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Annual Jogja Art Celebration ARTJOG Returns with Hopeful Ramalan Theme
Front Row (The Jakarta Post) July 19, 2024
ARTJOG at the Jogja National Museum. (The Jakarta Post).
From June 28 to Sept. 1, 2024, the contemporary art festival ARTJOG returns at the Jogja National Museum.
An all-ages celebration of art that invites artists and enjoyers alike, the event will showcase the works of 48 individual and group adult artists from Indonesia and abroad alongside the curated works of 36 child and youth artists.
Carrying the theme of Ramalan, the Indonesian word for prophecy, the event is meant to represent the imaginary pattern which links the past, present and future. For the featured artists, prophecy represents their imagination and predictive power that drives their creative process.
Moreover, the theme is also intended to urge the art community and the event visitors to reimagine events and share their hopes for the future.
ARTJOG invited distinguished artists Agus Suwage and Titarubi as commission artists to visualize this year’s theme, presenting interconnected ideas through interactive installation works utilizing various dimensions and mediums. Their work will be proudly displayed at the entrance of the exhibition venue. Suwage’s installation features human ear-like objects that symbolizes the sense of hearing, which presents the duality of being tolerant in noisy social settings but is also essential in experiencing silence.
Adjacent to Suwage's piece are Titarubi’s various types of cultivated rice which are accompanied by recordings of prayers, proverbs and praises from indigenous groups that echo all throughout the space. This installation represents humanity’s understanding of prophecies, with the audio recordings symbolizing hope of a desired future. Additionally, these two pieces also mark Suwage’s and Titarubi’s continued collaboration since their initial partnership at the 2006 Singapore Biennale.
Aside from the commission works, this year’s ARTJOG will feature art from artists and collectives such as Japan’s Jun Kitazawa, Kolektif Menyusur Eko Prawoto, a collaboration between renowned actor Nicholas Saputra, Happy Salma and the late Gunawan Maryanto, as well as On Kawara.
For his piece, Jun Kitazawa transformed an iron lump from a Hayabusa fighter plane into a long-tailed kite, reviving fragments of the history of the Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942-1945). The kite’s tail is meant to display memories of those who experienced that period, aiming to read past events to offer choices for a better future.
Running in parallel to the exhibition, the performa ARTJOG program, which is fully supported by Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, will take place on the ARTJOG stage.
This program features performing arts, performance arts and other live events including dancer Rianto and the musical group Risky Summerbee & The Honeythief, along with 57 other performers.
Rianto will present “Journey of the Javanese Body” with Cahwati Sugiarto, creating transitional movements experienced by the body through dance and music. Risky Summerbee & The Honeythief will offer an intimate and exploratory music performance with scenographer Andi Seno Aji, exploring lighting and inviting audience participation.
Additionally, ARTJOG will include typical supporting programs such as the Young Artist Award, ARTJOG Kids, performa ARTJOG, Exhibition Tour, Meet the Artist, Merchandise Project, Artcare Indonesia, Jogja Art Weeks and the new Love ARTJOG.
ARTJOG 2024 - Motif: Ramalan is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. Tickets are priced at Rp75,000 (about US$4.66) for adults and Rp50,000 for children aged 6-15 years and can be purchased via the website or on-site ticket box. For more information on visiting schedules, program agendas and tour registration, visit www.artjog.id.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com