Manunggaling Lemah

Manunggaling Lemah

Manunggaling lemah means unite with the ground. Taken from the ancient Javanese language, the word manunggaling is derived from Javanese philosophy that teaches the essence of human existence and life in the universe. The most famous sentence found is manunggaling kawula gusti which means unite with god. Meanwhile, lemah, also Javanese, means earth/ground. The ground is chosen as the representation of an island, the basis for history and culture. The immense cultural diversity spread across Asia gives evidence of this region’s abundant identities. 

From this it could be inferred that the island we step on is our identity. A claim made stronger by the adage, “wherever we tread the earth, there we sustain the sky.” The representation of manunggaling lemah or unite with the ground is when the earth with all its narratives is manifested in what there is, along with the surge of life that comes with it. Alas, the growth of technology has confronted human civilization with inequality. Culture is weakened as we see difference becoming the same everywhere. The young generation is especially vulnerable from this as they adapt foreign culture and forget more and more their own.  

Manunggaling Lemah (Unite with the Ground) is a collaborative work that reflects on society speaking for the importance of human identity with the emphasis on contemporary young generation. The work takes cue from social media research and mapping onto objects that represent lands to create a work that reflects the value of identity and homeland.