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
Betawi Store Telling Stories Of Jakarta
Through its goods on display, such as colourful souvenirs, traditional food and drinks, clothes as well as furniture, Betawi Store, which is located inside a traditional Betawi house, showcases the cultural richness of Betawi people (the term Betawi is derived from Batavia, the official name given to Jakarta by the Dutch during the colonial era).
The Mystery of Jambi Batik
Jambi, on the east coast of central Sumatra, has a textile tradition shrouded in mystery. In fact, Jambi seems to have had two textile traditions: the tradition of lembato yellow and indigo blue batiks discovered by the Dutch in the 1920s – which nearly died out by the time the Japanese invaded in 1942 –
Didier Hamel Live Art, Breathe Art
Engaging in artistic activities, such as painting, drawing or sculpting has been found effective to prevent memory loss as well as maintain cognitive health, according to a 2015 study published in Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. That article had always been an afterthought to me, until I met Didier Hamel-
Artist Nita Nursita Inspired by Now! Jakarta
I was recently approached by a very gentle and charming lady in Bali airport. “Excuse Me”, she said “are you Alistair Speirs”? “Yes” I answered, having no idea who she was but wanting to be polite! It turned out she was an artist called Nita Nursita, and her story was quite intriguing! It seems she
The Heavenly Sounds of Woodwind with Le Concert Impromptu
Beginning at the end of April until early May, French woodwind quartet Le Concert Impromptu graced Indonesia with their world-famous performance, which is an eclectic mix of classical and contemporary music, as well as theatrical dance. Established in 1991 as a quintet, the group is now a quartet composed of Yves Charpentier on flute, Guillaume
Changing Communities And The World Through Art
The global arts initiative Micro Galleries reclaims disused and forgotten spaces to transform them into small galleries with the help of international and local artists, to be enjoyed by the communities. This October, Micro Galleries will make its way to Jakarta. Micro Galleries, blurring the line between street art and fine art, wants to make
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
Behind the Scenes of an Art Exhibition
Art lovers in Indonesia got to enjoy a different kind of exhibition this past month, thanks to a collaboration among CuratorsLAB of Goethe Institut, Galeri Nasional and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Taking place at Galeri Nasional in Central Jakarta between June 3 and 17, an experimental art exhibition entitled “Mutual Unknown” featured nine
Anchored in A Realm of Art
Indonesia’s biggest art celebration, Art Jakarta 2017, will be held in the capital in late July. When it comes to art fairs in Indonesia, Bazaar Art Jakarta (BAJ) ranks among the most important and long-awaited events. Every year, this event presented by Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia is packaged in a combination of culture, creation and lifestyle,
Musical Stars of West End Perform in Jakarta
After successful tours in the UK and Europe since 2011, the musical stars from West End, London finally came to Jakarta toentertain the audiences at Ciputra Artpreneur on 12 and 13 July. The concert with the title “Stars of the West End” produced by British Theatre Playhouse & Worldwide Entertainment presented four singers, namely Mike Sterling, Shona Lindsay, Tom Solomon and Yildiz Hussein.
Connecting Jakarta to the Global Art World
After a successful first year, international art fair Art Stage Jakarta returns to the Indonesian capital from 11 to 13 August at Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel. Like its sister fair in Singapore, Art Stage Jakarta offers audiences a comprehensive overview of Southeast Asia’s growing contemporary art scenes. Organizers say that the fair acts
Academic Discussion on Bajo Tribe
Until today, there’s still so much left unknown about Indonesia’s sea nomads, the Bajo Tribe. What we know is that this tribe is scattered in numerous areas, from eastern Indonesia to northern parts of Kalimantan (Sabah, Malaysia) and southern Philippines (Sulu Archipelago). That said, no written documents or ruins of ancient monuments or villages were
