NATASHA TONTEY

Natasha Tontey’s expansive new work, Primate Visions: Macaque Macabre, will explores a reversal of the power relationships between living creatures, monkeys and humans, as seen from the perspective of Minahasan culture.

The black-crested macaque, known as Yaki in Minahasan, is simultaneously viewed as part of the social structure of everyday life by the indigenous community and as vermin, known for invading villages and stealing crops. This relationship is further complicated by the recognition of the Yaki as an endangered species, prompting international organisations to encourage their preservation.

Incorporating installation and multi-channel video, Primate Visions: Macaque Macabre creates a fantastical environment, offering new personal perspectives on worldviews regarding environmental preservation and cultural heritage. Visitors can immerse themselves as well as exploring the setting and costumes used in the film.

About the Artist

Natasha Tontey is a Minahasan artist based between Jakarta and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Her recent exhibitions include solo show at Auto Italia, London (2022). Selected group shows and screening at 34th Singapore International Film Festival, 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2023), Singapore Biennale (2022); De Stroom Den Haag (2022); GHOST; 2565, Bangkok (2022); Protozone8 Queer Trust, Zürich (2022); Arko Art Council, Seoul (2022), Leeum Museum of Art, Seoul (2022); Hamburger Bahnhof, Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin (2021); transmediale, Berlin (2021); Performance Space 2021, Sydney; Other Futures, Amsterdam (2021); Singapore International Film Festival (2021), Kyoto Experiment 2021; Asian Film Archive, Singapore (2021).

In 2020, she received the HASH Award from the ZKM, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and Akademie Schloss-Solitude. She was a fellow for Human Machine of the Junge Akademie at Akademie der Künste Berlin 2021–2023.