Jompet Kuswidananto on “Anno Domini”

In his most recent work, Indonesian artist Jompet Kuswidananto explores political and cultural identity, particularly around the people and history of Java. Informed by theories drawn from the field of cultural studies, he connects local history to global movements with a focus on the fragility of changing identities. His installation “Anno Domini,” on view at the Asian Art Museum during the the exhibition, Phantoms: Contemporary Awakens the Past (on view from May 18-September 2, 2012) arranges colonial military uniforms that hang bodiless, reenacting traditional mythologies and symbolizing protection from the exigencies of modernization and colonization.