Beras(2018)'9 - Philemon Mukarno Performance Art
Unmasking Guilt: The Ritual Framework of Beras
Philemon Mukarno’s Beras is not just a performance—it is a spiritual and ethical pilgrimage. Through the language of nakedness, he invites us to witness the stripping away of all that separates the individual from the world’s fragility and guilt. The naked body, in Mukarno’s world, stands not for spectacle but for the rawest honesty imaginable. As he disrobes, he enters a territory where artist and audience become kindred seekers, searching for truth amidst the ruins of modern life.
The performance unfolds as a ritual of deep confession. The world, Mukarno suggests, has become a “terrible mess”—toxic, irradiated, brimming with injustice and ecological decay. Rather than simply observing this tragedy, Mukarno compels himself—and by extension, us—to become the subject of investigation. He is at once detective and criminal, standing fully exposed and ready to admit his complicity.
The Power of Nakedness: From Shame to Sacredness
Nakedness in Beras is transformative. It is not a costume, not a provocation, but a deliberate invocation of vulnerability as strength. The stripping away of clothing becomes a symbolic purification, an act that aims to cast off not just textiles, but social masks, material ambitions, and even inherited burdens. Here, a new kind of body emerges: the “Shadowbody,” a being that embraces darkness, complexity, and the subconscious.
For Mukarno, nakedness is the only medium honest enough to express the modern human predicament. It speaks directly to a tradition where the body is seen as a microcosm and conduit, echoing ancient Asian spiritual practices. The act of standing unclothed commands both discomfort and reverence, inviting us to engage not only with the artist’s body, but with the archetypal struggle it represents.
A World in Crisis: The Ecology of Guilt
The emotional landscape of Beras is painted in shades of loss and longing. Humanity has, through daily acts, become guilty of an ecological crime. Living, buying, and discarding—mundane habits—are recast as agents of destruction. Rather than seeking blame elsewhere, Mukarno turns the spotlight inwards, staging a confession so honest it risks breaking the bonds between performer and audience, creation and critique.
Yet, within this bleak diagnosis, Beras is also a plea for healing. By embodying both the accused and accuser, Mukarno transforms shame into responsibility. This shift invites the possibility of transformation—if guilt can be owned, perhaps it can also be redeemed.
Rice as Redemption: The Nourishment of Reconnection
As the journey progresses, a single, powerful motif emerges—beras, or rice. This humble grain, with its ancient lineage and universal symbolism, takes on the role of savior and teacher. The naked figure, once isolated and lost, discovers grains of rice scattered along the path. Each grain is a seed of reconnection, an emblem of human continuity and shared sustenance. In that instant, loneliness bends toward belonging.
The act of gathering and consuming rice is more than a ritual; it is a prophetic gesture. Rice, processed and cultivated by human hands for thousands of years, stands in stark contrast to the isolating, toxic world Mukarno first surveys. Eating the rice, the performer reawakens his bond with the earth, with tradition, and with those who have gone before. Nourishment becomes sacramental, food for both soul and body.
Water and Movement: Returning to Life’s Current
Rice does not thrive in stasis. Water, always flowing, cradles its roots. In Beras, water is suggested as the vital force that enables transformation. As the performer transcends guilt and isolation, movement returns. The naked body, once an axis of shame and confession, becomes a vessel for new vitality. This transition evokes the ancient wisdom that true renewal comes only with fluidity and openness to change.
The symbolic union of body, water, and rice in Beras is a visual meditation on spiritual rebirth. Static guilt yields to dynamic reconnection. The artist’s journey is no longer solitary—his actions ripple outward, inviting the viewer to join this dance toward wholeness.
From Confession to Collective Healing
What begins as a confession ends as a call to action. Having nourished himself on rice—on history and ecological responsibility—the figure in Beras gains the strength to “share his developed soul power with the seeking fellow man.” The performance’s final movement signals hope: redemption, for Mukarno, is not a private matter. It is social, contagious, and necessary.
Through radical vulnerability, Beras ignites a conversation about art’s place in an ailing world. It refuses the luxury of detachment, forcing each of us to consider how our own rituals—what we consume, how we heal, whom we feed—shape the fate of the planet.
The Sacred Architecture of the Human Body
Mukarno’s Beras lingers in the mind long after viewing, provoking thought and, perhaps, transformation. Through the naked body, he forges a living architecture that unites the individual with the cosmos. Performance becomes prayer; nudity, confession; rice, a promise of restoration.
This is not simply art for contemplation. It is an urgent call for spiritual and environmental awakening, delivered with the utmost sincerity and creative courage.
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REWIND ART #20 : Performance Art Festival
Shoutout to all artist enthusiasts and General Public
What is Rewind Art❓
Rewind Art is an annual agenda by the Students Association of Fine Arts Education, Universitas Negeri Jakarta. Which aims to accommodate art activists and the general public to gather to discuss issues that occurred in the past year, which is packed with Performance Art by local and International artists.
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Rewind Art merupakan agenda tahunan oleh Himpunan Mahasiswa Pendidikan Seni Rupa, Universitas Negeri Jakarta. yang bertujuan mewadahi para pegiat seni dan masyarakat umum untuk berkumpul membahas mengenai isu yang terjadi dalam satu tahun terakhir, yang dikemas dengan Seni Performance oleh Seniman Lokal dan International.
Rewind Art Community presents the 20th art performance festival with the theme :
🥀 ANOMALI 🥀
Events at REWIND ART #20:
1. Public lecture on performance art
2. Performance by participating artists
3. Video Screening of performance art
4. Artist Talk
【Ｐｕｂｌｉｃ Ｌｅｃｔｕｒｅ】
Opening on Saturday with a special guest lecturer:
👨🏻🎨 Kelvin Atmadibrata (@kelvinatmadibrata)
Moderator:
👩🏻🎨 Aprina Murwanti (@aprina)
And the Rewind Art #20 event curator:
👨🏻🎨Ridwan Rau Rau (@ridwanrau_rau)
