The work series from Angki Purbandono’s presented in this exhibition were created around 2008. It was the beginning of his experiment with scanography, including his attempt to use Neon Box. In addition, he paid close attention to visual symbols of urban culture in public areas such as billboards and neon lamps, all of which lead us to the discourse of consumerism and new capitalism.

Audiences could see pictures of huge pills, creating a strong effect. New interpretations can be drawn when we look at the pill series against the backdrop of today's situation. In the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene and medical problems have received unprecedented attention. Furthermore, medicine is not only to protect our bodies and lives; it becomes a locus of contestation involving highly economic and political interests. During this two-year pandemic, lives and humanity are under threat; in the hands of politicians, businessmen, and authoritarian groups, people's lives are at stake.

Two works under the series are contraceptive pills. These works were also created in the 2000s. Yet, nearly two decades later, people's perception of sexuality in Indonesia barely changes. Sexuality is taboo for Indonesian people. Sexuality is repressed and, at the same time, becomes the scapegoat for problems related to norms and cultural values. The repression, paradoxically, leads to more significant social issues. Contraception is an intervention to the body. Contraception should be optional as it is related to body sovereignty.

writer: Alia Swastika