The Oceanic exhibition and lecture series at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art discusses the issues pertaining to the ocean that the world currently faces. The provocations and case studies presented by the panel raised awareness about the relationship between the people and the environment, giving insights to the indigenous folks whose livelihood depended on the ocean. Dr. Cynthia Chou, an anthropologist, in her case study sums up an interesting point about space, that it is a “range of knowledge, history [and] resources”, “a condition for biological survival…shaped by historical experiences of ancestral estates”. The study of the Orang Suku Laut brought about new understanding in the history of Riau, Indonesia. It made me question the relationship between humans and the environment. Although we do not depend on the ocean for our livelihood, our actions directly impact its ecosystem. What role does the artist then play in the environment? Is law the only way out in preserving the spaces of indigenous folks and the ocean?
The artwork (installation and video documentary) by Laura Anderson Barbata presented in the exhibition shows how performance can indirectly communicate a message with the audience. Her research at the expedition led her to create several pieces of costumes (inspired by the traditional indigenous costumes) to be worn by performers for their performance at the United Nations Plaza in New York. Her chioce of location placed emphasis and importance on the first UN Ocean Conference held in New York City. It was a work that shows our physical and emotional relationship with the ocean and combined spoken word, dance, procession, music, and costume. She describes this piece of work as a protest.
Her description of her work came as a surprise to me. Can something as beautiful as a dance piece be a work of protest? The dancers’ costumes were created by the artist after her stay during the Kula Ring Expedition. I find this aspect interesting because the materials she used for the costumes all derived from the expedition. Sometimes though, I wonder if more could be done for the communities that we create the artworks from. Besides taking their narratives and turning them into artworks for the masses, is there anything else that we can do to ensure continuity of a project with the community?
Ocean Calling is inspired by all the forms of life that make the ocean their home, as well as by the people, the histories and the cosmography of the communities that for millennia have lived in close relationship with the ocean. The work will unfold in an urban environment highly dependent on the health of the oceans, even though it may not be overtly obvious to our urban communities. Ocean Calling will invite audiences to first acknowledge our intersecting identities and then, to celebrate and honor them by changing behaviors to protect our oceans.
(Source: http://www.worldoceansday.org/)
Our attention span has shortened with the advancement of technology. However, such a performance captures your interest and the curiosity of the performance encourages you to find out more about the artwork as well as the underlying issues that it is trying to put across to the audience. I think the presentation medium is an important aspect of any art process. The outcome of a project should be dependent on the process. The process should not be forced upon the outcome.
