Made “Bayak” Muliana The Challenging Art of Plastilikum Era
Bayak is actively popularizing the Plasticology project wherever he goes. He has gained and now shares the knowledge of plastic waste reduction. Nobody knows when the Plastilikum era declared by Bayak will come to an end
By
NAWA TUNGGAL
·5 minutes read
ARSIP TROPPEN MUSEUM AMSTERDAM
Made Bayak
In this era of the “reign” of the plastic regime, one artist from Bali, Made “Bayak” Muliana, 41, has named it the era of Plastilikum. This reflects the precise description of his anxiety over the heavy burden nature has to bear as heaps of plastic waste accumulate. Bayak announces the world’s era of gloom through his works that stir up the awareness of their viewers.
Bayak developed his artwork “Plastilikum” as he was studying Creative Experiment at the Indonesian Arts Institute in Denpasar during semesters IV and V in 2001-2002. At the time, he collected burned plastic waste from dump sites and combined the petrified waste with rocks from the edge of a river. An installation was thus created, which he named “Plastilikum Era”.
After finishing his studies in 2006, Bayak continued to experiment and dig up ideas for his works based on plastic waste. He has since held many exhibitions in Bali, major cities across Indonesia and abroad. When he displayed his work in Naples, Italy, in 2016, Bayak took the opportunity to visit a museum of plastics.
From there he understood the problem better. Plastics, he said, had from the beginning been created to replace materials derived from forest exploitation. The material is produced by processing petroleum residue.
“From the start plastics were expected to contribute to nature and the reduction of deforestation. However, today plastics are just increasing the burden of damage to nature,” said Bayak on Tuesday (14/6/2022) from Bali.
During his childhood in Tampaksiring village, Gianyar, he had lived in a plastic-free environment. Now, plastics are widely scattered in the soil or drift in the rivers and streams. Large amounts of plastics are also entangled on river banks or carried by rivers into the sea.
As an artist, Bayak is anxious. He feels he has to do something rescue environment. During his studies on campus, he exploring every possible way of making the waste issue an important part of his creative process.
Global movement
Reducing plastic waste has become a global movement. Nevertheless, Bayak’s activity is not for the sake of following the global trend. He fully realizes that the environment in Bali has begun to change. Plastic waste is found everywhere. He is interested in taking part to maintain the balance of nature.
“I have eventually become an activist concerned about the environment. I arrange many workshops in Bali with the aim of promoting awareness of the need to minimize plastic waste,” said Bayak, who calls the environmental care movement a Plasticology project.
I have eventually become an activist concerned about the environment.
Not only in Bali, Bayak is also often invited to other countries to share his experience in the movement. In May 2019, Bayak spoke at a workshop titled “Rainbow Dragon Plasticology” in Orchard Grove School, Blackburn, Melbourne, Australia.
At the same time, he gave a lecture on “Balinese Art Activity and the Process of Creating Critical Arts” at Melbourne University, Australia. In April 2019, he was invited to give a workshop session on Balinese art in Lamar Dodd School of Art UGA, Athens, Georgia, the United States.
ARSIP PRIBADI
Made Bayak with his work made from plastic waste.
At his exhibition in Naples, Italy, in 2016, Bayak also delivered a lecture titled “Plasticology and Bali Rejects Reclamation” at L’Orientale University, Naples.
Bayak never expected that his plastic waste art creations would take him to other countries. Initially, he was solely striving to revive his childhood memories of Tampaksiring village, when it was in harmony and free from plastic waste.
As a child, he frequently bathed in the river of his village. The river environment was still clean then. Later, people started bathing and washing their hair with shampoo in plastic containers. Since then, plastic waste has been discarded into the river and gradually, the waste has become littered everywhere.
Recently, Bayak exhibited his works at Art Moments Jakarta Online-Offline (AMJO) #3 in Jakarta. Bayak was happy there was increasing public appreciation of art creations designed to campaign for greater concern about the environment.
Following the AMJO #3, Bayak is preparing his works to be displayed at Artjog, which will be held from 7 July to 4 September 2022 ini Yogyakarta. He wants to present an installation of monsters made from plastic waste.
At Biennale Jogja 2019, Bayak exhibited several pieces. These were 7-meter high piles formed of 600 blocks of pressed plastic waste. A block of plastic waste weighed 35 kilograms.
When preparing the blocks, Bayak cooperated with an environment activism community in Yogyakarta. This community sorted plastic waste and gathered the chosen pieces to build a pyramid.
The plastic waste that is unsuitable for recycling can be used for fuel with its polluting smoke being filtered so as not to foul the air.
“After the show, the plastic blocks were sent to Surabaya for recycling,” Bayak explained.
Not all plastic waste is suited for recycling. The plastic waste of food containers with aluminum is frequently not chosen for recycling. Therefore, Bayak often picks this kind of plastic waste for his creations.
“The plastic waste that is unsuitable for recycling can be used for fuel with its polluting smoke being filtered so as not to foul the air,” said Bayak, who had observed the practice of plastic waste burning for power generation in other countries.
Bayak is actively popularizing the Plasticology project wherever he goes. He has gained and now shares the knowledge of plastic waste reduction. Nobody knows when the Plastilikum era declared by Bayak will come to an end.
Made ”Bayak” Muliana
Born: Gianyar, Bali, 27 June 1980
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Denpasar, Bali, 1999-2006.
Awards:
- 20 Prizes of Best Sovereign Art 2013 at Espaces Louis Vuitton Singapore
