Indonesian sculptor Wahyadi Liem has been creating a series of quirky forest dwelling characters he calls the Pipilaka. In mid-2024, he had the chance to showcase them in an interactive exhibition at the Jogjakarta National Museum (JNM) Bloc titled Pipilaka Calling!. Liem used new media technologies such as 3D mapping and holograms to bring his clay sculptures to life. In the exhibit, the real wildlife inspired characters were telling audiences a story of one fateful day in their lives, a day when humans set foot in their forest home and caused rampant environmental destruction. Some characters were even lamenting how humans were hunting down and caging their friends and families.
The intricately crafted showcase mesmerized viewers, all while giving the Pipilaka a chance to reach out to them, so that they can make small everyday contributions to help them preserve real habitats where real animals roam. As the story goes, the Pipilaka also helps to show how maintaining balance in nature, also means securing a future for humanity. This is why Pipilaka Calling! by Wahyadi Liem is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life on Land.
The exhibition came together thanks to the help of twelve different collaborators, including renowned Indonesian feminist filmmaker Nia Dinata and French writer Jean Pascal Elbaz. During the event’s opening, Liem explained that the word “Pipilaka” is the Sanskrit word for “ants”. By naming his weird and wonderful creations Pipilaka, he hopes that they can inspire people to make small meaningful contributions to environmental preservation and conservation—the same way that ants work together to tackle big goals.
Tickets for the exhibition were sold for only IDR 25,000 (USD 1.59) for students and children and IDR 35,000 (USD 2.23) for general audiences, further showcasing the organizer’s commitment to share Pipilaka's environmental message far and wide. On top of that, all profits made from the exhibition are also being donated to Kalaweit Foundation and ANUA (Act for Nature) that works to conserve the rainforests in Central Kalimantan.
Wahyadi Liem’s Pipilaka Calling! exhibition captivates audiences through its whimsical, forest-dwelling Pipilaka characters that blend art and technology to convey a vital environmental message. By giving these quirky creatures a voice through clay sculptures, 3D mapping and holograms, Liem invites viewers to experience the Pipilaka’s world—a world disrupted by human encroachment and destruction. Pipilaka Calling! serves as a call for collective action, inspiring real-world impact on forest conservation.
Find out more about Pipilaka Calling! and other initiatives by the Wahyadi Liem on their project Instagram @pipilaka.event or Liem’s personal Instagram @wahyadi.pipilaka.