Asian Art News, Vol. 15 no. 1, Jan/Feb 2005
News Brief, pp. 26-28
INDONESIA: Space By Space
Yogyakarta is simultaneously a centre of traditional Javanese culture and contemporary
Indonesian art. Full gamelan orchestras create soundscapes from the past;
classical and contemporary Javanese dancers exhibit beautiful control and poise;
wayang kulit (shadow puppet) performances keep locals and visitors spellbound.
It is as if the city itself has an extraordinary life force and captivating charm.
Contemporary art has grown in the fertile soil of Yogyakarta's sophisticated culture.
The Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI Yogyakarta) is an important centre of arts
and Yogyakarta itself has given its name to an important school of modern and
contemporary art in Indonesia.
The Ruang per Ruang project in Yogyakarta showcases contemporary art in
an alternative space. According to Georgie Sedgwick, one of the original participants
of the first Ruang per Ruang (Space by Space) project held in 2002,
"The Ruang per Ruang project was a cheeky little idea that decided
it was bigger than its boundaries. So it burst out of our heads and into our home.
In 2002, Soboman became its first victim, each room in the house at the mercy
of its whims, each fitting and fixture fair game for its devilish machinations.
Thirteen artists were selected to respond to an area within the confines of Soboman.
Responses ranged from the emotional to the literal, humorous to spiritual, but
all of them personal. An altar to the ego, a lantern-filled well, a voyeuristic
bath, a caged dove, a talking table and a barking hallway were the resulting manifestations
of abstract reactions to the spaces assigned.
"Responses elicited from visitors to Soboman, be they neighbours, friends
or fellow students, ranged from mild bemusement to unrestrained delight. Many
came to ponder on the house’s altered energy, interacting with - and in doing
so unknowingly influencing - its constantly shifting dynamics. Others just came
to chat, laugh and drink tea."
The currect project and exhibition is the second time that the Ruang per Ruang
project has been held in Yogyakarta. In September-November 2004, a house on the
sleepy outskirts of Yogyakarta played host to yet another fiendish exploration
of space. The relationship between the private and the public face of the dwelling,
its physical and its spatial dimensions, its ability to inspire and amuse were
important considerations as the artists created their art works.
The resulting exhibition features the work of 11 young Indonesian artists who
created art works in response to the environment in and around the house. The
art works are best described as "indoor-outdoor art" - mixed media sculptures
and installations, a wall mural, a traditional Javanese children's game incorporating
Balinese stone sculptures, and video art. The contrast between the traditional
architecture of this Javanese joglo house and the contemporary art works that
the artists created is particularly striking. It is also interesting to see how
the artists coped with the challenge of incorporating the existing art works on
display at the house - paintings, sculptures, puppets and stone carvings - into
their own creations.
The current Ruang per Ruang project is on display at Michelle Chin's house
in Jurug, Jl. Parangtritis km 6.5, Sewon, Bantul, Yogyakarta (in the vicinity
of the ISI/Indonesian Institute of the Arts campus). For directions to the house,
please telephone Made Aswino Aji 0818276506 or Michelle Chin 0811388630 or email:
michellechin@pacific.net.sg