Udeido Collective

Udeido Collective (Jayapura)

Udeido Collective is a space established to encourage the young generation of Papuan artists to explore various social and humanities phenomena that occur in Papua, and to pack them all in the form of visual art. Udeido is taken from the name of the leaf commonly used by the Mee people to cover wounds up so that they heal quickly. Thus, the name Udeido was chosen with the objective that the artists involved can cover the wounds that have been experienced by the Papuan people. Established in mid-2018 in Yogyakarta, Udeido Collective members are spread across cities in Papua such as Jayapura, Wamena, Timika, Fak-Fak, Nabire, as well as those currently studying in Java.

Udeido Collective pays attention to the study of Papua as its main spirit in: how to interpret Papua, both from inside and from outside, or how to position the Papuan discourse, both on regional and global maps. In its practice, Udeido Collective would explore old notions within the traditions of various tribes in Papua which could include philosophy, songs, folklore, legends, and observe their relevance to comprehend the contemporary time. For Udeido, these forms of traditional cultural products are important to show the production of local knowledge which has been repressed due to the coercion of Indonesian national identity which may not always be appropriate in the Papuan context.

Several art exhibitions held by the Udeido Collective, including Mairi, Sangkring Art Space, Yogyakarta (2019); Tonawi Mana, udeido.com (online, 2020); and Sa Pu Stories, klipisah.asia- ajar.org (online, 2021), which was initiated together with Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR).