Grass on The Other Side of the Fence is Always Greener

Collecting Neighborhood Grass

During my residency, I collected grass from the neighborhood to transform the gallery into an imaginary cow cage. As an artist from the Global South, participating in a residency in a central location represents a significant opportunity to transcend borders and boundaries. However, this experience raises critical questions about power relations and my internal reflections: Is life beyond these borders truly better? Or do we ultimately find ourselves reduced to mere dairy cows?

The performance not only engages with the physical materials of the environment but also prompts a dialogue about the limitations of space in both everyday life and the art context. The printed works displayed are contributions from friends in Bandung, reflecting similar themes of spatial constraints within our urban settings. Through this immersive experience, I aim to challenge perceptions of freedom and confinement, encouraging participants to reflect on their own relationships with space and identity.

Performance Details

• Curator: Lia Newman
• Performance Duration: 14 days, 5 hours each day
• Materials Used:
  • Printed sacks
  • Cowboy hat
  • Saroong
  • Knife (from a real cowboy)
  • Grass cutter machine (from the neighborhood)

Collaborators

• Zico Albaiquni
• Fajar Abadi
• Angga Wedhaswhara
• Ackay Deni

Support
This performance art piece is part of the Baik Art Residency at VanEvery Gallery, Davidson College, North Carolina, United States.