Elastic Cultural Activism - crossart.com.au · gave spirit and form to Timor Leste’s four-decade...

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Viewexhibitiondocumentationat:crossart.com.au/home/index.php/archive/261-elastics-borracha-elastico-dili-darwin-sydney-dili-lisboa

Inlate2012,fourartists,MariaMadeiraandVictorDeSousafromTimor,NarelleJubelinandFionaMacDonaldfrom

Australia,travelledtoelevenofthethirteendistrictsofTimorLestetowitnessitsreconstructionfromscorchedearthandtoconsiderconnectionsbetweenwomen’swoventextiles(knownastais)andthecontemporaryartworld.Whileeachartist’spracticewasdiverse,rangingoverdocumentary,painting,printmaking,weavingandpetitpointandinstallation,theartistssharedaninterestinprocessesthatengageart,archivesandcommunitiestocountertheerasureofmemory. ThisindependentprojectbeganwithanongoingconversationaboutTimorLeste’sculturalrenewalbetweencuratorJenniferPhipps(1944–2014)andNarelleJubelin.1WhileisimperativetomaintaininitiativessuchastheMuseumandArtGalleryoftheNorthernTerritory'sfinecollectionofSouthEastAsianandTimoresetextiles,theyalsohopedtogeneratesustainablecross-culturalinitiativesforTimoreseartists. TheoutcomeofthefieldresearchisacompilationcalledElastics/Borracha/Elástico,thatspansasetofprints,exhibitionsandeventsinDarwinandSydney,andacatalogueandbibliographytobelaunchedinDililaterthisyear.2ElasticsshowsthemoresubversivefaceoftraditionsthatgavespiritandformtoTimorLeste’sfour-decadestrugglethatfollowedPortugal’sde-colonisationofTimorLesteandtheIndonesianinvasionin1975. TheElasticsarchive(10prints;photographicimagesonCreativeCommonsandvideoartworksbyDeSousaandMacDonald)isauniquerecordofeverydaymomentsinthetransitionoftheworld’spoorestcountrytoanewdemocracy.Theprintssalutetherolethattravellingprintexhibitions(sometimesknownasresistanceart)haveplayedinthirdworlddemocracystrugglesinkeeping

peopleinformed–especiallyinSouthAfricaandLatinAmerica.Inthispopulartradition,artistsdesigneye-catchingprintstobepinnedinalocalcentreormarketplacethatareintelligibletodifferinglanguagesandcultures. InDilitoremembertheabuse,tortureandkillingofthousandsofTimoreseactivistswithinitswalls,theBalideComarca(prison),runbytheIndonesianmilitarybetween1975and1999,wasrehabilitatedasaheritagesiteor'sacredbuilding',tomarkthetransformationfromtraumatopeace.TheCommissionforReception,TruthandReconciliation(ComissãodeAcolhimento,VerdadeeReconciliaçãoorCAVR;active2001–2005)satintheprison.3AswellasCAVRarchivesthesiteincludesalibrary,exhibitionandmeetingspaces.MariaMadeiraandVictorDeSousaaidedthisreconciliationprocess:MariaworkingasatranslatorforCAVRandVictorpaintingmuralsontheprisonwalls.Postersthatsetoutthedecolonisationstory,IstoriaTimor-LesteHusi(designerDavidPalazon,2008)introducetheexhibition.TheCAVRconceptof'livingmemory'inspiredtherealisationofElastics. ThetitleofElastics,basedonthechildren’sjumpinggame,refersinEnglish,TetumandPortuguesetothezigzagandweaveofhistoricrecordsandtestimonyaccordingtogeo-politicalpointofvieworgenerationalexperience.Manytruthshavebeentold;manywillremainuntold.Thearchivesandtheirstoriesareforfuturegenerations. Thegroup’sexhaustiveprocessofselectingphotographsandvideostookmanymonthsofwebfilesharingbeforetheycreatedthefinal‘weave’:astorythatrecordseachprovincevisitedandeachweaver’snameanddetails.Thehigh-keycoloursuggeststhevividcolouroftaisinadustylandscapeandthe1970spopartheydayofoffsetlithographicprintmakingthatsuitstheBigFagPressinSydneywheretheartistsworkedwiththeBigFagartiststoprinttheeditionsfortheproject.

Theprintsshowweaversatabackstraploomworkingintheheartoftheircommunity.Forthousandsofyearsthesetextiles,thatvarybydistrictandvillage,havebeenintegraltosocial,spiritual,andeconomiclife.Heirloomtaiscantakeyearstomake;othersaremadeforeverydaywearortotrade.Eachtaisisre-feltandre-imaginedbytheweaverwithstoriesandstrugglessometimesembedded. ThefrontispieceoftheprintsetisaquotebyweaverAlbertinadaCruzofAtuabe: ‘Eventhoughtheylookverysimilar,wedoknowwhichtaiswemade,itislikeourownhand.Wecanseethe“placeofourhand”itislikeourownfingerprint.Eachofusknowexactlytheplacewhereourhandshavetouched.’ Forsupportersaroundtheworldthesmallhand-woventaistradedatFreeTimorLestefundraisers,presentedtobigwigs,orpictured

