Organise, Educate and Agitate!
Taring Padi

Organise – Educate – Agitate are the three founding principles that underpin the ethics and artistic practice of Taring Padi, an Indonesian collective formed in Yogyakarta in 1998. These principles also give the title to this exhibition — the result of a month-long residency by the group in Rome, and the first exhibition in Italy by the Javanese collective. These three values have consistently guided the group’s approach to art and activism, shaping a deeply collective methodology rooted in listening and participation. Through self-organised learning processes, Taring Padi deepens its understanding of the places and contexts it engages with, in order to cultivate awareness and articulate its position in view of collective action. The group’s internal organisation is based on convivial moments — informal spaces for discussion and cohesion — which are considered just as essential as the productive ones. In the exhibition, Taring Padi addresses the ongoing exploitation of Indian farmers and their precarious living conditions in the areas surrounding Rome, by conceiving a large banner installed at the center of the gallery. Through the painting, the collective visually documents its experience in Rome with the Indian community and the activists who fight for their rights.  The show also features BILIK MARSINAH, a pop-up project space by Taring Padi. The project allows each member of the collective to exhibit and sell their individual works, while also offering insight into the distinct stylistic contributions each artist brings to the collective’s overall practice.