A PERSON'S NAME OUTLIVES THEIR LIFE
This is a collective exhibition. Where I present photography and archive works. It all began with the inconsistent writing of my name on my paternal grandmother’s tombstone. The inconsistent writing disturbed me, as if I came from a different family. My parents and siblings names were written using Chinese characters, while I was the only one using an Indonesian name. It turns out that the inconsistency in writing is due to a government policy during the Soeharto era in 1966 regarding the regulation of changing the names of Indonesian citizens who used Chinese names.
Realizing that a name is a form of self identification, a representation of one’s personality, a legal right, and a symbol of one’s existence, I was troubled by the inconsistent writing. Furthermore, I realized that a name is an intangible cultural heritage that will live on forever in one’s name, even after they pass away. Additionally, a name (family name) also represents diversity. For example, the Hakka people use “Tjhin,” while the Hokkien people use “Tan,” which essentially means “Chen.”
Over fifty years have passed, and the policy of changing names has almost erased the collective memory of intangible cultural heritage. Many people do not pay attention to their names, especially their family names, and do not care about them. I was disturbed and tried to restore the collective memory of the Chinese people regarding their nearly vanished names by collecting and rephotographing pictures that show their togetherness. The hope is that this transformative work can celebrate the fraternity of those who share the same family name, even if they may not know each other.