When German national Claudia Seise studied at the Yogyakarta fine arts school Institut Seni Indonesia in 2005, she experienced the dynamic contemporary art scene there firsthand. She was so fascinated by it that she returned to Indonesia from her homeland in 2008 to look at the cultural scene more closely. The result of her exploration was recently published in “One Year on the Scene: Contemporary Art in Indonesia.”
The book offers valuable insight into Yogyakarta’s vibrant art community, including its background and problems.
Color photographs of gallery artworks and exhibitions emphasize the diversity of the province’s creative culture.
Interestingly, the most engaging part of the book was the most challenging one for the author.
“I was basically overwhelmed by the sheer amount of exhibitions and art events taking place in just one month or even a week,” Seise wrote. “At times, there were three shows in one day.”
After a while, she said, it was simply impossible to visit every single event.
“There is a point where you just cannot take any more in,” she said.
“Every painting, every artwork starts to look the same. That is when you have to take a break and that is what I did in order to keep my project running.”
In the book’s first chapter, titled “To Be or Not to Be,” the author lets the artists speak for themselves.
They tell the readers their personal stories, what motivated them to become artists and the struggles they have experienced along the way.
This is followed by a chapter about the different themes in contemporary Indonesian art.
Another section titled “Exhibitions and Art Events” is written in the form of a diary. Seise writes about the countless exhibitions she attended in one year.
It is simply amazing to see how colorful and versatile Yogyakarta’s art scene is.
Seise rounds off the book with a “Behind the Scene” chapter, in which she lists the different art institutions and residency programs in Yogyakarta.
Here, she talks about the scene’s issues and problems, especially the issue of the commercialization of art.
Although the book presents a comprehensive account of Yogyakarta’s creative culture, Seise acknowledges that the book has its shortcomings.
“Even though I tried to capture a wide angle of the Yogyakarta art scene, I am aware that I did not capture everything,” she writes in the book’s final chapter.
However, one of the book’s redeeming qualities is that Seise did not just seek out the opinions of well-known artists for her research; she also made space for the opinions of up-and-coming artists.
“It doesn’t matter if I personally like the artists’ works or not,” she said.
“They all enrich their culture and encourage intercultural understanding because art always connects people, no matter where they come from.”
After having met so many artists with different backgrounds, missions and artistic styles, it seems almost impossible for the author to pick just one or two as her favorites.
But Seise still mentions a couple of artists who inspire her.
“Askanadi impressed me with his spiritual paintings,” she said.
“And Karina Putri Hariyanto fascinated me because she follows her own way in this often male-dominated world of arts and reveals her soul through her graphics.”
Seise, who is studying for a master’s degree in South and Southeast Asian studies in Berlin, says she sometimes misses Indonesia and its thriving art scene.
“Maybe someday, I will live like a nomad in both countries,” she said.
“And who knows, maybe there will even be a third country on my list.”
‘One Year on the Scene: Contemporary Art in Indonesia’ is published by Regiospectra English. 152 pages.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/arts/a-year-of-artful-delights-in-yogya/400698
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