Meaning and myth of visual representation in paintings: a case study of “Playing GOD” exhibition by Ruzzeki Harris

Contemporary visual art often served as a powerful medium to convey ideas, messages, and critiques of social issues. Art exhibitions, in addition to showcasing creativity, provided a platform to explore complex themes such as politics, culture, and ethics. The exhibition “Playing GOD”by Ruzzeki Harris exemplified a challenge to societal norms and values through visual representations that critiqued issues related to morality, ethics, and power. Despite its profound implications, there was a lack of research on this exhibition in academic discourse, especially regarding the understanding of meaning and myth in its visual representations. Through this condition, the objectives of this study were: 1) to identify the denotative meaning of the visual representation of the “Playing GOD” exhibition by Ruzzeki Harris; 2) to analyze the connotative meaning of the visual representation of the “Playing GOD” exhibition by Ruzzeki Harris; and 3) to understand the myth of the visual representation of the “Playing GOD” exhibition by Ruzzeki Harris. This study employed a hermeneutic approach adapted from the Gadamerian Interreligious Hermeneutical Circle through dialogue with the text/tradition (artworks in the “Playing GOD” exhibition and the curatorial essay) and reflection from the interpreter (the researcher). In the reflection stage, the researcher utilized Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory to interpret all the artworks in the exhibition, examining their denotative, connotative, and mythological meanings. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of meaning and mythology in contemporary art, demonstrating how they function as reflections, critiques, and provocations of social reality. Through the concept of “Playing GOD”, the study highlights the critique of humanity’s attempts to exceed natural limits of control and responsibility, raising critical ethical and philosophical questions. The research also acknowledges its limitations, as the scope was confined to artworks within the “Playing GOD” exhibition and did not extend to other artistic practices. Nevertheless, this study offers a valuable theoretical contribution by proposing the hermeneutic approach, combined with Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory, as an effective framework for interpreting meaning and myth. Future research may apply this approach to other exhibitions, thereby enriching the broader discourse on contemporary visual art.