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Richie Richardus
2005
300 x 250 x 300 cm
Cardboard house



Comical Brothers

Comical Brothers are: Bambang “Toko” Witjaksono (born 1973 in Yogyakarta, a graduate from ISI Yogyakarta); Arie Dyanto (born 1974 in Klaten, a graduate from ISI Yogyakarta); and Dani Agus Yuniarto (born: 1980 in Surakarta, now still studies at ISI Yogyakarta).

Bambang “Toko” Witjaksono has participated in various exhibitions, such as: “Absolut Fotogram” at the Ruang MES 56, Yogyakarta (2005); “Gareng Petruk (Tribute to Tatang S)” (solo) at the Kedai Kebun Restaurant, Yogyakarta (2004); and “Indonesia-Liechtenstein Cultural Exchange Exhibition” in Liechtenstein (2003). Arie Dyanto has participated in many exhibitions and art activities, among others: “Una Grande Production” (solo) in Passau, Germany (2004); “Global Passport” at the Haverford College, Philadelphia, USA (2003); and a mural project “Sama-sama” at the Lempuyangan flyover, Yogyakarta (2002). Dani Agus Yuniarto has taken part in many exhibitions, such as: “OLALAA” at the Indigo Gallery, Jakarta (2005); “Song from the Gap” in Liechtenstein (2003); and “Yang Datang, Hilang, dan Tinggal” (solo) at the Warung Sae, Yogyakarta (2001).

For the urbanites, housing is a crucial matter. Those who are unable to buy or rent houses, will be trapped in a piece of land, the slum, spaces that appear almost like the “disposal bin” of the majestic grand buildings and the crisscrossing roads—roads lying one upon another, interlinked, like compositions of crossword puzzles.

Big cities invariably offer dreams of financial gains. More and more people come to the cities to test their luck. Unfortunately, most are luckless. Some people who are financially defeated try to survive in the heart of the city, but they cannot live well. The house, for them, is merely a place that protects them from rain and heat; the house is a kind of wrapping. To them, places such as the side of the railways, empty land beneath the bridges and flyovers, the riverbanks, are places where they can build “houses-of-sorts.” These are the only places left for them. The materials they use to make the “houses-of- sorts” are also pitiful. They use cardboards in place of bricks, used-iron-sheet as roofs, packaging plastic or plastic bags in place of tiles… In short: they exploit all used materials that can still help them make their “toy houses.” Here, all kinds of cardboards are to be seen, reminding us to the TVRI program in the past: Aneka Ria Safari… You can see everything!

In this work, Comical Brothers brings forth this issue, and regards that cardboards have their own artistic values, in contrast with the majestic grand buildings, such as the Bank Indonesia building. Cardboard is also a symbol of the development's residues. There are in fact real cardboard houses around Bank Indonesia, but it is more meaningful when such structure is placed directly within the building. (Artist's Statement)

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