Taring Padi, translating as “Fang of Rice”, is a radical art collective based in the town of Yogyakarta in Central Java, Indonesia. The collective utilizes a diverse range of tactics to address local and international political issues and fight oppression of all people, and the environment. Known mostly for their intricate wood cut posters wheat-pasted around town, Taring Padi is also involved in many local mural projects, puppet building for demonstrations, free art classes, a bi- monthly independent newsletter, community gardening, critical mass, skill shares, radical folk songs, public theatre and monthly open mic cultural nights. Emerging in 1998 as part of the popular revolt that brought down famed human rights abuser President Suharto, Taring Padi was among the designers of the radical art actions that highlighted the protest movement.
When Institut Seni Indonesia (the local Art University) relocated in 1997, some of its former students decided to move into the abandoned campus. The squatters seized this opportunity to start a collective and utilize their new space for free housing and community organizing. Thus, Taring Padi came to be and the squat on Jalan Gampingan became their headquarters for five years. Though neighbors, local merchants and farmers respected and supported the Taring Padi community center, other local groups remained hostile. On two separate occasions the Taring Padi squat was attacked by fundamentalist militias that labeled the collective as “communist” and “anti-god”. The unarmed Taring Padi members were beaten with bamboo poles and slashed with swords. Eight members were hospitalized and one friend had to get his kidney removed.
Due to the nature of their work during times of political unrest, Taring Padi members must keep their networks large and their individual names anonymous. This idea of anonymity also reflects their stance on “seni kerakyatan” or “people’s art” –a concept that commits itself to the promotion of social messages in art not individual popularity of the artist. Taring Padi’s creative process involves the invitation towards local people to be part of the art process. They want to eliminate illusive ideas as the artist as a genius and the artwork as elite. Taring Padi artwork does not carry the signature of the individual artistic creator; instead all pieces are stamped with the Taring Padi logo- a sprig of rice, a star and cogwheel.
Due to increasing looting, loss of electricity & water, and inevitable private renovation of the property, Taring Padi relocated their headquarters in 2003 to the neighbor hood of Sewon in South Yogyakarta, just a few kilometers from the recent quake’s epicenter. Early morning on May 27, 2006 an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale hit Yogyakarta. The Taring Padi building collapsed and several members have lost their homes and/or been injured.  Despite their own losses, Taring Padi members moved quickly to start serving food and medical supplies in their neighborhood where 80 percent of the houses have been destroyed. Taring Padi is currently running a "Posko" or distribution post out the front of their collapsed building, but supplies are short and money much needed.
There are numerous non-profit organizations through which to donate aid, but a few of us who have a relationship with Taring Padi feel inspired to ask our community here to lend a direct hand to our community there, without having to deal with the bureaucratic lag and unknown overhead costs of mainstream relief programs.  We want to help Taring Padi because they not only have been directly affected by the disaster, but because they are a radical collective who do important work in their own community. We trust that they will be effective in using benefit funds for community organizing, rebuilding homes and distributing much needed supplies in their own area.