'The Truth of Happy Ending'

Meliantha’s installation of stringed objects is a compilation of objects used for Indonesian weddings. Growing up in Indonesia, marriage and family have often been the main topics of conversation when discussing the role of women in society. Meliantha reflects upon the concept of the Indonesian wedding with its traditions and ceremonies which often become so elaborate that it overshadows the ‘true’ meaning of marriage. Indonesia is comprised of numerous minority ethnic groups and these groups strictly follow wedding traditions as part of preserving their cultural heritage. Weddings continue to grow as lavish and grand affairs to portray a family’s social status to the point of overwhelming the couple and their families. These elaborate and often costly affairs observed by Meliantha is confusing the true meaning of marriage. Meliantha’s chosen objects are from four ethnic groups: Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese Peranakan and Minang.

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Text by Santy Saptari