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Arts

Charity auction at Art Jakarta 2019

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Art Jakarta returns this year with its 11th edition, held at a new venue, Jakarta Convention Center. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the event which runs from 30 August to 1 September 2019. To see more of Art Jakarta 2019 program, go to https://artjakarta.com

Since its first edition 11 years ago, Art Jakarta’s fair program includes charity auctions as a main feature. This year, in an arena called ‘Renoscape’, Art Jakarta will auctioned unique artworks made by thirteen Indonesian prominent artists.

This arena is supported by OPPO, and the proceeds will be donated entirely to Happy Hearts Indonesia and Mitra Museum Jakarta.  Thirteen artists who participated including Agugn Prabowo, Arkiv Vilmansa, Cinanti Astria Johansah, Darbotz, Faisal Habibi, Indieguerillas, Kemal Ezedine, Marishka Soekarna, Mella Jaarsma, Natisa Jones, Radi Arwinda, Ronald Apriyan, and Uji ‘Hahan’ Handoko.

At Renoscape, every visitor can interact with these works through the cutting-edge augmented reality medium of the OPPO Reno series cellphone which also engraved with some of the artist’s works.

Charity Auction

Date : 

31st August 2019

Location : 

Pre-Function Hall A

Auctioned by : 

Phillips Auctioneers 

Time : 

16.00-18.00

Session 1 : 

13 carpets specially designed by 13 Indonesian contemporary artists. 

Session 2 :

Artworks by 28 Indonesian contemporary artists presented in the book ‘Inside Studios: Indonesian Artist’. 

Art Jakarta VIP visitors can also participate in an interesting programs, especially created to allow them to make the most out of their visit. Both local and international VIPs can join in various events starting on 28 August 2019, two days before the VIP Preview.

Some of the highlights of the VIP program include:

1.    MACAN Gala at the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place (Wednesday, 28 August 2019, 18:30 – end)

The MACAN Gala is an exclusive dinner and charity gala to raise funds for Museum MACAN’s educational program and community initiatives. 

2.    National Gallery Visit (Friday, 30 August 2019 09.30 – 10.30) 

The National Gallery of Indonesia is a national institution and the country’s foremost art museum. Since its formal opening in 1999, the National Gallery plays an important role in expanding the public’s awareness of art through exhibitions and by preserving and developing visual arts in Indonesia.

3.    Ciputra Artpreneur Visit (Thursday, 29 August 2019 , 19.00 – 22.00)

Comprising approximately 10,000sqm, Ciputra Artpreneur is a multidisciplinary arts centre, including a 1,157-seats theatre featuring the lastest technology, multi-purpose galleries and halls, and a private museum displaying Ciputra’s collection of contemporary and modern art. Opened in 2014, Ciputra Artpreneur has been hosting a wide selection of local and international events – including exhibitions, music concerts, theatre plays, musicals, and other shows. Productions included Beauty and The Beast, Shrek The Musical, Annie, Shaolin Warrior, Stars of The West End and a concert by the Vienna Boys’ Choir. 

4.    Komunitas Salihara (Sunday, 1st September 2019, 10.00 – 13.00)

Komunitas Salihara is the first private multidisciplinary arts centre in Indonesia. It was opened in 2008. Formed by a number of writers, artists, journalists, and art lovers it has presented a wide range of programmes in arts and ideas, both locally and from abroad. It was named “The Best Art Space” by Time Out Jakarta (2010) and as one of the “10 Most Unique Places in Jakarta” by Metro TV (2010). The architecture of Komunitas Salihara is also worth mentioning and has been lauded as an “Architecture which applies environmentally friendly aspects” by Green Design Award (2009).

For RSVP or further information please contact Ayda at vip@artjakarta.com. Please include “VIP Programme RSVP” in the subject line.

Arts

Art Jakarta 2019 Indonesia’s international art fair

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Art Jakarta returns this year with its 11th edition, held at a new venue, Jakarta Convention Center. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the event which runs from 30 August to 1 September 2019. To see more of Art Jakarta 2019 program, go to https://artjakarta.com

The collaboration of two leading figures in the Indonesian art scene Tom Tandio as fair director and artistic director Enin Supriyanto will ensure an invigorated approach and added value to Art Jakarta 2019. Their knowledge of and experience in the local and international art scenes will further enhance Art Jakarta’s position in both Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Tom and Enin’s team also include graphic designer Henricus Linggawidjaja (Artnivora) and photographer Indra Leonardi (The Leonardi) who are the fair’s Design Director and Director of Photography respectively. Architects and Designers Dua Studio have been commissioned to create fresh designs and concepts for the fair.

Art Jakarta’s new brand identity is placing Jakarta as one of the key centers of Asian contemporary art whilst at the same time strengthening Indonesia’s position as one of the most important art hubs in Asia.

“This change in branding is one way to represent our commitment in building a foundation for the local and international art community to be able to interact,” said Enin.

The fair’s tenth edition in 2018 saw more than 40,000 visitors attending Art Jakarta. This year’s change of venue, from Pacific Place to the Jakarta Convention Center, is also due to an anticipated increase of visitors, in line with the continuous growth over the past years.

A total of 70 galleries from Indonesia and other Asian countries will participate in Art Jakarta 2019. “The fact that the number of overseas participants exceeds domestic exhibitors is a testimony of the strength and trust of the international art market in Art Jakarta in particular, and the Indonesian art market in general,” (Tom Tandio).

The fair is made up by six components:  Art Jakarta Gallery, Art Jakarta Spot, Art Jakarta X, Art Jakarta Play, and Art Jakarta Scene, as well as “Art_UNLTD”, presented by the Indonesian Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf).

Since the very first edition of Art Jakarta, fundraising for charity is a permanent feature of the fair. This year, ten carpets made by renowned artists will be auctioned to raise funds for a good cause.

Various art talks are also part of the Art Jakarta program.

Event Name: Art Jakarta

Place/Time: JCC Senayan, Friday, 30 August – Sunday, 1 September 2019

Type of event: International Art Fair

Exhibitors: 70 in total, of which 30 Indonesian and 40 international art galleries (focus: Asia), and ten special presentations.

Organizer: PT. Artindo Jakarta Seni Kini (a subsidiary of the MRA Group).

Fair Director: Tom Tandio

Artistic Director: Enin Supriyanto

Design Director: Henricus Linggawidjaja

Director of Photography: Indra Leonardi

Fair Consultant: Gil Schneider

Program

Art Jakarta Gallery

The main section of the fair, presenting 70 art galleries, with 30 art galleries from Indonesia and 40 art galleries from other countries in Asia-Pacific.

Art Jakarta Spot

Special presentations by seven artists, represented by seven art galleries, at dedicated spaces within the fairground.: Eko Nugroho (Arario Gallery), TeamLAB (Gajah Gallery), Cheuk Wing Nam (Galerie OVO), Albert Yonathan (Mizuma Gallery), Ronald Ventura (Yavuz Gallery), Ji in You (The Columns Gallery), and Syaiful ‘Tepu’ Garibaldi (ROH Projects).

Art Jakarta X

Art Jakarta extends its collaboration to other stakeholders in the industry, to produce special presentations for the fair. For this year’s Art Jakarta X, the following artists have been selected: Isha Hening by the Wave of Tomorrow, Huang Po-Chih, and I Nyoman Masriadi for a collector’s show in the VIP Lounge.

Art Jakarta Play

In collaboration with UOB Indonesia, a bank continuously emphasizing the value of education, Art Jakarta Play is dedicated to both children and adolescents eager to learn and experience art through various workshops organized by Eko Nugroho Art Class.

Art Jakarta Scene

This component of Art Jakarta brings together several dynamic players in Indonesia’s art ecosystem which is growing rapidly and nurtures various other creative industries.

Art Jakarta Talk

Art Jakarta Talk is a forum for stakeholders to discuss and share new topics and developments in the contemporary art world. Several panel discussions will provided new insights on current issues.

Art Jakarta Charity

A tradition of Art Jakarta since its first edition, the charity program is a fundraiser for organizations supporting good causes. Specially created art works will be sold by auction.

Art_UNLTD

In its ongoing commitment to offer young artists the opportunity to showcase their works and to interact with fair visitors from Indonesia and abroad, the Indonesian Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) provides this dedicated platform for the continued development of talent. 

International galleries

  1. Amy Li Gallery Beijing
  2. ANOMALY Tokyo
  3. Arario Gallery Seoul
  4. Art Agenda S.E.A. Singapore
  5. Art Porters Singapore
  6. Art Seasons Singapore
  7. Art WeMe Contemporary Gallery Kuala Lumpur
  8. Art XChange Gallery Singapore
  9. Artcommune Gallery Singapore
  10. Artemis Art Kuala Lumpur
  11. Artredot Singapore
  12. Atelier Aki Seoul
  13. Baik+Khneysser Los Angeles/Seoul
  14. Bluerider ART Taipei
  15. Flower Gallery London
  16. Fost Gallery Singapore
  17. Gajah Gallery Singapore
  18. Galerie OVO Taipei
  19. Galerie Taménaga Tokyo/Paris/Osaka
  20. Gallery Khankhalaev Moscow
  21. Gallery Sun Contemporary Seoul
  22. Gallery YEH Seoul
  23. Hatch Art Project Singapore
  24. Jan Manton Art Queensland
  25. La Lanta Fine Art Bangkok
  26. Linda Gallery Jakarta/Singapore/Beijing
  27. Mizuma Gallery Singapore/Tokyo
  28. Nova Contemporary Bangkok
  29. Project Fulfill Art Space Taipei
  30. Qi Mu Space Beijing
  31. Richard Koh Fine Art Kuala Lumpur/Singapore/ Bangkok
  32. ShugoArts Tokyo
  33. Sullivan+Strumpf Singapore/Sydney
  34. Tang Contemporary Art China
  35. The Column Gallery Seoul
  36. TKG+ Taipei
  37. Tomio Koyama Gallery Tokyo
  38. Vin Gallery Ho Chi Minh City/Penang
  39. Wei-Ling Gallery Kuala Lumpur
  40. Yavuz Gallery Singapore
  41. Yeo Workshop Singapore

Indonesian galleries

  • Arkaarts Jakarta
  • Art Serpong Gallery Jakarta
  • Art:1 Jakarta
  • Artsphere Jakarta
  • Bale Project Bandung
  • CAN’s Gallery Jakarta
  • CGartspace Jakarta
  • D Gallerie Jakarta
  • Dunia Art Gallery Jakarta
  • Edwin’s Gallery Jakarta
  • Fenix Art Center
  • Gudang Gambar Jakarta
  • ISA Art Advisory Jakarta
  • KAS Project Yogyakarta
  • Kendy’s Gallery Jakarta
  • Kohesi Initiatives Yogyakarta
  • Lawangwangi Bandung
  • Linda Gallery
  • Nadi Gallery Jakarta
  • Puri Art Gallery Jakarta
  • Rachel Gallery Jakarta
  • ROH Projects Jakarta
  • ROH Projects Project Jakarta
  • RUCI Art Space Jakarta
  • SAL Projects Jakarta
  • Segaris Art Center Jakarta
  • Semarang Gallery Semarang
  • Syang Art Space Magelang
  • Zola Zolu Gallery Bandung
Arts

(a)part penutup 7 tarian kontemporer Helatari 2019

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Helatari Salihara 2019 adalah agenda tari Komunitas Salihara yang diselenggarakan rutin di Teater Salihara, Jakarta. think archipelago adalah mitra media di pagelaran bergengsi ini yang berlangsung mulai dari 15 Juni hingga 6 Juli. Untuk informasi jadwal pertunjukan, silakan klik banner Helatari Salihara 2019 yang terdapat di website think archipelago.

Komunitas Salihara, pusat kesenian multidisiplin swasta pertama di Indonesia yang didirikan sastrawan dan mantan pemimpin redaksi Majalah Tempo Goenawan Mohamad, untuk ketiga kalinya sejak 2015 menghelat Helatari Salihara untuk pecinta tarian kontemporer tanah air dan internasional.

Rangkaian 7 tarian unik dalam program rutin Komunitas Salihara kali ini menyajikan wacana segar kepada publik untuk memaknai substansi teater yang dipentaskan melalui estetika gerakan para penari maupun suguhan tata panggung yang bernuansa kehidupan sehari-hari.

Dengan mematok harga tiket masuk Rp 65.000 untuk umum dan Rp 35.000 untuk pelajar, para penikmat tari gaya baru akan terpuaskan dengan pilihan pertunjukan berbobot yang telah dikurasi secara seksama.

(a)part

Keunikan tarian penutup Helateater Salihara 2019 ini terdapat pada upayanya menceritakan kehidupan masyarakat urban yang tinggal di apartemen dan rumah susun. Karya ini melibatkan delapan penari dan menggabungkan bentuk tari dan teater tubuh.

(a)part juga dipadukan dengan seni instalasi abstrak yang terbuat dari pipa PVC yang dibagi menjadi sembilan bagian, sebagai metafora kamar-kamar yang ada di dalam gedung apartemen dan rumah susun. Karya ini dikemas dengan pemetaan multimedia, efek lampu ultraviolet dan cat fosfor untuk lukisan badan (body painting).

Pementasan (a)part di Helatari Salihara 2019: Panggung Tari Baru. Photo by Witjak Widhi Cahya, courtesy of Komunitas Salihara.

The Seen and Unseen

Tarian ini terinspirasi dari film karya Kamila Andini berjudul sama menyabet predikat film terbaik pada Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) 2018.

Pertunjukan ini menggabungkan seni tari, musik langsung, skor elektronik dan menciptakan perpaduan gerakan tari tradisional Bali dengan pendekatan kontemporer ke arah teater.

The Seen and Unseen berangkat dari filosofi masyarakat Bali “Sekala Niskala” yang berarti keseimbangan antara realita dan spiritual. Karya ini melibatkan Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani sebagai koreografer dan sejumlah seniman dari Indonesia, Jepang dan Australia.

Sedangkan ada 3 tiga koreografer yang tampil pada Helatari 2019 adalah koreografer/kelompok tari terpilih undangan terbuka yang di adakan pada 2018 dengan nama diantaranya Anis Harliani Kencana Eka Putri, Ayu Permata Sari dan Eyi Lesar. Mereka inilah menciptakan tari Holy Body , X dan Ad Interim atau disebut dengan “Panggung Tari Baru”.

Holy Body

Menurut hasil dari pengamatan koreografer, ada ukuran-ukuran ideal yang harus dimiliki oleh penari perempuan untuk bisa menerima pesanan tari (komersial). Holy Body menawarkan konsep tari dokumenter yang berangkat dari riset tersebut dan mempertanyakan adakah tubuh yang ideal dalam estetika tari?

Anis Harliani adalah koreografer yang pernah berkolaborasi untuk pertunjukan Us/Not Us (2018) produksi Bandung Performing Arts Forum di Asian Dramaturg Network.  Beliau pernah mengikuti program Koreografer Muda Potensial di Indonesia Dance Festival 2018.

X

Karya ini adalah pengembangan motif “samber melayang”, salah satu motif dalam tari Sigeh Penguten (Siger Penguntin), sebuah tarian kreasi dari Lampung. Tarian ini mulanya adalah tari persembahan atau penyambutan untuk orang-orang terhormat, tetapi kali ini akan dilakukan tanpa musik, menggunakan kostum keseharian yang sederhana.

