Art Jakarta will return to the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), as the city is now fully open, between 26 to 28 August 2022, presenting the latest developments regarding contemporary art from around the region.
One of the special presentations in Art Jakarta will be Art Jakarta Spot, a curated exhibition of selected artworks: sculptures, special projects, or site-specific installations. This year, Art Jakarta Spot will give special attention to presentations by 15 galleries. Below is a summary of some of the highlighted projects:
Tak Berakar Tak Berpucuk No. 8 / No Roots No Shoots No. 8, 2019, by Handiwirman Saputra (Nadi Gallery)
A thorough investigation of material and form, Tak Berakar Tak Berpucuk No. 8 originates from Handiwirman Saputra’s visual notes of garbage brought by a flood in front of his studio in the suburb of Yogyakarta. Presented in the Venice Biennale 2019, it is the first time that this artwork is exhibited to the public in Indonesia.
Membangun Literasi Indonesia Baru / Building A New Indonesian Literacy, 2022, by Dedy Sufriadi (Artemis Art)
An avid reader, Dedy Sufriyadi has been using books as his source of inspiration for some time to raise the urgent issues of literacy throughout this archipelago. In Membangun Literasi Indonesia Baru, he builds this installation to convey his ideas regarding the relationship between nation-building and literacy.
Casting Spells for the Movement, 2021, by Nadiah Bamadhaj (A+ Works of Art)
This replication of the female form of Tugu Tani is created based on Nadiah Bamadhaj’s research about the Indonesian women’s movement back in Sukarno’s era. Trying to capture the true spirit of the movement, rather than Sukarno’s image of a female, she tweaks the figure in parts, resulting in a bolder, more empowered image of the female.
Gender Artefact 2nd, 2016, by Ninindityo Adipurnomo (D Gallerie)
Gender Artefact 2nd belongs to the series Gender Artefacts by Ninindityo Purnomo, a compelling exploration of how gendered symbols and objects can evolve and adapt to the changing times. Taking advantage of the flexible nature of rattan, this piece exposes how intricate techniques of rattan weaving work with other elements such as sedge.
Long Shadow #1, 2020, by Jompet Kuswidananto (ISA Art Gallery)
The first of the Dark Light Series by Jompet Kuswidananto, Long Shadow #1, speaks of the hidden, missing, or forgotten subjects of Indonesian history, which are swept into the dark, where all the traumas live on after all. The blinding and glaring lights in fact serve to hide and overcompensate what’s inside the darkness.
Breathe, 2022, by Bagus Pandega (ROH)
As the pandemic showed us the critical role of oxygen tubing, Bagus Pandega looked into the modes of producing oxygen and found an extensive blueprint on which this artwork was created and then embellished. Featuring a set of lamps activated only when a machine releases oxygen, it demonstrates his consistency to explore the interplay of light, sound, and movement.
Political Clowns, 1999, by Heri Dono (Srisasanti Gallery)
After the 1998 change of regime, a new breed of politicians emerged in the Indonesian political landscape. Through this work, Heri Dono highlights what he saw as a particular disposition of those politicians, namely a repugnant, unabashed focus on their own interests. More than 20 years later, this artwork retains its lasting relevance.