~IIINNNGGG~

The title is a sound to be made rather than a word to be spoken, it refers to the ringing left in one’s ears after hearing a loud noise or in moments of “silence”, as well as the particle “-ing” that is used in the continuous verb tense (“listening”, “doing”) in English language. This solo exhibition builds on the artist’s on-going research into the physical, technological, historical and socio- political aspects of sound.

The works presented here explore the contested nature of sound in a public realm that is both literally and ideologically polyphonic. Starting from an understanding of sound as one of the key contentions between people and communities, Togar sees the battle for the soundscape as highly politicised, particularly in a context like Indonesia where noise regulation does not exist on a legislative level. Who gets to produce and regulate sound is inevitably connected to power. Who has the power to decide which sound is noise, what can and cannot be voiced, and what are the consequences?

In this exhibition, the artist explores sound as a lens through which to critique dominant social and political systems, understand the myriad powers that occupy public space, how we can speak to (bodies of) power, and how we might possibly resist the current tolerance of intolerance by understanding the power of sound, both as a medium and an issue.

Is Sound Matter? Does Sound Matter?

A solo exhibition at Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society.