In her series On A Pedestal, Meliantha Muliawan (b. 1992) presents a playful take on the concept of the readymade in art, by re-introducing the imprint of the artist’s hand and gesture in objects that resemble materials and cast-offs from everyday life. The works in this series take the form of pieces of fabric draped atop makeshift pedestals of discarded boxes. The blank, off-white fabric pieces have been shaped to suggest forms of objects underneath, while the cardboard boxes beneath have been painted to resemble worn cartons of consumer packaging. Collectively, the works make a playful reference to the staging of still-life and the industrial impulse of Warhol’s “Brillo box” series, while intimating at notions of value, consumption, and labour.
