The Power Of Bibitulit

The Power of Bibitulit is an interactive installation that explores the horn speaker (TOA) as a symbol of sonic domination in Indonesian public spaces. Inspired by daily life realities, the work reconfigures the relationships between sound, power, and public participation through interactive strategies and sonic repetition. Visually, it presents multiple horn speakers emitting sharp, loud, and flooding sounds. At the center stands a metal drum that audiences can strike. Hitting the drum temporarily silences the TOA speakers for a few seconds, but they immediately resume, louder and more chaotic. This interaction creates an ongoing cycle of disruption and response. Rather than producing silence or structural change, audience intervention generates a new, more dominant noise. In this context, the work critiques how sound—meant as a democratic instrument of communication—can transform into an unyielding tool of control and power.