Introducing the lumbung artists: Taring Padi

The Institute of People Oriented Culture Taring Padi, from which today’s collective Taring Padi emerged, was founded in 1998 by a group of progressive art students and activists in response to the Indonesian socio-political upheavals during the country’s reformation era.

Since then, making recycled cardboard puppets for demonstrations, performances, and exhibitions is one of Taring Padi’s artistic practices. In demonstrations, the typically life-sized cardboard figures served various purposes: to voice aspirations, to “enlarge” the masses, to lift the mood, to protect from the scorching sun and police violence. The recycled cardboard puppets have become Taring Padi’s medium for education and social campaigns, as well as for organizing solidarity actions for workers, farmers, fishermen, and other communities. Taring Padi is a lumbung artist of documenta fifteen.

Taring Padi is a lumbung artist of documenta fifteen.

Language: English