20 Square Meters, an interior study
My submission to the postponed Jakarta Biennale XIII 2009. It's a study of a studio interior in Makati.
Last January, I sent my work, 20 Square Meters, my submission for the Mapping Invisible Cities 2 exhibition for the Jakarta Biennale XIII 2009 that was supposed to open last March. Unfortunately, due to the economic crisis, that art event was postponed pending the provision of funds by the Indonesian government. No date has been set as of now.
It is entitled 20 Square Meters, referring to the floor area of the room I photographed. It is my first attempt at doing an interior study of urban living spaces. Ever since I participated in Peter Bialobrzeski’s workshop last year, I’ve been wanting to do such kind of work but haven’t always started.
20 Square Meters is a multiple image panoramic photo assembled from 16 images and as required by the curator, Farah Wardani, I’m part of the image. Here, I opted to stand facing the mirror but with my back to the camera.
…the photographers act as the subjects of their own works, and claiming their own subjectivity and perspectives of ‘being urban’, that is as a part of the cities they live in, as ‘urban creatures’.
My description is as follows:
The dazzling promises of a better life offered in highly urbanized cities has lured many from the provinces. In Makati City, the Philippines’ Central Business District, the many work opportunities, typically white collar jobs, has effected the building of condominiums and apartments within the fringes of the financial hub to cater to the many workers especially those from outside of Metro Manila.
20 Square Meters is a study of one such studio type apartment rented by two working individuals. This one room temporary abode is the living room, dining as well as sleeping area. Monthly rent is around $150 and because of the small space, personal things accumulated over four years has to be kept inside boxes.
The work is 20×80 inches.
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