The idea of this work is connected to Heri’s previous work, “Fermentation of Mind” (1992), when Suharto’s militaristic regime (the second president of Indonesia) – at that time still in power – tried to suppress freedom of speech. The so-called “silence” was depicted by a number of people in blindfolds with their heads bowed. Instead, in Fermentation of Brain, the heads of the figures are upright with their eyes open. This represents the freedom of today, where everyone can look at whatever her or she wants to, from any media and listen to information from any source. Unfortunately, they are now too busy watching media full of glittery advertisements, and are rarely aware of the deprivation seen in such moral and cultural behaviours that have (slowly and surely) afflicted their society.

Photo & video credit:
Sharjah Art Foundation and Danko Stjepanovic, Yuval Golan, Stefanie Hessler & Alain Servais.
Thank you so much!