Negotiating Danger: Contemporary Javanese Scrolls Exhibition
September 8 - September 20
The planet and the well-being of its people face a growing existential threat from de-humanization and environmental destruction caused by unsustainable government and commercial practices. Southeast Asia is one of the regions experiencing large scale destruction of ecosystems, particularly in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Mekong region, as evidenced by the high and increasing number of disasters and disease outbreaks. Beyond the effects of a changing climate, such ecocide is also driven by irresponsible corporate practices and ill-conceived mega-development projects and investments, often tolerated if not boosted by ineffective government policies and administrative actions.
After having addressed such issues through the photographic exhibition ” GEN-F: Living in Fear amid Ecocide by Sayan Chuenudomsavad, SEA Junction is now approaching them in an unique way through an exhibition of eight contemporary Javanese scrolls metaphorically reflecting on the exercise of power over time and the profound impacts on communities and the environment.
The scrolls presented on 8–20 September 2026, 11AM–7PM, at the Curve Wall, 4th Floor, BACC, display the mythological tale of “Negotiating Danger,” conceived and illustrated by artist Faisal Kamandobat with accompanying text in Arabic-Pegon—Arabic script adapted to write Javanese, long used in the pesantren (Islamic boarding school) tradition of Indonesia. The artwork explores Javanese cosmology that emphasizes harmony among human beings, nature, and the spiritual world, and its frictions with the development models of exploitative powers, from colonialism to capitalism and their hegemonic and authoritarian worldviews.
Through allegories derived from Javanese cosmology as well as European tradition power is represented over time, History shifts from a cyclical to a progressive conception of time, driven by an ideology of progress achieved through violence, state militarization and, increasingly, state and corporate survellaince. As a result, humans and nature are commodified, the environment is degraded and local communities experience cultural alienation. This ecological crisis and the threat of dehumanization, require alternative cosmologies and forms of development that can reunite the different realms and restore wisdom and cosmic balance, paving the way for the healing of the universe and all its constituent elements.
A celebration will be held to open the exhibition with the artist present at on 8 September at 5.30 PM at SEA Junction. Further details will be provided soon.
Artist Short Bio
Faisal Kamandobat is a poet, writer, and multidisciplinary visual artist from Majenang, Central Java, Indonesia, whose work is strongly shaped by his pesantren education and close ties to Islamic tradition and Javanese culture. Alongside his work as a researcher at the Abdurrahman Wahid Center for Peace and Humanities, Universitas Indonesia (AWCPH-UI), Faisal founded Sanggar Matur Nuwun, a studio and alternative, community-based educational space combining art, local tradition, scientific knowledge, and community empowerment. His work explores the relationship between humans and ecology, history and spirituality, and social change and globalization. He has participated in numerous exhibitions, including Terra Incognita at the National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta; Together We Art, part of the G20 Forum at the Bihar Museum, India; and Kala: Allegories of Beings at the Museo Antonio Pasqualino, Palermo, Italy. For Negotiating Danger, Faisal worked together with students from Sanggar Matur Nuwun. See further on IG @faisalkamandobat.
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone/wa: +66970024140
The exhibition is open to the public, but we count on donations to sustain our work.
Organizers:
SEA Junction, OUR Venue to Interact on Southeast Asia
SEA Junction aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions –from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium) SEA junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information see www.seajunction.org and join the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1693055870976440/
