Wimo Ambala Bayang
Sleeping Elephant in the Axis of Yogyakarta Series
Composed of four images, the series Sleeping Elephant in the Axis of Yogyakarta (2011) explores the artist’s observation of how Javanese mythology and cosmology have marked the geography of Yogyakarta, the cultural centre of Indonesia. Through photomontage digital operation, an identical elephant is superimposed in front of iconic landmark of the city: Parangtritis Beach, Sultan Square, the City Monument and Mount Merapi. These four locations are spiritual symbols and the subject of cosmological beliefs in Indonesia and the imagery of elephant has long been considered as a cultural and religious icon. Closer observation reveals something uncanny about the images. On the one hand, the elephant is proportionally unbalanced in the composition and out of place; on the other, it is tilted, suspended and tied around a whimsical structure comprised of bamboo posts, wheels and wood slabs. The paradox created by the juxtaposition of the immobile and sacrificed elephant and the symbolic sites has a surreal and absurd effect, revealing the complexity and constraints of social and cultural conventions.
Working in photography and video, the Indonesian artist Wimo Ambala Bayang embraces the conceptual possibilities of digital image manipulation. With humorous overtones, his practice comments on cultural identity, cliché, and mythology, foregrounding familiar but often-ignored aspects of everyday life.