Zoncy Heavenly

When fires burn in war zones after bombing, soot particles scatter the sunlight in such a way that the sky turns unnatural shades of yellow and orange. It will not turn pink or purple under these conditions. This color spectrum only occurs naturally—at sunrise or sunset. By painting the sky pink and purple in Lady Farmers’ Magenta Sky, Zoncy Heavenly creates an alternative narrative, one where it is not war, but one’s own imagination that determines an environment’s atmosphere. Across Zoncy Heavenly’s practice—which spans photography, installation, painting, performance, and mediation work—art serves as a means of processing collective trauma.

In the stark landscape of her painting, women farmers raise their arms, extending three fingers of their right hands. Originally a rebel salute from the American sci-fi film series The Hunger Games (2012–23), the gesture has become a symbol of resistance against the military dictatorship in Myanmar. Before moving to Berlin on a DAAD scholarship in 2022, Zoncy Heavenly co-organized a women’s protest against the 2021 military coup in Myanmar. From Berlin, she continues to follow the ongoing demonstrations by women farmers via social media. Most of these women have lost their husbands and sons, their farmland and homes, and are now displaced. Their unwavering courage gives the artist hope that justice remains possible.

Sounds of airstrike explosions— emitted from tactile sound modules shaped like toy fighter jets—add an auditory dimension to the work. During the 13th Berlin Biennale, the artist will also contribute to the art mediation program. For Zoncy Heavenly, art and its activation through audience engagement is more than a way to deal with the war coverage from Myanmar. It’s also an opportunity to acquire and share knowledge about how trauma can be healed through alternative narratives.

Text: Alicja Schindler