What to see at ArtJog 2018

Art Radar looks at essential, must-see highlights from the vibrant visual arts festival in Indonesia.

Held annually in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the ArtJog art fair has become one of the main fixtures on the contemporary art scene in Indonesia.

Installation view of ArtJog 2018. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

Handiwirman, ‘Toleranintoleransi’, 2018, installation view, fiber resin, acrylic sheet, duco paint, iron, dimensions variable. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

Yogyakarta has slowly built a reputation as a thriving space for Indonesian and Southeast Asian contemporary art professionals. Traditionally known as a hub for traditional Javanese culture, institutions, fairs and even galleries have started to bolster Yogyakarta’s reputation as a city to encounter the latest in contemporary Southeast Asian art. Stalwarts such as Cemeti Art House, an active gallery that host solo and group exhibitions, and non-profit organisation Ruang MES 56 have gone a long way in encouraging a dynamic and cooperative space for art and artists to flourish.

ArtJog is no exception, being one of the oldest art fairs in Yogyakarta. Having run for eleven years, the fair has attracted attention for its willingness to experiment with alternative models. As an artist-centred art fair, artists set the prices of their works on view, albeit with advice from the organiser of ArtJog (Heri Pemad Art Management). Established artists such as Heri Dono, Tintin Wulia and Pintor Sirait have participated in previous editions of the fair, and works are usually arranged and perceived as being part of a larger exhibition. With less emphasis on the commercial and more on community, ArtJog has become a meeting ground for art world professionals interested in the visual arts of the region.

Art Radar looks at this year’s edition of the fair and rounds up some of the not-to-miss highlights

Theresia Agustina, ‘Escutem O Que Ele Diz’, 2018, resin, aluminium, brass, paper. variable dimensions. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

1. “Enlightenment – Towards Various Futures”

This year’s main exhibition takes on the theme “Enlightenment – Towards Various Futures”. Curated by the team behind ArtJog, the exhibition is a means of exploring fresh perspectives and works from the contemporary art scene. This year, 54 artists have been selected to take part in the exhibition. Besides inviting participating artists, ArtJog holds an yearly Open Call, allowing artists to submit proposals for inclusion. This year, several artists are not to be missed at the exhibition.

Heri Dono, called “one of the first names – if not the first” that curators call upon when creating exhibitions of Indonesian contemporary art, will be returning to ArtJog this year. Dono’s art has always reinterpreted traditional Indonesian aesthetics into fierce and forceful images that comment on socio-political issues. Dono, now 56, was born in Yogyakarta and is still based there. Having represented the nation at the 56th Venice Biennale, and exhibited in various countries including London and Canada, Dono’s work will be one to see this year at ArtJog.

Eku Nugroho, ‘Carnival Trap #1’, 2018, upcycled plastics, acrylic, resin, wire, variable dimensions. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

Other artists involved in the exhibition are Japanese-Australian artist Hiromi Tango, whose interdisciplinary practice has often commented on globalisation and the changes brought by new media communication. Tango’s winding, twisting works that swallow up whole environments are often site-specific, focusing on whole environments rather than a specific work. Regularly exhibiting across the Asia-Pacific region, Hiromi Tango has become a fixture in the contemporary art scene.

Also on show is Indonesian contemporary artist stalwart Entang Wiharso, who often highlights political issues in his work. Complex and multi-layered, his works reference Indonesian mythology and belief systems. With a practice that largely spans sculpture, painting and metalwork, his works often simultaneously captivate and intrigue viewers through the use of enigmatic figures. Having just completed a residency at the International Studio and Curatorial Programme in Brooklyn, New York, visitors can expect a fresh glimpse into Wiharso’s practice this year.

Nasirun, ‘Hutan Dilipat,’ 2018, tissue paper, yarn spinning tool, paper, video, approximate length 75m. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

With the premise that enlightenment can be “more than just a definition” and “something that can happen time after time”, the exhibition selected works that were compatible with the curatorial theme. Writing that enlightenment is an attempt to cast out the darkness, and that art has “the ability to bring enlightenment and hope”, the ArtJog team conceived of the exhibition as an invitation to explore how art can rise to meet the challenges of global realities and culture today.

Other artists who will present at the main exhibition include Ronald Ventura, Agung Tato Suryanto, Handiwirman and Maryanto. For a full list of participating artists, visit the ArtJog website here.

Mulyana, ‘Sea Remembers’ 2018, installation view at ArtJog 2018. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

2. Mulyana — Sea Remembers (2018)

Commissioned by ArtJog to create a work for the fair, Mulyana will present his latest work, Sea Remembers (2018). Creating an immersive installation out of knitted materials, Sea Remembers features an entire panorama of an underwater world. The main highlight of his installation is a skeleton of a whale with coral attached to it, surrounded by fishes that are shaped like the explosions of atomic bombs.

An invitation to “dive deeper”, Mulyana’s artwork is an invocation to confront one’s fear of the unknown. Encouraging viewers to delve beneath the surface and negotiate their fears, Mulyana’s works have become emblematic of wider personal and global struggles that many are familiar with facing today.

Colourful, creative and beautiful, the Yogja-based artist has been making knitted art for many years. Seeing knitting as an act of meditation and prayer, Mulyana’s practice revolves around deeper ideas of spirituality and togetherness with nature. Many of his works have environmental overtones to them, and often resemble corals, reefs and underwater plants and creatures. Believing that caring for the environment goes hand in hand with being part of life on earth, Mulyana’s knitted works are reminders of the natural beauty that we are surrounded by.

Conceived of as an invitation for us to “dive deeper”, Sea Remembers (2018) is a must-catch at this year’s ArtJog.

View of opening night, ArtJog 2018, Yogyakarta. Image courtesy ArtJog 2018.

3. ArtJog’s Young Artist Award

Set up in 2013, ArtJog’s Young Artist Award acknowledges the achievements of an artist aged 33 years and under. The winner is chosen from the pool of artists selected for exhibition in the year’s edition. Meant as a platform to help promote the artist, expand his network and enhance his career, the Young Artist award have often been celebratory in tone. Last year saw the appointment of two joint winners, Syaiful Aulia Garibaldi and Bagus Pandega.

The winners were announced at the opening ceremony of the fair and are Meliantha Muliawan (Jakarta, Indonesia) with Vague Shapes in the Light #1 – #9, Bandu Darmawan (Bandung, Indonesia) with Pernyataan Tidak Tertulis and Fajar Abadi (Bandung, Indonesia) with Everlost.

Junni Chen

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7 exhibitions to see during Singapore Art Week 2018 – January 2018 – Singapore Art Week 2018, running concurrently with Art Stage Singapore, presents a rich programme of events across the city
A Midnight Moment: FX Harsono’s ‘Writing in the Rain’ at Times Square, New York – January 2018 – coinciding with the final weeks of “After Darkness” at Asia Society Museum, FX Harsono’s Writing in the Rain gets its Midnight Moment throughout the month of January 2018
Connecting Indonesia: Director Aaron Seeto on Jakarta’s Museum MACAN – interview – October 2017 –Museum MACAN provides public access to one of the most significant collections of modern and contemporary art in Asia

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