Cortege of the Third Realm, 2010

The parade of a phantom army: In Cortege of the third realm Indonesian artist Jompet has created a complex multimedia installation in which the spectator initially hears only rhythmic drum beats. In accordance with this immaterial announcement (sounds are transmitted by acoustic noise) gaiter clad shoes suspended in mid-air then appear along with drums and headwear all vaguely reminiscent of Javanese military uniforms. Bodies are indicated only by the remaining empty spaces. The technical effort to conjure up these phantoms, however, is openly displayed. Cables are laid on the floor and small switchboxes power the congealed parade.
In this installation, Jompet, whose work has focussed intensely on his own, Javanese, culture and cultural history, responds to the split between tradition and modernity, religious diversity, and syncretism in Java. The uniforms of the twenty-four figures in rows of four allude to military styles associated with various religious and cultural contents. Reminders of Islamic, Western, and local traditions, they make reference to the intermediate cultural position Java has always occupied. In Java a syncretism purporting to sustain a continuity of the most diverse influences has been elaborated to perfection. Controlled externally by technical means, the figures are rooted in tradition while at the same time apparently subject to the unstoppable march of modernity. Do Jompet’s soldiers march in support of cultural diversity and against the steady homogenization currently underway in the name of progress – or are they parading their commitment to this latter? (KB)