Phil Collins
dunia tak akan mendengar 2007
colour video projection with sound
duration approx 60 min
courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, London

In interview, Collins, a British artist, has discussed the ‘fluid’ nature of popular culture in relation to his practice.’¹ This work – a karaoke video version of a compilation album, The World Won’t Listen by The Smiths - was recorded with the participation of musicians from indie subcultures in Jakarta, Bandung and other Indonesian cities. Finding enclaves of fandom around the world (including Turkey and Colombia for this trilogy), Collins has remade and recorded new, offshore iterations of performances by a quintessentially British band. Rather than exercises in ironic juxtaposition or rupture played for laughs, Collins’ video - projected on a larger than life screen with cinematic sound - investigates forms of performance and embodiment as social practice, revealing as much about personal freedom and sentiment as they reflect on the culture of the copy. In the darkness, after experiencing sixteen intimate portraits of Indonesian singers framed against incongruous scenic wallpaper (European forests, fields and alpine mountains), I realised that I have equal stamina for watching karaoke as I do for singing it myself - which is to say, a whole lot.

If I go insane, please don\'t put your wires in my brain