LA Times writer Steven Vargas interviewed Mulyana to talk about Modular Utopia, the Indonesian artist’s first museum exhibition in Los Angeles.
Five thousand hand-knitted bright orange fish dangle from the ceiling. Beneath them lies a colorful world of coral and, if you look closely, a friendly lobster. Peering through a collection of vibrant purple pompoms, a bright red coral sits atop blooming underwater vegetation. Each piece of art, emulating the ecosystem of the sea, is unlike another.
Unexpected details and colors shape Mulyana’s “Modular Utopia.” But as you step out of the installation titled “Ocean Wonderland” and through the museum space, the colors start to fade. The purple becomes gray and the life that once sprouted with joy and adventure blends into the white museum walls, falling out of view.
The new exhibit at USC Fisher Museum of Art is Mulyana’s first solo show in Los Angeles. The Indonesian artist, known for knitting and crocheting marine life out of upcycled materials like worn clothing and plastic bags, shapes a new utopia that simultaneously calls viewers to action. His practice is centered on sustainability and community, with attention to the fading colors of the world we inhabit.