Semenit Senyap / a Minute Mute
Public Visual Art in the series of Jogja Biennale X
JogJa at 0 point, at 4:30 p.m., 12 December 2009

Do you know that every year, more or less 30,000 people die because of traffic accident in Indonesia? This number makes traffic accident becomes the third killer in Indonesia after heart-attack and stroke. Based on the number of the victims, it can be said that there were war or disaster in every year on the streets in Indonesia. The rough calculation is about 82 people die in each day, so it is around 3 people die in each hour. As compared to the number of accident in the world, according to Make Road Safe institution, in each second there are 6 times of accidents. The number of the accident victims in the world is around 1,300,000 people die. This number is even scarier if it turns into the amount of money which is wasted for nothing. In Indonesia, the material loss is more or less IDR 40 trillion.

As active road users, we must campaign safety road for every one. In that case, I asked all of you to take part in this art project at the 0 Point of Jogja: Seni Sono Boulevard, Gedung Agung, Serangan Umum Satu Maret Monument, Indonesia Bank and Post Office. This project became one of the series of biennial visual art events in Jogja (Biennale Jogja X). There were around 500 people took part in this performance.

All you have to do was just come wearing your daily costume, no specific costume needed, nor specific art skills. Just active participation is needed. All you have to do just pretending to be fallen and stay still, or pretending to be dead for about 60 second; and then wake up again, act normally just like there is nothing happened; and then you fall again for the second time and pretending to be dead for another 65 second. After that, together, we gave applause as the symbol that the performance finished. The total action duration was less than 10 minutes, after that we can continue our own activities. Every action was started with a signal first (such as sirens sound, mobile phone ringtone, bicycle bell, motorcycle horn, etc), so there was a kind of choreography or spontaneous dramatic action. Being surprised is the aim of this performance. Just like suddenly more than 500 people ”die” together, right in the middle of the city, with no apparent reason. The public who do not know about this ”performance art” will wander ”what is going on?”. Then start from that point, the campaign began!

In order to this art project, we invited some bicycle clubs’ members, some motorcycle clubs’ members, artists, government officials, teenagers, students, and public for sure. Having fun, act, and give your opinion on safety road for all of us.

Photo by Dwi Prasetya “Oblo” Budi Santosa