Resisting the Commercialisation of Art A X Brief History of Alternative Spaces in Indonesia
translation: Alan Chan
Two Hot Cities of Indonesian Art: Jakarta and Yogyakarta
Alternative spaces sprang up in America between the 1960s and 1970s as a way for artists to resist the influences of the industry’s official institutions and commercial system. As for Indonesia, they play a role in defying the commercialisation of art due the lack of public art museums and galleries. In the mid-1970s, the New Art Movement (Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru, GSRB—New Art Movement) opposed the apolitical abstract art of the time and was seen as the dawn of Indonesian contemporary avant-garde art. It was, however, met with political disruptions from the New Order and mockery from the commercial art world. In this country where the foundations of its art industry were still slowly being built, there were no scholastic institutions to support these ‘academic’ avant-garde and experimental works. Thus, the rise of alternative spaces in Indonesia filled the gap between academic and commercial art, accommodating artists who were excluded from showing in commercial galleries. They have even directed and changed the local art culture, becoming another ‘mainstream’ system.
Late 1980’s: Cemeti Art House and Indonesian Visual Art Archive
The country’s first alternative space, Cemeti Gallery (now Cemeti Art House), was founded in Yogyakara by the artists Mella Jaarsma and Nindityo Adipurnomo. Starting out as a small gallery in a sitting room, it has since expanded into a mature hotspot for art. The contribution that Cemeti has made to the Indonesian art scene is unthinkable, and includes the organisation of exhibitions, forums, and residency exchanges, as well as the creation of publications related to art education, management, and knowledge production. It encourages new mediums and forms of art, while also helping political artists gain international exposure. In 1995, the establishment set up the Cemeti Art Foundation, which has in its collection nearly all documents related to Indonesian art. In 2007, the foundation was transformed into the physical library, IVAA (Indonesian Visual Art Archive), and it continues to focus on education and archival work. The documenting of information and offering library services facilitates the compilation of contemporary art history in Indonesia. With almost 30 years of experience from its early exploration to its later systematisation, Cemeti has gradually set up a framework for Indonesian art institutions, helping the local art scene relate to the outside world and become self-sustainable .
Around 1998: Art groups and alternative spaces
Indonesia was hit hard by the Asian financial crisis of 1997, indirectly causing the downfall of the New Order of Suharto’s regime and the decentralisation of the Indonesian government’s power thereafter, taking Indonesia into an age of democracy. Contrary to other places in Asia where alternative spaces were heavily affected by the financial crisis, many important ones were actually established in Indonesia both before and after 1998, shaping the country’s contemporary art scene which we see today. Among the most noteworthy are those in Jakarta and Yogyakara, where changes in the political climate are easily felt. Artists in these two places directly confront social changes and the impact of globalisation. They pay more attention to street culture and social issues, and their artistic expressions tend to take the forms of ‘low art’ which draw inspiration from street culture, graffiti, comics, left-wing art, as well as punk and electronic music.
Many important alternative spaces were actually established in Indonesia around 1998, shaping the country’s contemporary art scene which we see today.
The Kedai Kebun Forum (Garden CafmmForum) in Yogyakara was founded in 1997. It is a multi-purpose alternative space that runs catering services and exhibition spaces, and also hosts activities related to graffiti culture. Meanwhile, KUNCI Cultural Studies Center, established in 1999, is an interdisciplinary cultural studies centre that focuses on Indonesian society and culture. It advocates actual practice, experimentation and the use of research and publications to build up discourse. It is one of the country’s most important institutions concerned with knowledge production. As for artist groups, there are Apotik Komik and Taring Padi, founded in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Both work and assemble independently under left-wing political beliefs. Walking into the crowd and exposing themselves in protests, they use practical actions as art manifestos, using printmaking and comics to engage in anti-Suharto, anti-globalisation, and other social movements. Before ‘socially engaged art’ became a trend, these Indonesian artists were already creating art for the purpose of achieving social goals.
Post-2000: Ruangrupa and Forum Lenteng
Ruangrupa was founded in Jakarta in 2000, with its use of urban cultural discourse successfully gaining the established a place in the international art scene. It exists both as an art space and art group, and has a special model of operation that connects organisations and individuals across nations and regions. Using new media, it connects the new generation of artists from different place, organising activities such as the art exhibition “Jakarta 32ºC”, which is dedicated to the participation of university art students, and the international media art festival “OK Video”. Meanwhile, Forum Lenteng was established in 2003 as a research-based organisation that focuses on moving images, contributing immensely to the promotion of Indonesian video art.
# Issued on a.m.post Issue 121 (Jul/Aug 2016)