Taboo and Transgression
in Contemporary Indonesian Art. Curated by Amanda Rath. Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University/USA.
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Sorry, 2003
Steel piping, fake flowers, chair, colored light, and text overlay
Unlike Gusbarlian Lubis’ previous explorations of psychological barriers by producing mobile brick walls, "Sorry" is a mobile structure with 'invisible' walls. Constructed out of thin metal pipe, it imitates the universal sign for 'house,' into which we view Lubis’ silent lament. Instead of using an Indonesian term, Lubis uses the English word 'sorry;' a word with several connotations and functions. Aside from asking for forgiveness, 'sorry' can suggest regret over a missed opportunity, a loss with no replacement, or a lament without a referent. Lubis’ "Sorry" expresses his lament over the fragility of both personal relationships and one’s memories; a memorial to lost innocence, his own and that of his fellow human beings.
(Text by Amanda Rath)
© Photo: Whitney Tassie. Courtesy: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University
in Contemporary Indonesian Art. Curated by Amanda Rath. Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Cornell University/USA.