LongHaul Cafe Night Sunday Oct. 5th at 7pm. Benefit dinner for the radical art activist collective Taring Padi. Homemade Indonesian meal, screening of the documentary Indonesia: Art Activism and Rock n Roll. There will also be a discussion about Indonesian art, politics and social history along with a video conference call with some of the artists in Indonesia. This is a fundraiser and awareness event to help bring members of Taring Padi to the Zapatista organized First Global Festival of Dignified Rage Dec 26-29, 2008 in Mexico City, and in Chiapas Jan 2-4, 2009.

Known as Taring Padi, the group is self-described as an "independent non-profit cultural community based on the concept of people's culture." They arose in 1998 in the midst of major social uprising and political reformation when the corrupt Indonesian dictator President Surharto was forced out of office by a popular people's movement.

The men and women of Taring Padi have survived slanderous accusations, government repression, and fundamentalist violence in order to stand up against capitalist and imperialist oppression. In an effort to educate and inspire fellow Indonesians and the world, they use the power of art as a cultural tool. Their art communicates directly to their local community, but their message speaks to us all, tackling issues of human rights, corruption, global warming, women's liberation, land use and food security. Though their artistic tactics are varied, including music, performance, writing, and visual art, their most recognizable works are woodcut posters pasted up around their home-city of Jogjakarta as counterpropaganda. Twenty-eight of these iconic and powerful posters are currently held in the International Archive of Social History in the Netherlands.

 

Taring Padi are widely known in their own community, but are also the subject of academic research and documentary films, as well as the focus of international journalistic attention. In February 2008, Time Magazine ran "War Paint," a feature by Jason Tedjasukmana that addresses Taring Padi's international reception. In the article, Tedjasukmana points out that though Taring Padi's work is not intended as a means of financial gain through the gallery system and art market, the group "now finds itself enjoying a modicum of celebrity." Their works have been exhibited internationally in Asia, Europe, and Australia. This event is in conjunction with an exhibition of Taring Padi work at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective which will run from September 30th to October 24, with artwork from over the last 10 years consisting of over 40 woodcut prints on paper and fabric, ranging in size from large banners to small postcards and patches.

 

This funds raised for Taring Padi go directly to support collective projects. All funds raised will go to help bring members of Taring Padi to Mexico to be part of the First Global Festival of Dignified Rage organized by the Zapatista-EZLN in Mexico City and Chiapas as well as collaborate with Mexican artists and activists including ASARO (Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca).

 

Although the exhibition and cafe night were scheduled as part of an art and speaking tour in the US for members of Taring Padi, they will not be present at this event, and a majority of the tour was cancelled, due to the inability to obtain US visas.