A Day in the Life: Mar Kristoff

Dahlia 23 at ARTJOG 2025

A Day in the Life is a series by A&M where we invite artists to share a day in their life through images accompanied by brief descriptions.

Mar Kristoff. Photo by Italo Azario.

Bali-based multidisciplinary artist Mar Kristoff constructs layered visual narratives that reflect on identity, nostalgia, and the passage of time. Animistic beliefs and fragments of pop culture surface throughout his work, where spiritual essence and emotional resonance emerge through his distinct translation of photographic imagery into paintings.

Kristoff's solo presentation, