Contemporary visual arts in Indonesia: Highlights of 2009

The Jakarta Post, Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta | Thu, 12/24/2009 10:29 AM | Arts & Design

Let me come out, by Ay Yoe Christine. JP/Carla Bianpoen

An increased focus on quality, new creativity, artists successfully breaking into the international arena, as well as an extreme sense of vibrancy in the arts landscape were the distinguishing elements of Indonesian contemporary art in 2009.

The financial crisis that hit the world at the end of 2008 was initially a blow to the arts scene, but turned out to be a blessing in disguise. All parties in the Indonesian contemporary art scene — artists, galleries, collectors, auction houses and serious art lovers — were intent on keeping the art world standing tall by working harder and focusing on quality instead of quantity.

A craze of creative activity was tangible with exhibitions abounding — sometimes as many as three running simultaneously.

Islamic contemporary art: Self Portrait, 2009, by Asmudjo Jono Irianto. Asmudjo, with his self-portrait, criticizes the tendency to view Arabic script or calligraphy as holy script. The script across his portrait in fact says: “Tidak handmade, uang kembali and ini gua banget” meaning “money back if this is not handmade” and “this is typical me”. JP/Carla Bianpoen

Bandung artists emerged on the scene, culminating in the Bandung Art Now exhibition at the National Gallery in Jakarta.

Photographers also took on a more artistic direction with Oscar Motuloh still pondering life and death.

Mini art-fairs exploded across Jakarta, exploring the feasibility of the city hosting an international art fair.

C-Arts magazine ran an art show, which turned out to be a mini art-fair held in cooperation with the Indonesian Galleries Association in Grand Indonesia mall.

Shortly after, Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia organized an even larger fair at Pacific Place. It was during this exhibition that BMW Indonesia launched its first auction of miniature BMW cars decorated by some of Indonesia’s best artists including Agus Suwage and Ugo Untoro, as well as fresh new talents like Nus Salomo, Radi Arwinda and Rangga Oka Dimitri.

An interesting attraction at the Pacific Place art event was Lawang Wangi Gallery’s exhibition, which signaled a revival of exploratory efforts to define Islamic contemporary art and its development in Indonesia.

The gallery — which has not opened yet — operates under the auspices of ArtSociates, headed by the energetic Andonowati.

In tandem with artists’ creative urges, new art spaces burst to life, d’Peak in South Jakarta with hundreds of participating artists at its opening and Umah Seni in Menteng, while Canna Gallery was transformed from its quaint ruko-style layout to a modern four-storey building of contemporary art.

New creativity was seen from both senior and up-and-coming artists. Veteran artist Teguh Ostenrik, for instance, crafted contemporary art from scrap metal, while famous choreographer and dancer Sardono W. Kusumo employed his talents to make paintings by dancing on large paint-covered canvases.

BMW miniature: This miniature BMW car was decorated by Agus Suwage and obtained the highest price at the auction of BMW miniature cars held as part of the art event at Pacific Place Mall this year. JP/Carla Bianpoen

On the other hand, young upcoming artists drew on imaginations befitting the present. Among these was Bestrizal Besta, whose exhibition revealed the hype of consumerism in the beating heart of human excess, the mall.

Meanwhile Dutch born, Yogya resident of 25 years Mella Jaarsma, had a solo exhibition of her amazing works at the National Gallery Jakarta and at Selasar Sunaryo in Bandung; Edwin’s Gallery celebrated its 25th jubilee with three consecutive exhibitions including unknown artists — some of whom may strike a chord in a later stage.

Creative energy also spurred first-time biennales to emerge, such as the first Biennale of Ceramic Art in Jakarta.

In Bali, the first Bali Biennale of Traditional Art encouraged a revival of traditional art.

Meanwhile, the Jogja Biennale opened to its 10th edition with jamming added to its main theme of Art Archive Movement, exploring Yogyakarta’s history of art development in the past 20 years.

Not only locally, but also internationally, Indonesian contemporary artists made their mark. Ay Tjoe Christine, who had a solo exhibition at Singapore Tyle Print Institute, obtained a prize in the Futures Project at the Hong Kong Art Fair, with an inventive mixed media work; Gede Mahendra Yasa was awarded the Most Innovative Young artist’s Award at Beijing’s CIGE art fair in the Mapping Asia division — with his painting Step 1 of Woman I; Suroso Isur was awarded the Asia Prize for his work Therapy of Silence No. 7 at the Beppu (Japan) Biennale of Contemporary Art, Hansen Thiam Sun received an Excellence Prize for his work Chill, while an Encouragement prize went to Teguh Wiyatno for his work War of Opinion.

This year also witnessed Indonesian contemporary artists participating in European biennales; Entang Wiharso, Haris Purnomo, I Gede Mahendra Yasa and I Wayang Suja featured at the 4th Prague biennale while Eko Nugroho and Agustinus Kuswidananto, better known as Jompet were among the prominent artists selected for the 10th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art.

There is no doubt that positive developments in the contemporary art will continue in the new year, and the blurring of lines between craft and art or interior design and art as signaled in ArTention — an exhibition bringing together interior designers and contemporary artists at the Grand Kemang Hotel, Jakarta, will eventually lead to the emergence of unique patterns in art.

Let’s hope that the high expectations of today will bear fruit in the year to come.

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