Heri Dono: 'Blooming in Arms'
In: Heri Dono. Edited by David Elliott and Gilane Tawadros. Published by the Institute of International Visual Arts, London in association with the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, 1996, pp. 22-25
Children lost their limbs. They are innocent, but they have to live with artificial legs for all of their lives. Some have lost their families and their souls. A friend from Oxfam showed me a film about the proliferation of land-mines throughout the world. These mines are still being used; people who work in the rice fields, in the countryside or even in the villages are in constant danger. For them this is a terrifying destiny. In Indonesia the government suggests that people should plant trees and other vegetation in front of their houses to create a "green" atmosphere. This programme is intended to improve the environment and is called 'penghijauan' (green). But such initiatives are hypocritical when big companies are decimating the forests of Sumatra, Kalimanjan and Irian Jaya. What kind of equality is this if you plant one tree in front of your house while one thousand trees in the forest are cut down? It seems to me that the 'penhijauan' is also a parody of the effects of militarism (the uniforms are the colour of the forest) when the military plays a dominant role in the government. In the installation Blooming in Arms I have used found objects and materials. The army boots and helmets on the figures I have put there conjure up the spirits or ghosts of militarism. The artificial legs are testimonies to the effects of war - to the horrible devastation war brings in its wake.
31 October 1995