The Koboi performances involve integrating themes that arise from the location of the event with the abiding themes of the Koboi Project – 1) the persona of the black hat cowboy, 2) the giant SUPERSTAR banner , and 3) the ritual offering. The SUPERSTAR banner brings a sense of scale, both immediate physical size and the more expansive sense of mass media projection. The first SUPERSTAR banner carried a representation of inimitable Kollywood giant Rajinikanth. It was initially raised at the Burning Man Festival 2017, and later presented in Tokyo 2018, Bangkok 2018, and Lisbon 2018 & 2019. For the Dari Pusat Tasek performance at Percha Artspace, Lumut, Perak in December 2019, the image of Rajinikanth was replaced by that of Malaysian political colossus, Anwar Ibrahim. This Anwar Banner was raised again at Kapallorek Artspace, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak in August 2023.

Bandar Seri Iskandar is a new university town, a recent development in an older area known as Bota. ‘Bota‘ derives from the Sanskrit bhūta (demon) and refers to a local ‘giant’. According to folklore, once upon a time, giants inhabited this area and the old place names of the surrounding areas – Bota Kanan, Bota Kiri and Ekor Bota, stem from layering the image of a fallen giant over a landscape shaped by the Perak river. If one were to understand this physical territory in terms of the ontology of the traditional Malay cosmos, one might see it as being contiguous with the area known as Padang Jauh dan Puncak Gunung.

With both SUPERSTARS and Botas in mind, a propitiation was made, at the start of the Pokok Pauh Janggi performance (see notes) to all the Hantu Tinggi. Struggling against the wind that arose at this time, I lit a red candle at the near the massive Gergasi Bota mural on the Kapallorek building, while calling out,
.
Aku minta’ ampun kapada sagala Hantu Tinggi!
I ask forgiveness of all Tall Ghosts (Giants)!

At this very moment, the SUPERSTAR banner, that had been previously raised, collapsed in a sudden gust of wind, as if to indicate the Hantu Tinggi did not quite approve! Having raised the banner again, and having secured it properly this time, I placed the lighted candle at its foot.

https://sangpengembaraalamkehidupan.blogspot.com/2017/03/lagenda-gergasi-bota-sebuah.html