_Congratulations on the publication of "Sedekad Seni Merakyat". As a first question, please tell us how you came to publish "Sedekad Seni Merakyat".
“Sedekad Seni Merakyat” is a collection of essays from 15 local writers, consisting of fellow activists, academics, practitioners, and artists, documenting the activities, ideologies, and values brought by the Pangrok Sulap collective over ten years in the field of art and activism.
_I think an important keyword for this book, and indeed for all your work, is 'Seni Untuk Masyarakat' (Art For Society). So I would like to ask you, what do you think "Masyarakat" means exactly? And why is this 'Masyarakat' important to people?
We would like to hear it in your own words.
In our context, we view masyarakat (society) as a collective entity that participates in the social and political processes that shape the life of the community. Therefore, through the artistic practices of Pangrok Sulap, we aim to use art to connect various dimensions that need to be elevated within the structure of society, such as freedom of expression, human rights, culture, and much more.
_The book was not only about the Woodblock art you created, but also a lot about your activities. One of them was about education for children. When I thought about your relationship with children's education, I also thought about the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Ivanovich Makhno and the indigenous organisation EZLN (Ejército Zapatista Liberativa de Liberación) from the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.
(Nestor Ivanovich Makhno created an educational space during the Russian Revolution, where the local population worked together. The educational space was independent of the church and independent of the state.
The "EZLN" also developed its own education programme, educated the village and built a number of schools).
In both schools, the local communities ran the schools and were very respectful, especially with regard to language.
So I would like to hear more about your involvement in education and what you value about education and its relationship with the local community.
Every person has the right to education, and it should not be limited to schools alone. Education should be accessible everywhere. We organize numerous art programs and activities, not only for children but for all age groups. Through these art programs, we invite the public to learn how to use art as a medium of communication to convey and express their stories. Some projects within the collective also focus more on marginalized communities, where we collaborate to create works of art and seek initiatives to build self-sustaining economies.
_So far we have heard from you about community and education. And one of the other things in the book is environmental issues.
Deforestation is a frequent problem in my part of Japan as well.
In Tokyo, there have been plans to cut down trees for urban redevelopment, and in Nomi City, Ishikawa Prefecture, where my shop is located, a 2022 plan to increase residential areas through deforestation was discussed. And in both cases there were protests. I would like to hear about your initiatives and thoughts on these environmental issues.
The issue of deforestation has long been a problem in Borneo. Over the past 20 years, the island has experienced a drastic loss of forests. This not only impacts the natural resources but also affects other ecosystems, leading to the extinction of flora and fauna and having a significant impact on communities.
In most of our works, we convey many environmental awareness messages and use public spaces as platforms to campaign. For example, the Pangrok Sulap collective is actively involved in various local events that are sometimes not related to art from farmer and fisherman festivals to music events.
We also collaborate with environmental and indigenous activists and NGOs to initiate fundraising and campaign artworks.
_One of the things you are currently working on is a hydropower project. Can you tell me why you started this hydropower project and why the hydropower project is important for the local community?
Before the establishment of the Pangrok Sulap collective, we had already begun volunteer activities around Sabah with the name V FOR VOLUNTEER. Through these volunteer experiences in rural areas, we gained exposure to the conditions and issues faced in these regions.
In Sabah to this date,there are still more than 400 villages without access to electricity. We have collaborated extensively with the NGO LightUp Borneo to install mini hydroelectric systems in many areas of Sabah. A few years ago, we started initiatives to raise funds for financing hydroelectric projects by creating works together with the community and selling them to cover the project costs.
_Also, are there any issues or problems that your members are currently working on or facing individually?
Each member of the collective has their own commitments. The main challenge that we often face is finding the time to work more within the collective. This is because most of the projects within the collective require a large workforce.
_I saw your team working on your woodblock art. Woodblock art is very energetic and also very beautiful in its detail and expression! And as you were making the woodblock art, I saw you playing music, singing and stepping on the woodblock. It's like they are dancing, they are having so much fun! And it looks like a party, a festival. And "Aramaitii" is a very good word! One of the important things I think is that the people dancing on your woodblock art have no borders, race, age or any other boundaries. And when thinking about 'festivals', different ways of organisation can emerge in festivals than in existing societies. Is this scene intentional when you make your woodblock art? And what do you think about such borderless situations being created?
We need to celebrate differences. In this collective practice, we welcome everyone to join us. In fact, within the collective, we do not have formal membership. We are open to accepting anyone as part of this collective, regardless of race, religion, or nationality.
_Your woodblock art, your music and your activities show that you are indeed "PUNK". And I think PUNK is not only about music and fashion. This is the last question, but I would like to ask you what you each think of PUNK. And do you have any thoughts or ideology that you share with the other members?
In Pangrok Sulap, we are all come from different backgrounds, and we appreciate that. For us, PUNK is about being yourself. It’s about freedom. This collective is deeply inspired by the DIY ethic within PUNK ideology. It’s something very close to us—being self-reliant, independent, and not bound or dependent on anyone.
_Finally, as a bonus, I would like to ask you guys one more very personal question. I would like to know if there are any artists that have inspired and influenced each of you! If it's a PUNK artist, I'd also like to hear their song recommendations.
Each member in the collective has their own music tastes. Maybe to represent the collective, we could suggest songs from the Jakarta-based punk band Marjinal, whose songs we often sing, such as “Rencong Marencong” and “Hukum Rimba.”
Pangrok Sulap
The artist collective Pangrok Sulap is made up of a diverse group of artists, musicians and social activists. The name of the collective is a combination of the musical genre Pangrok, meaning punk rock, and Sulap, meaning a resting hut used by farmers in Sabah. Pangrok Sulap was influenced by the resistance activities of the Yogyakarta woodcut collective Taring Padi, whom he met through the Indonesian punk band Marginal, and since 2012 has been using woodcuts to depict issues faced by local communities and indigenous people in Borneo and beyond. The work has attracted attention from within and outside the region. As their names suggest, where radicalism and locality coexist, their message is to revitalise communities in Sabah, Northern Borneo, through art, to raise awareness of their rights, to speak out against political decadence caused by greed, and to encourage multi-ethnic unity.
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