Tanah Di Bawah Angin
Tanah Di Bawah Angin is a visual exercise in
various parts, to simultaneously mend and dissect the various
viscosities of Malay mythical tales with the factual occurrences
of the Straw-headed Bulbul within the Nusantara (The Malay
World).
The Straw-headed Bulbul is a recurring
oral motif in the Nusantara and is at high risk of facing
extinction in Southeast Asia — poached and hunted for its
beautiful call and song.
The work pivots on a triad
of narratives: the birds’ animist origins, an Islamic fable and
a pair of Minangkabau pantuns. Working with the narrative and
the bird in a metaphorical capacity unravels threads of
multiplicity in negotiating and questioning the notions of
Malayness: of 'merantau' (wandering), Islam and the Nusantara’s
animistic past.