Thinking with the knee 1998-99
Installation comprising bamboo sculptures, billboard, woven bamboo plates, koran stand, rice, banner
Dimensions variable, components:
2 bamboo sculptures: 225 x 170 x 100cm (each)
Billboard: 350 x 130cm (approx.)
Collection: The artist

Performance
September 1999

Deeply affected by recent upheavals in Indonesia, Tisna Sanjaya has organised street performances in Bandung advocating reform (reformasi) in Indonesian public life. Using oversize figures made of bamboo, banners and placards, Tisna gathered many young artists to parade through the streets. These performances directly challenged the authority of the Suharto regime and advocated change under the presidency of Dr. Habibe. Tisna’s work is entitled Thinking with the knee - a Javanese colloquialism suggesting someone acting carelessly, having a limited horizon, or being irresponsible. In Tisna’s work this implied criticism is directed very widely, perhaps to the society as a whole. His images of Suharto, Habibe and himself, all in the traditional Javanese attitude of subservience, contrast sharply with the explicitly masculine militarism of the bamboo figures. Despite the direct political imagery of the work, Tisna Sanjaya is committed to a process of spiritual renewal as much as political change.

Artist's statement:

I will move around the city
come and go around, here and there
bring a carcass, a dead body
stinky no body can bear, want to vomit
it creeps
fishy
messy
horrible
shit
my nation
has been
shameless

Dragging the epiphyte plant
carrying
the load of history
that decayed
disgracing ..
my self ..
where should I throw away
bury it down
.... this stingy stinky load
cannot be
vanished ......

PROJECT: The Decaying of IPOLEKSUSBUDHANKAM
                 Thinking by the Knee

In Indonesian language : "berpikir dengan dengkul" may mean careless, short-sighted view or horizon of thinking, stupid and shallow, irresponsible.

The work "Project : thinking by the Knee" (PTK) is a fragment or segment of the process of imaginary advocation and though, at the same time, it is also my real (work) as a work of art, as my subjective pray towards the situation and condition of IPOLEKSOSBUDHANKAMRATIH (ideology, politics, economy, social, cultural, national and people defense) which is very strongly bothering the side of spiritual life and yet this is planned by the new order regime and the order of Reformation's Cloth.

The next program of this project PTK is to take care of the vitality of life, intensity and consistence of the conscience (inner heart) in form of moral movement with the subjective community of the "jepruters" to be always consistent to oppose the programs of political, military, religious, cultural violence, .....

The stance against this violence can be learnt from the nature, from our children and the shufistic* people
when they are involved with their play
full of enthusiasm
intuitive
the ancient instinct
laugh and cry
full of freedom

*Shufism: Mistycal concept in religious construct, shufi is a very devouted religious person whose aura is fascinating. They are in this world but not "of the world"