Jurnal Rupa
Vol 9 No 1 (2024): Open Issue

Cenotaphe Bleu: A Fictional Monument

Akbar, Muhammad (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
17 Jul 2025

Abstract

Cenotaphe Bleu is a research-based artwork that integrates motion-image creation with socio-political analysis through the depiction of a fictional monument, using the obelisk form as a symbol of Western colonial authority imposed upon colonized lands. The obelisk’s visual and cultural distance from local everyday life is intentionally constructed to emphasize the disconnection between the lived realities of the public and the utopian promises projected by the state promises that ultimately manifest as fictional narratives imposed upon society. The work critiques the state’s perspective, which mirrors the colonial gaze: projecting ideals onto its citizens without engaging their actual experiences. The visual presentation is developed through cinematographic techniques that use continuous camera movement to construct a spatial illusion, reflecting urban decay and social deterioration in relation to neglected monumental architecture. The chosen medium is 3D digital animation perceived as fabricated realism, and intaglio printmaking evoking the texture of archival documentation are deliberately juxtaposed to convey conflicting perceptions of truth, mirroring the contradictions in Bandung’s urban infrastructure and the unfulfilled narratives of state-led development.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

rupa

Publisher

Subject

Arts

Description

JURNAL RUPA is a peer-reviewed academic journal to provide a platform for an interdisciplinary forum in the area of visual arts. This journal welcomes submissions from artists, makers, designers, researchers, historians, and other writers in the field of visual arts. This journal is published two ...