Yeo Workshop is pleased to announce the gallery's participation in ASIA NOW Paris, where it will present 'Kitschmensch with many failed flags of 1963 Maphilindo Confederation' an installation conceived between 2021 to 2023 by Fyerool Darma as an introduction to the artist's diverse practice, which encompasses video, painting, sound, text, sculpture, and installation.
Stitching: Materials and Sounds
The installation comprises a text exchange between two literary figures discussing the failures of the non-political confederation that is Maphilindo on a mobile phone; found textiles collected from vicinities within Southeast Asia and sewn into a suit alongside LED lights, detritus and an aluminum vitrine. The work is a composition, in positioning Southeast Asia as a site from which to theorize the complexity and globally interconnected community of the contemporary. Through his practice, Fyerool integrates Singapore lore and its regional epistemologies into his works, paving the way for a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of the present. Through art-making, Fyerool adapts stories as embedded knowledge, while honoring collaboration as ancestral wisdom. The juxtaposition of presence and absence in his works invites cacophonous possibility.
Textiles Theme for ASIA NOW
The installation mirrors a curated section curated by Slavs and Tatars; an exploration of Central Asian contemporary art. Fyerool’s approach in stitching and working with found textiles adds questions to what we know of materials as embedded datas of stories, from the personal, to collective histories.
Fyerool sees history as a dynamic entity, likening it to a versatile garment, evolving with each wear—be it a mask, cloak, or spacesuit. Through this perspective, Fyerool situates Southeast Asia as a rich ground to explore the intricate, globally linked modern society.
Psycho-navigating Techno-Tropical Postcolony
Fyerool’s works, known for his profound engagement with questions about existence, both online and offline, navigates the intersections of aesthetics and politics, addressing issues at local, regional, and global levels.
An essay by Dr. Roger Nelson of Fyerool Darma’s practice through selected works ‘The Poseur’ and ‘A Pantoum/Pantun’ conceived by the artist accompanies the presentation of 'Kitschmensch with many failed flags of 1963 Maphilindo Confederation (Reworked)’ for ASIA NOW Paris.