An art project held byartist Natasha Gabriella Tontey has taken the Internet by storm.
The art project, made popular under a hashtag #makanmayit, was a dinner partywith a baby theme but not in a cute way.
Natasha shaped the food into creepy realistic shapes of brains and minifetuses. One dish was served in a hollowed baby doll.
The dinner party was held at a restaurant in South Jakarta on Feb. 25, in which Natasha tried to introduce cannibalism to her guests. It wasnt Natasha'sfirst baby-eating themed party, but this one successfully grabbed internet users' attention, especially after the event was published by populargossip Instagram account, @lambe_turah today.
The reactions are diverse, from anger to support, but most of the comments protested the theme.
Most of the protesters are mothers or those who can relate tomotherhood. They said the artsy event was so insensible, insane and even disgusting.
i think natasha tontey's #makanmayit inspired by Hannibal tv series but whatever that is, this ain't art, this ain't right. pic.twitter.com/Iwv5jVP6KU
luna lovegood (@sleepyead_) February 27, 2017
Instagram user@ajengelvaretta also shared her opinion.
I dont understand and this is incomprehensible. Maybe the artist wanted to convey messages whatsoever (I cant understand). But what popped into my mind was why they have to use torn baby dolls as a plate or serve fetus-shaped pudding, and the saddest thing is they used baby'ssweat extract and breast milk as ingredients.
I might be dumb in terms of art and philosophy, but I do have common sense. In my imagination, the guests of this dinner party seemed to be happy to play cannibals (maybe this is the message the artist wanted to convey) but its not funny... this is an execrable art...
Meanwhile, @putimayang account represents protesting mothers with a #protesmakanmayit hashtag:
I failed to understand the #makanmayit event, in which they made foods from breast milk and baby sweat extract. Dont they know what kind of struggle a mother must pass during childbirth, how hard the exclusive breastfeeding could be... babies arent jokes... this isnt an art anymore!
Meanwhile, @why.andrian expressed his/her concern regarding the event:
I cant believe, and I cant even imagine what in these peoples behind #makanmayit dinner mind was. Turns out this event had been held twice in Jakarta, but I just knew upon seeing my friends Instagram photo depicting baby dolls dissected to be serving plates. I initially thought it was a music album cover until my friends on Whatsapp raised conversation about this insane event. I had been in various discussion, read many things, including Vices interview with this Tontey artist, I still cant understand. It cant fit my sanity, and the event makes me sad.
The Instagram user also stated that such artsy expression is inappropriate. Talking about the freedom of expression, they have the freedom of how they live their lives, but when it comes to public consumption, its a different story. Moreover, the dinner party guests were mostly public figures. They seemed to forget that they have minors amongst their followers, juveniles or could be women who for years longed for unborn children, fathers who have just lost his infant child. This has to stop! This is so wrong!
Instagram account @jembayu also raised the same opinion.
Indeed, Im not an art connoisseur nor art expert, not even one of those artsy hipsters. But (I can tell that) the concept of this art is just a total mess, ignorant, and idiotic! That's not even an art anymore, it's a mental issue! This is disgusting, sorry to say!
On the other hand, singer Kartika Jahja, one of the guests in the dinner party, came up with a reason why she was interested in attending the party. She also apologized if #makanmayit photos have raised concerns among Internet users.
Twitter user @arimajinarie also expressed his/her support to the artist.
Some hates the #makanmayit "ceremony" at @Footurama, but some who read the interview with the vibe could understand the essential.
Ai Wednesday (@arimajinarie) February 26, 2017
The artist came up with an explanation to the public. I tried to explore the psychodynamics of cannibal fantasies in a performative dinner Fresh Flesh Feast. Building up a fictional orphanage organized by a nun who also runs a meat shop that sells babies meat for public, she wrote, as cited from @maknawicom. Examine the fantasies of love and possession, swallowing a babys arm with a splatter of blood with another dish made out of mothers milk animating every vision with a great desire and pleasure.
She also stated that her project was an attempt to interrupt the system supporting this modern world in its relation to reproduction and capitalism. She also emphasized that to live this tough life, one must be violence-proof. Through the feast, she wanted to have a discussion about cannibalism with her guests.
Natasha is known for her interest in human's fear. She held an exhibition in Yokohama, Japan, last January, entitled the "Little Shop of Horrors."
(brl/red)