Elastic Cultural Activism by Jo Holder, curator,TheCrossArtProjects,KingsCross

inhand-printedincampaignephemera,wereourintroductiontoTimoreseculture.Nowpreservedintopdrawers,sewingboxesorfolders,thismaterialisevidenceofthewidercollaborationthatquietlysitsalongsidethebiggerhistoricalnarrative. TheDarwinexhibitiondrewonthearchivesofauniquegroupofAustralianandTimoreserefugeeactivists,artistsandperformersfromthenowdefunctDarwin-basedAustraliansForAFreeEastTimor(AFFET;active1991–2003).In1995theycreatedTubaRaiMetin:firmlygrippingtheearth,aninstallationofaTimoresesacredculturehouse(umalulik)fortheDarwinFringeFestivalafteritwasrejectedbytheDarwinMuseumandArtGallery.Itwasinstalled/squattedinagovernmentprecinctcalledFederalSquareadjacenttoourDarwinvenue,theChanContemporaryArtSpace.AFFETmemberandmasterweaverVeronica

PereiraMaiagenerouslylenttotheDarwinElasticsexhibitionherstunningTaisDon,a5-pieceamemorialofthenamesofthosekilledinthe1991SantaCruzMassacreinDili,wovenbesidetheumalulikoverthedurationofTubaRaiMetin. Intheprints,twosmallimagesofoilwellsappearaspointerstothecontestoveroilandgasresourcesintheTimorSeabetweenthedisproportionatelyresourcednationsAustraliaandTimorLeste.WhileElastics/Borracha/ElásticowasbeingexhibitedinOctober–November2014,thenewTimorGapaccordsbetweenAustraliaandTimorLestewerebeingtestedfortheirequityandfairness.Todatethishasnotsucceeded.AspartoftheDarwinexhibition,expertspeakersoutlinedthetinynation’slife-and-deatheconomicstakeintheoutcome. Byrespectingthesearttraditions,theElasticscollectivehonourstheresistanceandquietlyrevivesthetermactivism,crucially,aspartofanewwaveofartistsacrossSoutheastAsiaresolvingthedivisionbetweenactivismandaestheticpractice.4Farfromestablishedart-worldcircuitstheElasticsprintsetanditscomponentsspeaktoapublicwhosharesandunderstandsadistinctandidentifiablecross-culturalhistoryandhas,ofnecessity,createdahybridformofculturalactivism. TheprintswillbestrategicallygiftedtoTimoraspartofanational/localprojectofsister-cityrelationshipsbetweenTimorLesteandAustralia,includingbetweenDiliandDarwincouncils,initiatedbyresistanceleaderJoseXananaGusmãoin2006–2007whenservingasthefirstPresidentofEastTimor.ItishopedtheprintscantourfromDilitotheweavingdistricts.TheNorthernCentreforContemporaryArtnowhasanongoingDilitoDarwinplatformtocontinueearliercommissionsbyDarwinFestivalandTimorLeste’sinauguralartsfestivalArtePubliku.•

References1. TimorLestewonindependencein2002andhasvery

limitedartsfundingthroughaidorganisations.MelbourneindependentcuratorJenniferPhippshadinitiatedandfundedothersmallregionalprojectsandgenerouslypaidforNarelleJubelintovisitthecountryonanopenbrief.InturnNarelleJubelininitiatedamobileresidencyandinvitedthecollaborationofhercolleagues.TheprintsetandcatalogueaddstoworkbygroupssuchastheAlolaFoundation,afairtradehandicraftsmovementsetupbyKirstySword-GusmãowithvillageweavinggroupsandoverseasagenciessuchasAusAID,UNESCOandTimorAid.MelbournebasedTimorAidworkstomaintaintheintegrityofTimorLestetextiletraditionsandassistedtheartistsinDili.Thecountry’sfirstcommunityorganisedartsfestivalArtePublikuwasheldfrom24–31August2014.

2. Elastics/Borracha/Elástico,curatedbyJoHolderandtheartists.Exhibitions:Elastics/BorrachaMobileResidency:Darwin<>Dili,ChanContemporaryArtSpace,Darwin,17September–12October2014,presentedbyTheNorthernCentreforContemporaryArtandincludingparticipatoryworksandasymposium;Elastics/BorrachaMobileResidency:Darwin<>Sydney<>Dili,TheCrossArtProjects,Sydney,27September–18October2014.TheDarwinfocuswasonthelocalhistoryofactivism,fromAFFETtoTimorTreatyjusticewhileSydneylookedatdocumentaryfilm.AcatalogueandbibliographywillbelaunchedinDiliin2015atSentruKulturalXanana,DiliandBibliotecaPorTimor,Lisbon.

3. TheexhibitioniscalledChega!,meaning'stop!'or'enough!'andtheposterexhibitionisavailableonwww.cavr.timorleste.org.

4. Thefolioisinspiredbythedaringanti-totalitarianandresistanceprintmakingtraditionsofSoutheastAsiawhichincorporatethedramaticlinoprintsofTaringPadiandtheGembelArtCollectiveandthebriefCultureKitchenaswellasAustralia’ssilk-screenpioneersandartist-agitatorprintmakers.

Fiona MacDonald, Maria Madeira, Narelle Jubelin, Victor De Sousa,

Elastic/Borracha/Elástico(2012TimorLesteMobileResidencyArchive),2014,

offsetlithographic,setof10prints,62.5x567cm(installed),62.5x46.5cm(printsize).Ed:30.

PrintedbytheartistswithBigFagPress,Sydney.