Ayu Permata Sari pernah berkolaborasi dengan koreografer luar negeri seperti Eisa Jocson (Filipina), Bethani (Amerika Serikat), Edgar Freire (Ekuador) dan Anne Maria (Jerman). Ia memperoleh penghargaan penghargaan “Jasa Bakti” di Festival Teknologi dan Seni ASIA di Johor Malaysia 2018.

Ad Interim

Ad Interim mengangkat tema perbedaan dan sifat bertolak belakang di masyarakat yang seharusnya dapat menjalin harmoni dan keseimbangan hidup. Seorang penari tunggal akan berkolaborasi dengan musisi yang menggunakan teknologi sensor gerak.

Ekspresi yang dihasilkan merupakan perpaduan antara gerak, musik dan tata cahaya. Eyi Lesar pernah beroleh Hibah Seni Inovatif dari Yayasan Kelola untuk karya Who Are You di tahun 2018. Ia pernah mengikuti showcase tari di SIPFest 2018.

Three Airs & The Two Doors

Pementasan Three Airs karya Park Na Hoon. Photo courtesy of think archipelago.

Park Na Hoon akan membawakan dua karya pentingnya. Three Airs membangun cerita tentang kehidupan manusia melalui tiga orang penari yang berlaku sebagai “organisme” udara. The Two Doors mengungkapkan makna dan rahasia penari melalui pernyataan-pernyataan saling bertentangan yang dilontarkan si penari.

Na Hoon Park adalah koreografer yang pernah terpilih sebagai seniman baru berbakat dari Dewan Kesenian Korea Selatan pada 2003. Karya Three Airs memperoleh penghargaan dalam 3rd Performing Arts Market (PAMS) di Seoul, Korea Selatan.

Ia telah tampil di sejumlah negara, mengikuti program kerja sama budaya serta pernah menjadi seniman mukiman antara lain di Jerman, Italia, dan Amerika Serikat.

Program seniman mukiman

Komunitas Salihara menyelenggarakan program seniman mukiman (artist-in-residence) untuk seniman dalam maupun luar negeri secara berkala. Kali ini bekerja sama dengan STRUT Dance Australia, Komunitas Salihara menerima Natalie Allen dan Samuel Harnett-Welk, dua koreografer dari Australia selama Helatari Salihara 2019.

Karya yang mereka bawakan dalam showcase Helatari Salihara 2019 adalah karya hasil selama menjalani program seniman mukiman.

Arts

Park Na Hoon staged award-winning Three Airs at Helatari Salihara 2019

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Helatari Salihara 2019 is Komunitas Salihara’s regular dance event held in Teater Salihara, Jakarta. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the event which runs from 15 June until 6 July. To see more of their schedule, please click the Helatari Salihara 2019 banner found in think archipelago website.

4 years after he was titled the 2003 best newcomer artist by Arts Council Korea (ARCO), Park Na Hoon won the 3rd Performing Arts Market (PAMS) in Seoul with choreography work Three Airs.

It had been staged in 2015 San Fransisco International Art Festival and 2017 EiMa Festival, Spain.

His latest tour to Indonesia as an artistic director cum choreographer is to stage Three Airs and the Two Doors with fellow dancers Park Sang Jun, Moon Hyung Soo, and Kim Kyu Won in Helatari Salihara 2019.

The Two Doors had been staged in Acker Stadt Palast, Berlin, 2015, and Projekktheater, Dresden, 2016.

Park took part in a number of artist-in-residence program, such as the Korean-Finnish cultural exchange program in Helsinki, 2012, and the similar program in Denmark, German, Italy, and the United States.

Recently he was involved in Ari Project: Performing Arts Korean Contemporary Dance Performance, and the ever expanding Asian performance tours.

  • The Two Doors by Park Na Hoon at Helatari Salihara 2019, Jakarta. Photo courtesy of think archipelago
  • Three Airs at Helatari Salihara 2019, Jakarta. Photo courtesy of think archipelago.

In Komunitas Salihara, Jakarta, Park Na Hoon showcased two of his important works. Three Airs is a narrative surrounding the lives of three people who represent organism in the air, whereas the Two Doors tells about how the choreographer discloses his secrets by repeatedly making contradictory self-inquiries.

According to the choreographer, the unrealistic movements of the organism feels more tangible. He perceives eccentric, foolish, and fictitious things that may seem unreal, yet heart-moving.

Moreover, the yes-no questions that remained unanswered were ultimately shared to the audience for the sake of sharing the particular frustration of oneself. Park views answers to these questions could might have revealed the conflicting truth about human existentialism against the world.

 

Arts

Nouveau center stage at Helatari 2019

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Helatari Salihara 2019 is Komunitas Salihara’s regular dance event held in Teater Salihara, Jakarta. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the event which runs from 15 June until 6 July. To see more of their schedule, please click the Helatari Salihara 2019 banner found in think archipelago website.

Helatari Salihara had presented well-known choreographers and dance groups of local and international twice in 2015 and 2017. This year Helatari takes a different view on their curation by inviting public participation.

The program which began last year came to fruition as three aspiring entities were selected to showcase their latest works. They are Anis Harliani (Bandung) with her concept of documentary dance of Holy Body, Ayu Permata Dance Company (Yogyakarta) which synthesizes a traditional dance of her hometown, Lampung , and Eyi Lesar (Jakarta), laden with light show in Ad Interim.

