The writing below is based on my visit to the 3rd Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale (JCCB). However, I must mention that being unaware of the separate buildings housing the artworks, I only visited the main building and thus my comments below are confined to just the artworks within the main building. Galeri Nasional Indonesia Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur No. 14 Jakarta 23 Sept - 13 Oct 2014 Boy was I glad that I managed to go to the JCCB just a few days before it closed. When I arrived, I was informed that photography was no longer allowed from that day onwards. This was due to breakages that had occured while people carelessly moved around while taking photos. Luckily, I was given a special consideration by the coordinator, Yanti, as long as I was accompanied by one of the minders. Below are just some of the highlights. As soon as you walk in, you are presented with an impressive chandelier that frames the entrance to Dadang Christanto's work entitled JAVA. I have seen Dadang's works previously at shows in Sydney, so I was pleased to see a familiar name. On the other side of the wall, I was intrigued by Arghya Dhyaksa's playfull installation of small ceramic figurines on how our interpretations are distorted by our thirst to know everything about everyone. Below is a close up of the installation about how smoking kills you - apt for a country where smoking is so prevalent and widespread. I was jarred from my quiet contemplation by what sounded like breaking ceramics. Fortunately, it was just the sound of Bagus Pandega's interactive installation called Propitious 13, made of ceramic cups and spoons. Visitors can trigger the tinkle of the spoon agains the ceramic cups (and if you're over vigorous with it, it sounds like you might break the cups). The work of Budi Pradono, Clay City, cleverly used the gallery space. It was not surprising to find out that he is actually an architect. The curving brick walls meticulously arranged around the central spaces of the exhibition gently guided the flow of visitors from one room to another. In a darkened room, Eldwin Pradipta's video projection on three white vases provided a different dimension to the exhibition. The work questions the nature of the value of art, based on Ai Weiwei's Colored Vases. Here Eldwin portrayed the possibility of displaying ordinary traditional vases (which are low in value) in a high art gallery, when it is covered by colours. Other notable artworks from the biennale were the delicate and wonderful works of Tomoko Konno (Japan), the giant golden durian by Wasinburee Supranichvoraparch (Thailand) and Wan Li Ya's (China) blue and white porcelain works entitled Thousands Kilometers Landscape. I was throughly impressed by the quality of the collection! The artworks showcased a wide range of colours, techniques and scope. I never would have expected to see such wonderful contemporary ceramic artworks in Indonesia. Congratulations to all the artists and the organisers! Job well done! Of course, there are always room for improvements. Some suggestions I have to the organisers for future events:
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Pasar Rawabening literally means Clear Swamp Market but there's definitely nothing swamp-like about this place. Pasar Rawabening is a market that specialises in gems, precious and semi precious stones and the mystical Indonesian keris (dagger). Years ago, when I visited it for the very first time with my Aunt, it was a traditional market. The shops were not so modern, and the wares sold on wooden ratty tables. Now, it is a modernised market place. There are shops with glittering gems in glass encased display tables, strands of beads and semi-precious stones hanging tidily off the walls and overall, a more organised feel to the whole place. Amongst of all the nice shops, there is a section in the middle with small stalls/kiosks that reminds me of the old version of the market. Here, the displays are more modest but I don't think that deterred the customers from buying (I noticed these stalls/kiosks were actually more busy than some of the proper shops). I then stumbled upon a shop that is called Toko Keris Sakti, or the magic keris shop. I cheekily asked the owner, Hj Rosida, if the keris really have magic. She explained to me that the keris in her shop really do have special powers. In the olden days, keris was used as weapons in warfare. So a magical keris would help the wielder to win fights. Magical keris are made by experienced craftsmen who would fast before they begin the making process. Magical keris also require special treatments, including oiling them at certain times in the Javanese calendar. Nowadays, keris are more used for decorational purposes. Collecting keris is often done by high ranking government officials (or pejabat). Some of her clients would adorn the keris they purchased from her with gold or precious stones, to add to the value of the keris. Speaking of value, these keris are not cheap. Prices start at 2.5 million Rupiah (about $250 AUD) for new keris without magic and only for decorational purposes. Original, antique keris with magic cost an upward of 10 million Rupiah (about $1000 AUD). The next shop I visited was a beads shop, also selling semi-precious stones and the tools to making jewellery. I took the opportunity to purchase some freshwater pearls and then have them made into a necklace. While waiting for that to happen, my Mum and I started chatting the the shop owner (an older lady in her 60s) about what I was doing in Jakarta. Why I was taking photos and asking so many questions! Funny enough, the main conversation topic turned to the fact that even though I have been married for a while, I don't have kids. The shop owner kept on stressing the importance of having children (e.g. to take care of you when you are old and to continue the family line, etc., etc., etc.). I took it all on board but it tickles me that despite of all of my achievements (great job, good education, happy marriage, good health and the rest), the main focus of the shop owner was that I don't have children. On the way out, we walked pass a shop that specialises in jade. The shop keeper told me that all the jade comes from China and a lot of the other gems in the market usually comes from China too. If you would like more information about these shops (e.g. contact number or exact address in the market), drop me a line via the Contact page.
