Six Macabre Art Installations in 'Ghost in the Cell' Offer Social Commentary
The latest film by director Joko Anwar, ‘Ghost in the Cell’, not only offers suspenseful horror but also delivers sharp social commentary through six macabre art installations. These works have now been brought out of the cinema and into the public space through an exhibition in Jakarta.
The production company Come and See Pictures is holding the Macabre Art Installation ‘Ghost in the Cell’ at Nirmana Falatehan, South Jakarta. The exhibition runs from 16 to 22 May 2026 and is open to the public daily from 10:00 to 20:00 WIB.
These six works of art are visual interpretations of death and torture that reflect various social issues in Indonesia. Here are the deeper meanings behind these six macabre artworks:
Inspired by Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, this work depicts a human body shaped into the figure of ‘Lady Justice’. However, justice here is depicted as literally blind and deaf; eyes and ears are placed on top of scales to weigh interests rather than truth. With a sword made of banknotes, this work touches upon the issue of a legal system that has lost its morality and only sides with power and material wealth.
This piece features a human body hanging with a large spotlight attached to its head. It represents how modern humans are often sacrificed for the interests of institutions or those in power so that they can remain ‘in the spotlight’. Humans lose their identity and are only considered as tools to attract public attention.
From afar, it looks like an elegant ballet dancer, but up close, it is made of wounds and exposed flesh. ‘The Dancer’ satirizes the social pressure that forces individuals to continue to appear perfect and ‘dance’ in a brutal system, even though their soul and body have been destroyed.
‘This is a work of art presented as a visual interpretation of death and torture taken directly from the film,’ said Joko Anwar about the presence of these installations.
The installation arranges human organs and bones to resemble a stove. This is a metaphor for a social system that requires the sacrifice of the weak so that the strong can continue to survive and enjoy comfort. Humans are treated as commodities and fuel for the sake of maintaining power.
The human body transformed into a shower pipe system speaks about guilt. It satirizes those who believe that formal rituals, money, or power can erase sin and moral responsibility, even though the violence committed still leaves a rotting trace.
Shaped like a ceiling fan made from pieces of the body, this work symbolizes the cycle of violence, corruption, and exploitation that continues to spin in society. These terrible things are often normalized and passed down from one generation to the next without ever truly stopping.
For film lovers and art enthusiasts, this installation provides an opportunity to delve deeper into the moral messages that Joko Anwar wants to convey in ‘Ghost in the Cell’ before the exhibition ends on 22 May. (Z-10)
The six Macabre Art installations include ‘The Fan’, ‘Shower Head’, ‘The Stove’, ‘The Dancer’, ‘Flood Light’, and ‘Lady Justice’.
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The six Macabre Art installations include ‘The Fan’, ‘Shower Head’, ‘The Stove’, ‘The Dancer’, ‘Flood Light’, and ‘Lady Justice’.
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