Lot 140
PANGROK SULAP
founded in 2010, Sabah
TAGAL LUANTI, 2015
Signed ‘Pangrok Sulap’ (lower right)
Print carved on mazzonite fibre board,
printed on cotton, edition 3 of 10
121cm x 162cm
PROVENANCE
Private collection, Selangor.
ESTIMATE RM 3,000 - 5,500
PRICE REALISED RM 3,360
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The Tagal system in this case at Kampung Luanti Baru is unique to the Sabah rural community. The word, ‘tagal,’ means ‘do not’ or ‘no need’ in the Kadazandusun lingo. It is a system to prevent ‘over-harvesting’ of fishes in the rivers, especially in the lotung (deep areas) where fishes are plentiful. The system forbids fishing at certain times and also in specified restricted zones apart from certain areas declared ‘off-limits.’ After all, the rivers are a great source of food, water and irrigation, and this is where most of the great civilisations started. This strict system of letting Nature self-regenerate is to ensure a steady supply of fish. Even the Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who is from the peninsular, was surprised to discover the tagal when he led an entourage on a river adventure in February 2016. Pangrok Sulap catapulted into the scene when one of their artworks in the ‘Escape from the SEA’ exhibition at the National Art Gallery was taken down based on a complaint by an unrelated individual. It was organised by Japan Foundation, KL
Pangrok Sulap is a Ranau-based (on the foothills of Mount Kinabalu) collective of some 15 artists-activists using woodcut prints to voice out the people’s life and struggles. ‘Pangrok’ is a homophone of ‘punk rock,’ while ‘Sulap’ in Dusun means ‘hut.’ It has 15 or so members from diverse backgrounds. Formed in 2010, it has among its members civil engineer Rizo Leong, digital animator Jerome Manjat, management executive Kim Auri and psychologist Mohd Hizal Rusinin. Their main form of artwork is woodcuts, which they learnt from the Indonesian woodcut collective Marjinal but they are inspired more by the Indonesian political group, Taring Padi. Based in the late Tina Rimmer’s Tamparuli Living Arts Centre, they visit impoverished villages to find out their problems so that they can make social statements and protest in their woodcuts. Because of their nature of work, they sometimes show in tamu (market) to create immediate awareness, rather than art galleries. |
