Carla Bianpoen , Contributor for The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 04/16/2009 2:17 | Lifestyle
A new art space opened in Jakarta on Friday, April 17. It is not like any other gallery in town - being situated amid Ancol Dreamland, a center of fun, entertainment and creativity. Named North Art Space, it will be known by its acronym NAS.
"NAS is presented as a response to the need for more stages and show windows for high-achieving creative artists, the need for more educational programs for the people at large, and also the need for more opportunities for economic transaction," says Budi Karya Sumadi, director of PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol in his foreword to the catalog.
An art lover himself, Budi has put his words into practice, with the impressive exhibition to mark this special occasion.
Over 20 artists using a variety of mediums have been selected and their art works curated, in cooperation with Galeri Semarang, to respond to the title of the exhibition, which deals with hybridization.
The curator, Rifky Effendy, has written an interesting curatorial which elaborates on the historical path of hybridization in Indonesia.
In contemporary art, hybridization is not only a mix of medium and culture, says Rifky, it is also a matter of how the construction of thought and visual language or signs have crossed cultures throughout the ages.
Thus, according to Rifky, hybridization has become a process of liberation, a freeing from the historical dogmas of Western (colonial) visual art, and allowing local culture to be considered. Hybridization then is an ongoing process.
To what extent and in what manner such a process is visible in the various works, is something that takes time to answer, but the mere appearance of some of these works are fascinating and easily understandable.
Sometimes there is a notion of confusion, or boredom, as in the work by Soni Irawan titled Hari Ini Hari Libur Nasional (Today is A National Holiday); as if to put an accent on the profound boredom that such national holidays bring to some people, he adds the text "celebrating boredom" and "happy bore day".
A similar mood seems to also dwell in the painting by Arie Dyanto, titled Juxtaposed and features a figure buried under a heap of open books that lay in chaos, as if the figure had purposely and out of sheer weariness thrown the books upon his body. Surrogate riverstones of all sizes hung on threads of varying lengths form the Endless installation by Yani Mariani Sastranegara, evoking a sense of the surreal.
There is also a C-print - likened to a painting - by Indra Leonardi, featuring a dramatic image of a girl with iron fingers titled Far from Home, the images on soft textiles juxtaposed with video images by Prilla Tania.
A video performance by Jompet shows the elegance of a dancer with a naked upper body rhythmically moving amid the cold industrial machines and instruments, and Galam Zulkifli's painting of Illusion featuring an icon behind "stripes" may well be a reminder to beware of deception.
And while Haris Purnomo marks the smooth skin of babies with tattoos, revealing his concern for the future of our youth, Heri Dono's Moon Racer, an imaginative vehicle crafted out of an old car, gives hope for the future. Indeed hybridization is all around - though we may not be aware of it.
An exhibition by Haris Purnomo, Arie Dyanto, Soni Irawan, Sapto Sugiyo Utomo, Galam Zulkifli, Andy Dewantoro, Hanafi, NGK Ardana, Gede Mahendra Yasa, Agus Sumiantra, Irwan Bagja Dermawan (Iweng), Heri Dono, Agus Suwage, Yani Maryani, Ketut Moniarta , Albert Yonathan, FX Harsono, Indra Leonardi dan Davy Linggar, Jompet, Tromarama, Prilla Tania and Saftari.
"hybridization"
North Art Space
Ancol Dreamland
Ancol, North Jakarta
April 17 - May 3, 2009
An exhibition by Haris Purnomo, Arie Dyanto, Soni Irawan, Sapto Sugiyo Utomo, Galam Zulkifli, Andy Dewantoro, Hanafi, NGK Ardana, Gede Mahendra Yasa, Agus Sumiantra, Irwan Bagja Dermawan (Iweng), Heri Dono, Agus Suwage, Yani Maryani, Ketut Moniarta , Albert Yonathan, FX Harsono, Indra Leonardi dan Davy Linggar, Jompet, Tromarama, Prilla Tania and Saftari.
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and here are my favs ;)