Holy Body comes to be following the choregrapher’s observation of the accepted physical shapes of commercial dancers in her hometown, Bandung, West Java. It is a documentary work based on Harliani’s experience, and also dancers who come under the pressure of the esthetical view of dance.

X by Lampung dancer Ayu Permata Sari recreates Samber Melayang pattern typicaly found in Sigeh Penguten dance of nobility. It allows close distance between dancers and audience under minimum light and without music.

After performing in Salihara International Performing Arts Festival (SIPFest) 2018, Eyi Lesar showcases Ad Interim which highlight social conflicts and diversity that can lead to balance and harmony.

Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani performs a work by script writer and movie director Kamila Andini in the Seen and Unseen which took inspiration from the award-winning movie of the same name for Kplus International Jury category of Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) 2018.

The contemporary dance incorporates cross-cultural collaboration from Japan (composer Yasuhiro Morigana), Australia (designer Eugyeene Teh, lighting designer Jenny Hector, Adena Jacobs), and Indonesia (dancers of Komunitas Bumi Bajra, and the Balinese choreographer), demonstrating the spirituality of Balinese Sekala Niskala, of equally valuing the abstract and concrete elements of this world.

There are also Korean choreographers Park Na Hoon performing Three Airs & the Two Doors, and the young choreographer Maharani Pane from Tangerang.

To close the Helatari 2019, Komunitas Salihara will present Strut Dance Australia by Natalie Allen and Samuel Harnett-Welk as part of the artist-in-residence program with the National Choreographic Centre of Western Australia, showcasing works during their stay in Indonesia.

Kamila Andini dan Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani: 
Sabtu, 15 Juni 2019, 20:00 WIB
Minggu, 16 Juni 2019, 15:00 WIB

Anis Harliani, Ayu Permata Dance Company, Eyi Lesar: 
Sabtu, 22 Juni 2019, 20:00 WIB
Minggu, 23 Juni 2019, 16:00 WIB

Diskusi Tubuh dan Permainan: 
Sabtu 22 Juni 2019, 16:00 WIB

Park Na Hoon:
Sabtu, 29 Juni 2019, 20:00 WIB

Showcase Natalie Allen & Samuel Harnett-Welk:
Sabtu, 06 Juli 2019, 16:00 WIB

Maharani Pane:
Sabtu, 06 Juli 2019, 20:00 WIB

Arts, Photography

A Southeast Asian city narratives by photographer turn artist

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It’s All About the Story, Past, Present, Future is a solo exhibition by mixed-media artist Robert Pearce, held in Galeri Kertas, Depok. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the exhibition that runs from 1 to 31 May 2019. To visit their official site, go to http://www.studiohanafi.com, or @galerikertas_art

Rob Pearce performs on the opening site of his solo exhibition at Galeri Kertas, 1 May 2019. Photo by Arhan, courtesy of Studio Hanafi.

During the 1000 days of mourning for his parents passing years ago, a common social behavior in parts of Asia, 57 year-old Robert Pearce, residing in Indonesia, drowned himself into period of contemplation.

Then, in frenzy collage, he glued pieces of cut photos of his parents, words from the books he read, leaves from plants on his lush yard, pasted it on the wall and had it photographed.

More than a visual object, it became a shrine where he left flowers as if he was in the cemetary, visiting his memories with them.

His intricate works are also composed of advertising posters he ripped on the streets and underpasses of Jakarta he had noticed during one of his his photography projects.

It took months to execute all the pieces together, and who knows how long to muster the idea. Judging from the finished objects, craft knife and paint are presumably tools he often uses.

Douglas Ramage, an avid collector of Hanafi’s works which he first came to know some 20 years back, said that in those time he would not have seriously thought about buying a photograph that he deemed of no artistic value. But Rob Pearce, whom he first met when he was a photographer, changed that notion.

“Rob loves to tell stories of his photos. I believe he can’t create something without telling the story,” Doug said in fluent Indonesian during the public discussion. His favorite is the medium format 2×1 photowork containing fragments of Jakarta, and interestingly, after a much closer look, the artist’s late mother.

He added that Rob tried to put his mother inside the frames, hidden in a rich selection of colors 

Hanafi is also notable for his preference to colors, the collector said.

“There is depth in Hanafi’s colors,” he said.

Hanafi said that within Rob is a soul that will never stop delving into the torned pieces, looking for each of the memory kept inside.

“Jakarta made me a better person, more tolerant, more patient,” Rob said, while adding that he hates the portrayal of Jakarta as another exotic Asian cosmopolitan city. Among his notable portfolio about Jakarta were Marunda Water (1999-2000), and Ripped Faces, 8008km (2001-2003).

The youth Rob came for the first time to Jakarta in 1970, before settling since the 1990 as an English teacher. His return in the 2000s after taking bachelor degree in Documentary Photography, University of Wales, Newport, began the journey that turned him from a photographer to a widely-recognized artist, a move he described as self-learning and mind-liberating.

Asked about the motivation behind the move, the artist who also obtained bachelor degree in Southeast Asian Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, in 1983, said being a photographer is driven by his view of both romanticism and machoism, that of having oneself in a new place, investigating one case to another.

The downside is that the job is an instructed routine that can be mind-numbing. He wanted to tell more stories in creative ways and possibilities of his own making.

Looking into his works, the trace of photography are commonplace, but they have become less of an art photography and more of a mixed media art, uniquely shaped by the artist’s fragments of past memory, the current “Asian” state of being, and the way he visualizes the country he lives in.

Lembaran Kelengkapan. Rob Pearce. Joss paper, book pages, acrylic paint, acrylicink on aluminium composite. 2019.

Nevertheless, he said that the intuition shaped in the years of “tukang foto” still persist. He just feels lucky and seems grateful enough to be able to make narratives the way he wants to now.        

He credited Jakarta as his aesthetic teacher, saying, “My artworks came to be owing to Jakarta. They are inspired by the raucous noise, dust, and smoke around the city streets and flyovers.”

Lontar Foundation founder John H. McGlynn, on the opening day filled with lively ceremony and the line-up of musicians such as Oppie Andaresta, explained that Rob exhibit what used to be simple photoworks he had taken decades before they transformed into complex, impassioned artworks. Hence he suggested that each piece has an enriching story to be understood, learned by the audience.

It‘s All About the Story, Past, Present, Future by Rob Pearce is Galeri Kertas first exhibition of this year. On this occasion they simultaneously introduce their 2019 tagline: Let’s fill this town with artists.

As what has been the usual agenda of Galeri Kertas, Rob Pearce art exhibition precedes a workshop by the artist for selected young, aspiring artists, a public discussion, and the eventual workshop exhibition.

Curator Heru Joni Putra said the main source of material of Rob’s artwork is the books he read. Moreover, the torned pages he attached to joss “ghost” papers in Chinese ritual, for instance, showed Rob’s perseverance on exploring the paper-based artwork material, and how it conforms to Galeri Kertas mission to light up the exploration and promote the particular medium.

Asked why the displayed works are not signed with date of completion, it is revealed that Rob has phobia with his own signature, which explained why he decided to put it at the back of the frame.

For a supposedly dyslexic person, Rob left a somewhat articulate note on the wall to tell the visitors about the journey from his suburb home-garden in Cipayung to Hanafi’s art studio in Parung Bingung.

There was no eureka moment just the drip drip drip of learning. Observing that which can lead you in the direction of partial understanding. Of looking for opportunities and celebrating mistakes, as it is here that can lead to something new. The joy of randomness and the pleasure in work can come together, meshing and weaving intertwined threads with the aim of producing a piece that pleases the eye and tweaks the intellect.

Arts

Paralaks Fiksi challenges the norms in today’s art exhibitions

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Paralaks FiksiParalaks Fiksi is a paper painting exhibition and other art installation by Cecil Mariani, held in Galeri Kertas, Depok. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the solo exhibition that runs from 8 December 2018 to 7 January 2019, among other agenda. To visit their official site, go to http://www.studiohanafi.com, or their instagram @galerikertas_art, and @studiohanafi.

Graphic designer Cecil Mariani’s solo exhibition Paralaks Fiksi was opened by Ugeng T. Moetidjo, Hanafi and Heru Joni Putra, and a repertoir by young composer Gema Swaratyagita with Laring Project.

Ugeng spoke of Paralaks Fiksi as an exhibiton of three main layers: the conventional paper art, a new discourse on artist space to study, or a studio, and art paper workshop.

Studio Hanafi Person in Charge Heru Joni Putra said that the concept of Paralaks Fiksi is drawn upon a consensus that everything is engineered, or at least what it intends to show, concerning not the artworks themselves, but also the work space activity that some described as a lab or studio, and the exhibition space, or a storefront.

Geger Riyanto described Cecil’s works in this exhibition in one word, Grotesque, in what he saw as an awkward forms and movements of human body to an extent that human features no longer exist.

Cecil herself described her anxiety to challenge the predisposed idea of what an art exhibition has become, the pretext of social issues that have a tendency to justify it, its norms, intentions, hence work on some possible alternate versions than a mere urban commodity.

The exhibition precedes discussion presenting speaker Geger Riyanto and moderator Agung Hujatnikajenong, as well as the workshop Paralaksis Institut, where the artist work with a bunch of aspiring your artists, part of the agenda of Galeri Kertas’ exhibition program, on experimental paper painting methods involving design, art, and technology.

After graduated from Visual Communication Design, Pelita Harapan University, Cecil Mariani took master’s degree of Fine Arts in the School of Visual Arts, New York.

Cecil is a teacher at Institut Kesenian Jakarta graduate program, and a researcher at Purusha Research Cooperative.

Some of her works have been featured in 2017 OK Video-OKPangan, Warung Kolektif & Bank Kolektif, 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair, 2015 Orde Baru, Indonesia National Galery, while her first exhibition was in 2001 Philip Morris Indonesian Art Award Finalist, Galeri Nasional, Jakarta.

Cecil Mariani
Cecil Mariani’s paper-medium artwork in Paralaks Fiksi, Galeri Kertas, 8 December 2018 to 7 January 2019

Arts

Reanimating cultural polemic in the National Theater Week 2018

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undangan depanNational Theater Week 2018 is an annual theater event initiated by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, and Jakarta Arts Council, since 2017. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the week-long event which runs from 6-14 October, Graha Bhakti Budaya, Jakarta.

