Opening Tumbuh Rimpang
November 29, 2024
Tembuku
by I Gede Sukarya
at Indonesia Bertutur 2024
Exhibition
Indonesia Bertutur 2024
Location
Museum Rumah Topeng dan Wayang Setia Darma
Artist
I Gede Sukarya
Written by
Krisna Sudharma
Subak is not solely concerned with the technical distribution and regulation of water but also encompasses social and religious (spiritual) aspects
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The “Subak” system represents a sophisticated hydrological technology innate to Bali’s indigenous agricultural practices. The essential facilities within the Subak irrigation system (palemahan) for each participating farmer include a water dam (pengalapan), a canal (jelinjing), and an intake tool (cakangan) to channel water onto their respective fields.
Through this Subak system, farmers receive their share of water based on decisions made during communal deliberations by the Subak members (krama subak), always grounded in the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana. Therefore, the activities within the Subak organization encompass not only agricultural and farming concerns but also rituals and religious practices aimed at soliciting fortune and fertility.
In this context, rice fields, rice plants, and water hold significant roles in the Subak irrigation system and are deeply tied to religious aspects. These elements are associated with the power of Dewi Sri (the Goddess of Fertility and Prosperity). Consequently, Subak is not solely concerned with the technical distribution and regulation of water but also encompasses social and religious (spiritual) aspects.
However, in recent times, Bali’s agricultural presence has been waning, with few farmers maintaining extensive land holdings. The rapid development driven by Bali’s burgeoning tourism has led to agricultural lands being repurposed for construction. Additionally, younger generations are increasingly less inclined to pursue farming, often opting instead for careers in tourism. Through his artwork, Sukarya contemplates the burgeoning ‘planting’ of concrete that supports Bali’s tourism potential, envisioning a future where farming activities are abandoned, and Subak remains a mere conceptual legacy, without the agricultural lands to cultivate.
In the village of Bulian, there exists a water distribution system akin to Subak, albeit on a smaller scale. An important aspect that Sukarya may find noteworthy in Bulian’s water distribution is the strong communal spirit (gotong royong) exhibited by the members of the water management group. Since Bulian lacks a water source sufficient to meet both agricultural and daily needs, the community formed a group to seek water sources approximately 10 kilometers away in the mountains of Kintamani. They channel this distant water through a network of pipes to distribution tanks before it is stored in each member’s individual tank. Within these distribution tanks are small pipes (suling-suling) that function similarly to the tembuku, distributing water from the main source to each group member. These suling-suling provided Sukarya with the inspiration for his artwork titled “Tembuku (Suling-suling).”