Also just warning you that most of my blogs in the next few weeks will be very visual based with lots of photos. So apologies for spamming your email inbox. PS: I've started on my ceramic learning journey with the artist F. Widayanto at his beautiful home studio in the hills of Tapos, Bogor. I am so thrilled and excited, just like a kid in a candy shop! I have been to so many wonderful places in the past few days.
I have visited Pasar Rawabening, a market that specialises in precious and semi precious stones, where I had a beautiful necklace of freshwater pearls made. Went to the Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale where I was amazed and very proud of the quality of Indonesian ceramics. I visited the Museum of Art and Ceramics in central Jakarta and visited the old town part of Jakarta. I visited an art market and delightfully purchased a real, antique bronze batik stamp tool. I stumbled upon a mobile library bus and went to a shop that sells many wonderful things that I can utilise for ceramics! Unfortunately technology has failed me and I'm unable to connect my laptop to a decent internet connection. Stay tuned to more in depth writing next week where I will have access to the internet. (this is written via my mobile app-which is very limited) In about three weeks' time, I will hopefully be fully immersed in the Tapos studio of the famous Indonesian ceramicist, F. Widayanto.
Although this arrangement was made in January this year, I have not written much about it due to the special circumstances surrounding this. I guess it would be better to explain from the very beginning. Earlier this year, I pondered about where I was going with my ceramics. I have had a pretty good show recently, so the interest on my work does exist and perhaps I am not so bad after all. One of the last series I worked on was the Mbok Jamu, the traditional Indonesian women selling herbal drinks. I created that work as an expression of my identity as an Indonesian living in Australia. But I wanted to further explore and incorporate my Indonesian heritage into my art work because to me, Indonesia is home - just like Australia is home to me too. Researching online on Indonesian ceramics, I stumbled upon the website of F. Widayanto (www.fwidayanto.com). I was amazed at his works, his techniques and dedication to his Javanese influenced artworks. I researched a little more and found an article where he gave an interview to Jakarta Global for TEDX (http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/archive/my-jakarta-f-widayanto-ceramics-artist), I really liked that he said artists should never give up. And artists should also create their own signature characteristic. I fully agree with him. So I wrote a message on his website and asked if I could learn from him while I am in Indonesia. To my surprise I actually got a reply-saying that I can only take classes with F. Widayanto's assistants. So I explained my intentions and was invited to write an email proposing to learn from F. Widayanto. I wrote the email (in Indonesian!). Took me 3 hours to draft it with the help of Google translate, then I sent it to my friend Dennis to review first. Finally when it was ready to send, I included some images of the Mbok Jamu, my CV and a link to this website with the email. So then the good news came! F. Widayanto himself replied and agreed! I was over the moon. He invited me to come to his studio in Tapos, Bogor. He divides his time between the studio in Tapos, house in Setiabudi and house in Depok. So while he is in Tapos, between Wednesdays-Saturdays, I can come, observe and assist him at work. In hindsight, if I had known at that time how highly regarded F. Widayanto is in the Indonesian arts scene, I probably would not have been so brazen. Talking to some Indonesian friends about this have resulted in surprised exclamations to the tune of, "OMG how did you manage to do that? He's f@#$ing famous!". Anyways, once that was sorted I spent the next months arranging leave from work, getting my sister in law and Mum to buy me some of F. Widayanto's books from Jakarta, finding out the kind of accommodation available in Bogor and flights. And as if the universe was encouraging me on this journey, I got the Artstart Grant! I am using the grant to help with some of the transportation and accommodation costs. So here I am, a few weeks away from the trip of a lifetime. I will be blogging about it regularly. And before I go I will also write about F. Widayanto's books that I have read, they are amazing! ps: Here's a shout out to Audrey M. who is probably my youngest reader ever! Hope you're enjoying your school holiday! It is exactly 1 month before I go on my trip to Indonesia. This trip is all the result of this artwork. I created the Mbok Jamu series as an expression of my identity as an Indonesian living in Australia. It was also around the time that I was deciding whether or not to give up my Indonesian citizenship for an Australian one.
Well, I am now still an Indonesian citizen and I'm quite content about it. I've realised that if I ever have to change it in the future, it's not because I am turning back on my country of birth. It is more for the practicality and convenience since I have been living in Australia for more than ten years. So this time next month, I will be in Indonesia meeting the great ceramic artist, F. Widayanto and hopefully being able to observe and learn from his practice. Internet connection permitting, I will also be regularly updating this blog with my adventures. Stay tuned... |
Irine is a recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts' Artstart Grant (June 2014-2015).
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