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Theatrical piece SIDE B 47:17 [speech, noise and effect] by Teater Ghanta, Graha Bhakti Budaya, Jakarta, 9 October 2018

Compared with the first event last year held in Gedung Societed Komplek Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, and participated by 10 group of theaters from 10 provinces of Indonesia, Pekan Teater Nasional or the National Theater Week 2018 involves 16 groups across 15 cities, categorized into three types of city, community, and campus theaters.

Among the lineups are Teater Language (Sumenep-Madura), Sandiwara Pettapuang (Makassar), Teater Sakata (Padangpanjang), Komunitas Polelea (Sigi, Sulawesi Tengah), Teater Ghanta (Jakarta), Teater Selembayung (Pekanbaru), Teater Bel (Bandung), Teater Akar (Tegal), Teater Yupa (Samarinda), Teater Sirat (Surakarta), Akarpohon (Mataram), Teater Rumahmata (Medan), Nara Teater (Lewolema, East Flores), Teater Tobong (Surabaya).

Jakarta Arts Council Theater Committee Head Afrizal Malna stressed out public participation in the country’s modern theater, serving the purpose of education and performer regeneration.

Besides daily performances throughout the week, twice a day at 16:00 and 20:00, the event also exhibits archival collection, performing arts education timeline, forums, and the 16 director profiles hung in the main hall.

The opening day was marked with a ceremony awarding Teater Koma’s director Nano Riantiarno for his 53 years of dedication, and as pointed by curator Seno Joko Suyono, Teater Koma is the only group that has successfully built followers of three generation since 70s. At 69 years old, he showed little hint of slowing down when Teater Koma has just performed Gemintang, the 159rd work of 2018.

Director General of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture Hilmar Farid said that although Indonesian theater as an industry is still underdeveloped compared to Broadway performances that have generated tourism revenues, Riantiarno’s relentless works could pave a way for such a business model.

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Teater Ghanta performs at National Theater Week 2018, Graha Bhakti Budaya, Jakarta, 9 October 2018.

Head of Jakarta Arts Council Irawan Karseno said that theater groups in their quest for increasing prominence can no longer count on themselves, but also the public, and the municipal support.

Such is Teater Ghanta, founded in 1995 at Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, and in 2014 decided to become an independent community theater, collaborating broadly with artists and institutions across discipline in response to social issues.

SIDE B 47:17 [speech, noise and effect] is a performance-presentation of the audio recording of a 1970 lecture by Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana in Jakarta Arts Council, entitled the history of the cultural development of the world community, and identifying Indonesia’s position in it. It attempts to revisit the lost polemic about Indonesian culture.

Arts

Studio Hanafi mix of art and social work in VidaFest 2018

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VidaFest 2018 is a cultural festival held by Vida Bekasi in cooperation with Studio Hanafi. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the festival which runs from 27 until 29 September 2018 in Bumi Pala Vida Bekasi, Narogong Raya. To visit Studio Hanafi official site, go to www.studiohanafi.com, or their instagram @galerikertas_art, and @studiohanafi.

Real estate company PT Gunas Land collaborated with Depok-based art community Studio Hanafi to hold this year’s Vidafest in Vida Bekasi, Narogong Raya, 27-29 September 2018.

Held annually since 2015 with differing themes from such as organic farming, coffee workshop, architecture seminar, et cetera, VidaFest 2018 contributed to the pioneering effort for the creation of art ecosystem in Bekasi, while specifically for the joy of the people of Vida Bekasi and the surrounding area of Bantar Gebang.

Vida Bekasi 2018  exhibited musical perfromance, dance, theater, and visual art based on ethno-social preliminary studies in early 2018, thus proposed the theme “Berbeda Hulu, Satu Muara” in reference to Bekasi river, the cradle of life for the inhabitants.

In his consistency to present community-centered events, Vida Bekasi Director Edward Kusuma said Vidafest 2018 is a presedence to make Vida Bekasi, a 130-hectares in total of housing and business development area, a new cultural hub in Bekasi.

Meanwhile, Studio Hanafi remained committed in their social movement to develop art through socio-cultural and ecological studies, social movement “VidaFest 2018 is an effort to mix art work and social work,” said Studio Hanafi writer Heru Joni Putra. Art Programme Director Adinda Luthvianti added that it is a medium to express gratitude to Bekasi in a variety of artistic potentials.

The festival provide the opportunity to express the high spirit of the people, bringing local communities together, from the children and youth of Vida community dance and theater groups, Teater Artery Performa, Teater SD Dinamika of Bantar Gebang, Teater Korek of Universitas Islam 45 Bekasi, Hartati dance group, Sanggar Matahari, angklung ensemble of Bunyi Sunya, and many more.

A number of artists were involved as directors of each groups, namely Lawe Samagaha as musical director of Bunyi Sunya, Hartati as choreographer, Dendi Madiya and Adinda Luthvianti as theater directors for their respective works, and artist Hanafi leading the on-site live painting among local painters Ridwan Rau-Rau, Galang Monsart, and Guntur Priahadi.

