Theatre, 1994) Tisna is referring to an event of the same date which occurred at ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) in 1989. A number of students held a demonstration to oppose the presence of General Rudini who was opening the Pancasila Ideology course which at the time was known as Penataran P4 (The Indoctrination of the 4Ps). They organised a number of actions, such as putting up posters, setting tyres on fire, and walking out during the indoctrination sessions. The demonstrations resulted in a number of students being arrested by the military. The students were then taken to court and, in turn, they were expelled from the university for besmirching the reputation of ITB as an ‘agreeable’ university.
Tisna borrowed imagery from Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper to depict the problematic court process. Tisna adapted the scene of the solemn meal into making it threatening and theatrical. In the centre of the image is a person who is held behind wooden bars, who is being sentenced by various creatures around him. This figure resembles Jesus, who instead of being a saviour, appears as an authority who endorses the chaos in front of him.
About the Artist
Tisna critiques the social-political conditions around him through his etchings. A graduated of Graphic Design at ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology), he often explores the problems which he finds in his lived space. Tisna’s artistic journal continues to broaden. He also explores various forms of social engagement through this performance, paintings, installations and so on. In 2008, he built the Imah Budaya (Ibu) Cigondewah, as a cultural centre to examine, explore and preserve the traditions of the local river community.More about: