THE adage is somewhat true: wherever you travel as a journalist, there is usually an upside tale to be found in art. I’ve long heard of the enigma that is Indonesia; of its collectivist and protectionist mind-set, and the sense of unity and multiculturalism that renders this nation at once beguiling yet misinterpreted.
With 13,466 islands populated by over 360 ethnic groups, speaking more than 700 languages and dialects, Indonesia has long been a treasure trove of rich cultural idioms and practices. Each island in the Indonesian archipelago has its own particular set of influences and distinctive style, and the result is a rich and colourful national tapestry of visual and performance art.
The nation’s complex cultural and socio-political environment has also fostered a generation of highly expressive contemporary artists from big names like Heri Dono, Christine Ay Tjoe and I Nyoman Masriadi to a myriad of emerging artists eager to make their mark on Indonesia’s burgeoning art scene.
As I’m headed to one of Jakarta’s biggest contemporary and fine arts fair held at the Jakarta Convention Centre, Senayan, I’m keen to see what’s in store. Running for the 11th year, Art Jakarta 2019 has evolved to become the epicentre of contemporary and fine arts in Southeast Asia, ready to showcase its potential as a major art market with high profile collectors on its board of patronage including the flamboyant Deddy Kusuma, Jim Amberson and Prasodjo Winarko.
Now if only I could get there soon enough. The traffic is nothing short of horrendous. Jakarta, an urban sprawl of approximately 10 million people, with a metropolitan region of about 30 million, is indeed the poster child of the nation’s horrific traffic woes. And I’ve been on this bus for a long time. We eventually arrive — a group of rumpled journalists and writers in desperate need of coffee and a good stretch.
Thankfully, Art Jakarta does not disappoint. Bringing together 70 leading Indonesian and international art galleries, the best of contemporary art featuring some of Southeast Asia’s finest artists are displayed in one creative space buzzing with collectors, art enthusiasts, artists and just about everyone else with a passion for art.
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Superheroes, exaggerated human figures, swaggering men with bulging muscles — it’s clear to me that Yogyakarta-based I Nyoman Masriadi is influenced by anime, video games and comics. With his exaggerated, wry satirical human figures that often evince biting political satire, he has paved the way for contemporary art.
A far cry from his early years of hawking souvenir paintings to tourists in Bali, Masriadi is the first living Southeast Asian artist whose work has set a record sale for contemporary Southeast Asian art. In 2008, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold his painting The Man From Bantul (The Final Round) for HKD 2.3 million (US$ 296,800).
Another Yogyakarta artist to watch out for is Eddy Susanto. Susanto’s paintings mostly incorporate Javanese passages in its native hanacaraka script, and in this particular instance, it is the ancient tale of the Panji that’s juxtaposed against the works of the European Old Masters. The Renaissance of Panji project’s striking feature is the canvases placed inside a small immersive room. With the lights on, we follow the tale featuring the two lovers of the traditional Javanese story. When the lights go off, the same works reveal different images in the style of Renaissance Europe, screened in phosphorescent ink under the UV light.
The staggering masterpieces of Nyoman Nuarta are hard to miss. Balinese-born Nuarta is one of the pioneers of Indonesia New Art movement back in 1976. The award-winning sculptor whose works include the iconic Garuda Wisnu Kencana in Bandung, Bali and the Proclamation Monument in Jakarta, grew up being close to nature and most of his artwork reflects his Balinese life philosophy.
Nuarta’s tributes to Borobudur, the ancient ruins of a Mahayana Buddhist stupa in Central Java are both breathtaking and shrouded in mystique. The name ‘Borobudur’ means “the temple at the top of a mountain” and the ruins are regarded as part of the ‘Four Great Wonders of the Ancient East’. “A monumental sculpture needs to have historical meaning, besides being aesthetically pleasing,” he said in a previous interview, adding: “We cannot always think an artwork as just ‘art’.”
Haunting images of animals feature largely in artist Camelia Mitasari Hasibuan’s works. Daughter of artist Husin Hasibuan, Camelia’s artistic talent, steeped in surrealism was nurtured from a young age. Her passion for environmental issues has inspired the artist to re-enact the aftermaths of deforestation, pollution and global warming. Her vivid paintings portray tragic stories of animals losing their homes. She suggests that if we do not stop exploiting the earth, we will one day have to face the worst consequences of natural disasters.
Dancing maidens catch my eye and I’m immediately drawn to artist SP Hidayat, a West Javanese whose Expressionist work feature Indonesia’s graceful and mystical dance heritage. Majoring in fine arts at the Indonesia Art Institute, Yogyakarta, Hidayat was awarded the best oil painting award in 1986 at the institute.
You can’t help but be amazed by the ostentatious display of Eko Nugroho’s Moving Landscape — an exhaustive manual embroidery work that looms large and massive at the entrance of the exhibition hall. The internationally renowned artist’s works are deeply anchored in local traditions and urban environment.
Working with a variety of media including comics, mural painting, graffiti, embroidery and puppetry, the Yogyakarta-based artist comments on social justice, cultural tradition, and the human condition. The concepts, materials, and strategies of his oeuvre point to an enlightened understanding of “fine art,” crafts, as well as street art. For example, Nugroho’s use of embroidery is inspired by local street gangs whose jackets are embroidered with their logos and by the embroidered badges worn by local government officials to announce their affiliations.
There’s so much to see and take in. There are exhibitions, installations, workshops and curated projects spurred by artists and creatives who are bringing forward new ideas and radical aesthetics into the discourse. The halls are teeming with people; those who promote, represent, exhibit, sell, critique and generally support art — they’re all here. The strong sense of anticipation and excitement lingers at Art Jakarta 2019 and for a long while, the infamous gridlocked traffic outside is all but forgotten.
Art Jakarta is an annual art fair that has been established as one of Southeast Asia’s most important art fairs, drawing artists, galleries, collectors and art critics from all over the world. Organised by MRA Media, Indonesia’s leading lifestyle business group, the 2019 fair was held from August 30 to September 1, 2019.
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