Walls That Speak

Murals and Social Criticism in “Jogja Asat”

Abstract

Mural has emerged as one of the primary media for channelling public aspirations, particularly those containing social criticism. This study aims to examine the development of mural as a medium of social criticism and to explore its relationship with social movements through the case study of “Jogja Asat.” Employing visual ethnography as its methodological framework, this research utilises visual documentation as its primary data and information source. Data collection was conducted through documentation, interviews, observation, and library research. The findings indicate that the use of mural as a medium of social criticism is closely associated with the new visual arts movement that emerged in the 1970s, during which young artists resisted the dominance and hegemony of the older artistic establishment during the New Order era. The accessibility of murals to the general public has been strategically exploited as a medium of criticism, with the expectation that the issues raised will reach the audiences who encounter these works. The development of mural into a social movement, as illustrated by “Jogja Asat,” is also rooted in the artistic tradition of resistance against social, political, and economic orders that marginalise civic participation. This movement was spearheaded by a community group identifying themselves as “Warga Berdaya” (Empowered Citizens). Artists participated in the movement by creating murals at the Kewek Bridge in Yogyakarta. The murals displayed served as social criticism, functioning as instruments of resistance against the dominance and hegemony of rapid hotel development that lacked adequate community oversight, leading to water shortages for residents of Miliran. Furthermore, the practice of inhabiting space through the medium of mural can be interpreted as an attempt to reclaim symbolic power over public space, particularly given the increasingly constrained space for civic expression.