Amir Sidharta
Surviving Jakarta: Balai Budaya, the City’s Oldest Art Centre
In 2019 Jakarta’s art community will enjoy the luxuries of art fairs like the new Art Moments, which is scheduled to be held in May and the revamped Art Jakarta in August, as well as the Jakarta Biennale. With the rise of art fairs and art biennales in Indonesia, echoing the global trend, will there
My Grown Up New Year Wish List for Jakarta
“Everyone likes to do their New Year Resolutions. So do I, but this year’s are very serious, and not very personal,” says Alistair Speirs, who is thinking about how to make Jakarta a more enjoyable place to live in 2017. 1.Ban noisy vehicles – especially motorcycles – from the streets. Why do we have to
Nyoman Erawan’s Shadow Dance Time, Space and Movement
Balinese artist Nyoman Erawan presented ten paintings and an installation in his solo exhibition at Art1 Newseum in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta between November and December 2016. The exhibition raises issues regarding Indonesian abstract art. Starting his curatorial message, curator Rizki A. Zaelani presented a quotation by Dick Hartoko (an Indo-European Catholic clergyman who was a
All (well, not quite all), The Presidents’ Art
Long awaited, many of the masterpieces from the collection of the Presidential palace will be showcased in an exhibition held at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia in August. In the collection of the Presidential Palace there are around 3.000 artworks. Currently the works are spread around the palaces which are located in Jakarta (The Istana Negara
Taking a peek at Censored Art
Just as the new Terminal 3 “Ultimate” of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport opened on August 12th, 2016, a painting entitled Indonesia Idea by Galam Zulkifli was taken down. Kompas.com reported “Painting with a Figure Resembling DN Aidit at T3 New Soetta Taken Down Temporarily.” Apparently it was a reaction towards a conversation on social media regarding
Wishing You A Long Life
Hippocrates’s Vita Brevis, Ars Longa is perhaps the most used quote regarding art. “Life is short; art on the other hand lives long,” it connotes. It does not entail that art provides one with long life. To the contrary, actually it reminds people about the brevity of life vis-à-vis the longevity of art. At the
Museum Taman Prasasti, A Necropolis of Jakarta’s History
In preparation of the transfer of power from the nationalized colonies of the Dutch East India Company to the establishment of the Netherlands East Indies government at the end of the eighteenth century, a centre of administration was developed around four kilometres south of old Batavia (currently known as Kota) in Weltevreden (currently Menteng in Central Jakarta).
Old Town Jakarta’s Hidden Fine Art
In January 1976, during the inauguration of Basoeki Abdullah’s exhibition of paintings at the Hotel Borobudur by Madame Tien Soeharto, Indonesia’s first lady at the time, the painter called for the attention of the government to propose the creation of a national museum of art. “He suggested that the building of the Ministry of Finance
Celebrating Jakarta’s 490th Anniversary with Srihadi Soedarsono’s Jayakarta
Once upon a morning in 1975, Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin arrived at Jakarta’s pavilion at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, which was going to be officiated by President Soeharto later that afternoon. Several paintings had been installed there as part of an exhibition held in conjunction with the event. The governor arrived early that day to
Art, Style and Stylishness
Perhaps the most striking painting of an Indonesian subject is Rudolf Bonnet’s depiction of the preparation of a Balinese Dance from the collection of President Soekarno. The majestic central figure stands tall with his golden headdress already placed on his head, while a brightly colored cloth is being prepared to be wrapped over the white
Our Motherland’s Melody: The Second Painting Exhibition of The Presidential Palace’s Collection
Jika aku melihat gunung-gunung Gunung Merapi, Gunung Semeru, Gunung Merbabu Gunung Tangkuban Perahu, Gunung Klebet Dan gunung-gunung yang lain Aku melihat Indonesia When I see mountains Mount Merapi, Mount Semeru, Mount Merbabu Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Mount Klebet And the other mountains I see Indonesia –President Sukarno in Aku Melihat Indonesia In August last year, the
Favorite Recipes of Indonesian Artists
A few years ago, edible art seemed to gain popularity. In 2014, the Edible Masterpieces project was launched as a fundraising initiative by Britain’s Art Fund, an institution that supports museums and galleries in the United Kingdom. It challenged members of the public to create food inspired by their favourite artworks to raise money for
Bagus Pandega: Using Technology Not to Obtain Answers, but Questions
Working in the sculpture studio of Bandung’s Institute of Technology (ITB), Bagus Pandega always enjoyed the process of creating his pieces, but when it came to the end product, he felt that somehow his works tended to be constant, static and cold. Bagus Pandega – The Facticity Series. Photo courtesy of Bagus Pandega/NOW!JAKARTA He felt