Living Data at the Muse

Living Data
16 August 2012 - 26 August 2012
'Subak'

Subak Installation: Margaret Brooks and Christine McMillan

‘The subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago despite the challenge of supporting a dense population.’ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1194/

Recently inscribed by UNESCO the subak is now on the World Heritage List as ‘Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy’

 The Subak works are the outcome of an Artist in Residence in Bali. The research was informed by the work of J. Stephen Lansing and the shared life experience and knowledge of locals both rice growers and artists.

Christine McMillan: from mountain to sea

Christine McMillan: Tipat, altered lino prints

The tipat is my symbol for the complexity of life in Bali, the everyday overlayed with the ceremonial, the ceremonial inseparable and intertwined with the cycle of rice growing. The story told by the use of sustainable and unsustainable materials embodies the sustainable Bali which is struggling under the pressure of unsustainable influences.

Margaret Brooks: Rice for one meal, one day, one week

I have chosen the tipat as a symbol of the Subak. Tipat are everyday food; packages of cooked rice from the Subak paddies. They are also religious offerings in the Subak temples. My work with tipat explores the fragility of ancient and sustainable rice growing practices of Bali. It questions how much rice is enough and how we might protect the Subak for future generations.

Christine McMillan: Ground Cover at the Muse