Enka Komariah’s interest in historical issues has been ongoing for over five years. Initially, Enka’s interest was limited to spaces close to her—such as her hometown and the sites she recognized as a teenager. Gradually, her interest in history grew, leading her to explore Indonesia’s history in a broader context. She recognized the historical fractures that shaped Indonesia’s history. Between these fractures, there were periods of transition—periods that accompanied each time a fracture occurred.

Rather than solely interested in the main events, Enka focused on how history always writes victory by eliminating narratives of defeat. Enka observed that narratives of victory, always remembered and amplified by the presence of monuments, often also serve as reminders of defeat. Like a monument in the form of a relief, narratives of defeat appear like moss covering the wall behind the relief. Her interest in these narratives of defeat then inspired her to create the works in her solo exhibition, “Transitional Period.” In this exhibition, Enka Komariah recorded at least 20 events which he collected, and then presented them in the form of monuments in the exhibition room.