The Message

The Message

This series of works was created by Rahic Talif over a period of several years are made of items that the artist personally gathered from the beach, such as driftwood and marine debris transforming them into a fusion of sculpture, installation, and mixed media works. Since 2008, he developed the Action Project for Typhoon using slippers as the main medium. The project title, which marks the turning point of his artistic life, seems apt at times like these, when the global climate deteriorates rapidly. From the title we can discern that it is closely related to the ocean and island, where it not only continues and expands his long-term concern about ethnic culture, but also includes environmental and ecological issues. 

For Talif, the mediums he chooses are not “neutral,” but related to the Amis tribe’s culture and his own experiences. Flip-flops and driftwood have something in common—they are both inconspicuous, treated as abandoned or useless materials that both appear in a large number after typhoon. However, those inconspicuous materials are collected and transformed by him to become powerful artistic languages depicting Amis’ tribe unique perspective regarding nature/typhoon.

From Taiwan to Cicurug, Sukabumi, Indonesia, the myth expands. In the hands of Volume Escape, the myth of Nyai Roro Kidul (also spelled Nyi Roro Kidul), the Goddess of the Sea, Queen of the Southern Sea, becomes a metaphor for thousands of woman factory workers. These women have to work a 10-hour day, some even have to stand for the duration. But their agony does not stop after working hour; they still have to face heavy traffic which can last up to three hours. Apart from labour issue, the factory also holds environmental and ecological problems. Together, these problems set the tone for this collaboration. On the one hand, there’s the myth, and on the other, the danger of ecological damage looms.