A Proliferation of Pigs: Specters of Monstrosity in Reformation Indonesia

Abstract

This essay explores visual art, literary production, memory, and politics in Indonesia at the cusp of the twenty-first century. It focuses on the paintings of the contemporary Indonesian artist Djokopekik and the translation of those paintings into literature by the novelist Sindhunata; both painter and writer are self-consciously engaged in the societal struggles that surrounded and succeeded the fall of President Soeharto in May 1998. The essay thematizes the productive possibilities generated by these works of art that challenge the boundaries between artistic creation and historical transformation.