The trend continues to see property industry carry out their marketing campaign by bringing in art scene to their turf. Similar to Vida Bekasi, the international hotel management of Tauzia, on the promotion of its budget hotel brand Yello Hotels opening in Hayam Wuruk, Jakarta, involved a number of grafitti artists and street performers.

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Dendi Madiya’s Gunungan Bantar Gebang by Teater Artery at Vidafest 2018. Photography by Igra Aghrari, courtesy of Studio Hanafi

 

Arts, Social

Traces of cross gender in Indonesian traditional dance

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SIPFest 2018 is a performing arts bienalle held by Komunitas Salihara in conjunction with the art center’s tenth anniversary. think archipelago is a proud media partner of the event which runs from 4 August 2018 onwards until early September. To see more of their programs, please click all the SIPFest 2018 banner found in think archipelago website.

Didik Nini Thowok
Didik Nini Thowok in SIPFest 2018, Jakarta, 7 August. Photograph by Witjak Widhi Cahya, courtesy of Komunitas Salihara

It is likely to spark controversy whenever such an issue is brought up amid the majority religious people at the present Indonesia, but cross gender has been a part of the traditional performances across the archipelago which now become the sovereignty of the country.

Dancer cum choreographer Didik Nini Thowok, a 1982 graduate of Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta, whose birth name Didik Hadiprayitno, and who has carved a name on the short list of a patron of cross gender dance remains unshaken by the prevailing sentiment.

He is adamant at preserving cross gender dances in many of his works. One of them was presented in a lecture-performance in SIPFest 2018, Jakarta.

Moderated by Joned Suryatmoko, Didik’s unabated traditional dances and his ability to embody the female character dazzled the audience. All the more precious was his extensive research on cross gender traditional dance shared to public in one occassion. It revealed that the issue is not a new, abhorrent influence. It has thrived in the society before long.

He listed references to cross gender cultural and historical presence in a number of Javanese masked dances, Ludruk, Ronggeng, Balinese theatrical dance, Tari Gandrung, Buginese ritual, and in current times, the cabaret-styled Oyot Godhong in Yogyakarta, whose performers are mostly ISI students.

The routinely-held grass-root entertainment often involves  comedy show and lypsincing, savoring popular songs local and foreign-alike.

In comparison to European classic piece Swan Lake, the humorous Trockadero Ballet,  the Indian Stree Vesham where men perform as women similar to Japanese Kabuki, or the opposite movement of Takarazuka where women perform as men like the Chinese Yueju Opera, and mask dances in many Asian countries, Indonesia has a variety of cross-gender performance of its own, apparent across social groups, from grass root level to the royal castes, from entertainment to rituals, as follow:

  1. Langendriyan, a Javanese Opera performed in the palaces of Yogyakarta sultanate as well as in Surakarta. The opera played in both kingdoms differ in the gender. While the opera group in Yogyakarta consisted of men, the Langendriyan in Mangkunegaran Surakarta was performed by all women dancers.
  2. Wayang Wong, an epic Mahabarata-inspired theatrical dance which reached its zenith in 20th century, also performed before the sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta
  3. Tari Golek, performed following Wayang Kulit
  4. Tari Topeng Cirebon, a female-led mask dance impersonating male character originating from the west coast of Java, such as in Palimanan and Indramayu
  5. The folk performing arts of Wari Lais, whose history can be traced in Cirebon, Cilacap, and Lasem
  6. The popular Ronggeng in Banyumas, which was later called Lengger Banyumas, where female dancer staged Tari Baladewan of male character to accompany local peasant ritual
  7. Lengger Wonosobo, whose origin dated back to Hindu era, performed by male dancers impersonating female eroticism
  8. A play and mask dance of Malang, called Tari Beskalan Putri Malangan, derived from folk tale Panji and played by male impersonators, to accompany ritual ceremony
  9. Ludruk Tutik Bintang Timur from Surabaya, a famous Ludruk group in 1950s, famous for the play Sarip Tambakyoso, a tale of indigenous heroism during the Dutch colonization
  10. Tari Gandrung Banyuwangi, documenting male dancers with female costumes holding drum and violin
  11. Drama Gambuh of Bali, influenced by cross-gender performances of predominantly-Hindu India. It is common to see such type of dance in Hindu society, where one of the goddess Shiva is depicted half male and half female. In Bali, other dances of similar fashion are , Legong Muani, Nandir, Trunajaya, Panji Semirang, Wiranata, Margapati, and so on, making it a land of opportunity for artists to thrive freely, such as dance group Sekaa Gong Kebyar Wanita, Topeng Wanita, Kecak Wanita, Gambuh Muani, and Arja Muani. (Muani means male).
  12. Folk theatrical dance Randai, whose origin can be traced in Padang, West Sumatra. Randai dance required a night-long performance, which explained why dancers are all males replacing the female dancers who are supposed to play their characters by nature due to the local customs of deriding women seen outside homes at night. Ronggeng is an acculturation of Javanese and Sumatran culture, hence the resemblance of Ronggeng and Randai.
  13. The sacred ritual Bissu in South Sulawesi, a tradition of Buginese as written in epic La Galigo. Performed with violent content by male monks, Bissu involve feverish dance and sing to the state of possessed-like and result in self-inflicted stabbing to limbs.