PRAJURIT KALAH TANPA RAJA
(the soldiers lost without a king)

 

Is one of my works about the social situation in city where I live, Yogyakarta. As the special region and have autonomous in government, we have King as the leader even in republic state, which also have president. In past when was my parent’s generation, the King, named Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX was so popular and loved by the people. The situation are shifting when his son, Sultan Hamengku Buwono X ruling at the present.

 

Yogyakarta now changing so fast, as for the reason of developing city. But not as a friendly and convivial for the people who living here anymore. So many problematic issues, like hotels were build everywhere which causing depletion of water, no more public space except the malls, the crowded traffic and so on. Also the way we live are changing into more individual and selfish.

 

For me, who also as the witness when this situation happened, think that government have contribution about this situation. Now government only interested with some investment and corporation. So many slogan and protest about this, include the movement of “Jogja Ora di Dol” (Jogja are not for sell), Jogja Asat (the drought of Jogja), etc. In this project, I use the soldiers of  Kraton Jogja (Jogja palace) as a metaphor for citizen which disorientated because the absent of the King.

 

Prihatmoko Moki

 

(This is a collaborative project between Prihatmoko Moki, Gunawan Maryanto, Rifqi mansur maya, Octo Cornelius, Devi Eka & Sandi Kalifadani)