Natasha Tontey The Order of Autophagia

A pop, cute, and grotesque cannibalism

Based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Natasha Tontey is a visual artist who has also been receiving attention for her performance works in recent years. This project, which started in 2017, takes the act of eating—an act on which human life depends—and immerses it in the pop, cutesy yet grotesque world of Tontey’s art, inviting viewers to reflect on various contemporary issues such as global warming and overconsumption.

A table full of dishes that resemble human body parts in shape and color is placed in the exhibition space. In this same space, a newly produced video work of Tontey and performers enjoying this food is screened. This act of eating also evokes the socially taboo subject of cannibalism, and exposes how eating, and by extension living, is dominated by social fear and anxiety. It is worth noting that the representation of cannibalism has historically been shaped by the dynamics of colonialism, which can still be said to inform its perception today. There is also an ironic parallel at play, between a society that is slowly destroying its own planet through overconsumption, and people who can only survive by consuming (i.e. eating) their own bodies.

At the screening enjoy the video works and Tontey‛s menu, created especially for this Kyoto presentation, in an exhibition space that reflects the dramatic setup of a “performative dinner.”

*Due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) this artist is no longer able to come to Japan. Instead of the originally planned live performance, new video works produced in Indonesia will be screened inside an installation designed by Natasha Tontey. At times when the screenings are not held, the installation at Studio 1, Kyoto Art Center is open to visitors.