Mitoni, Lurik and The stitches of Lament, is as aesthetically powerful yet as quiet, as the dissolving of the Javanese Culture that it suggests. An installation that incites questions on tradition within the contemporary; how cultural ritual can fill a room with soft- sculptural forms, whilst indicating at a complex narrative of social and political presence. A presence is a consciousness in a sense, a deeper compassion, in this immersive world of Lurik; it is awareness for the future practice of the Mitoni Ritual in the Javanese Culture.
‘The Mitoni’ is a Ritual connected to pregnancy, the belief that wrapping of the woman’s pregnant belly with Lurik on the seventh month of pregnancy ensures a healthy birth. This being one of many traditional practices that Globalism has tainted. The acknowledgement of the politically prompted-decline in rituals, impelled Indonesian born Murwanti, to participate in an art of activism. By the very performing of Bricolage with Lurik, were memory is embedded within the fabric. With the centuries of the home weaving industries recognised in great detail, in the dousing of Lurik to the walls and floor. Through participant observation, the significance of textiles to Indonesian society is brought to the surface once more.
The enveloping of the entire gallery space with Lurik and subsequently the audience is wrapped in this new knowledge of Javanism. Javanism has an emphasis on the pre-Islamic inheritance (Zoetmulder, P.J), thus the practice of hand stitching with the ceremonial cloth connects the artist to the indigenous culture of Indonesia. With the presenting of the deeply sensitive work, as an installation; a dialogue between past and present is established. The work could be considered a memory work driven by the investigation of heritage, time and loss. The notion of post memory is concentrated on, in the exegesis of the Primitive way. Which complements the installation in its revealing of a history of rich cultural customs? With the significance of ‘tradition’ addressed, in the carrying out of a craft.
This association drawing connection’s to the indigenous passing down of skill from one woman to another. Murwanti is addressing an important moment in Indonesian history by deciding to celebrate a long and ancient culture instead of going along with the reformist Islam framework. As the current socio-political climate of Indonesia is in a state of flux with the separating of ‘things Islamic’ and ‘things non Islamic’, in this re-evaluation- the repeating of rituals is diminishing. This illustrates the power of a woman in Javanese society but it also brings insight to the audience, on the state of country culturally.
There is undoubtedly an uncovering of a revisionist memory, with ‘Mitoni, Lurik and The stitches of Lament’ stimulated by experience and reflection. The work draws from the artist’s intimate experience With the Mitoni Ritual. This is physicalized in the irregularity of object placement, suggestive of the ‘nesting’; a woman may carry out in the time of pregnancy. This thoughtful layout implies a vulnerability of the experience, where clusters of miniature objects grace the ground and are faced with the scale of a human size figure shadowing their space. At the same glance the scattering of objects is urgent, as though the grieving hand has laid the objects down at an intensely emotional time. The emotive symbolism attained in the sculptures similarly reveals fragility, with the over-measure of string creating a look of decay and the roughly edged leaves revealing rawness.
The engagement with the work is warm and relational, not unlike looking through an artist’s, culture rich home. A delicate throttle of rich reds, deep navy blues and sensitive greys cover the gallery space. With shadow, playing a part in the ambience of the composition. Reflection of the object on the wall and floor creating an extra layer of depth and dominance with the larger pieces like the charismatic bird.There are nooks created that allow all the elements of the piece to be taken in, in the placement that covers all corners of the gallery space. The unique pieces beg for you to get a closer look at their making and materiality. A textile that carries with it the contemporary, in the lurik acting as a metaphor for memory or forgetting and the interrelations between past, present and future. With amounts of additional cotton added for creating intricacies draped outside of the mythological inspired forms. . The intention of the artist in overall practice is just this, stitching pieces together in an effort to revive ancient sacrament.
Such is the involvement of the work a contemporary experience dealing with a current issue, with an unusually emotional impression and resonance. The work instead of excluding you from a culture with socially specific modes of communications, the site specific work invites you to be a part of a cultural experience. There is a connectedness of human spirit in the conserving of ceremony.
In the recollection of a history and in the re-examining of personal ritual, a space is offered to appreciate a culture for its distinctness and irreplaceable tradition. A refreshing step in installation art, one of aesthetic taste, work to viewer connectedness and persuasive female craftsmanship expression.
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(References-
Murwanti, A 2012, ‘The Islamation of Village Tradition’ in Reading and Celebrating Meanings of Central Javanese Traditional Cloths through participation in Mitoni pregnancy ritual, Costume and Textiles Association of New Zealand,
Zoetmulder, P.J 1967, The Cultural Background of Indonesian Politics , Institute of International studies, University of South Caroline: Columbia).
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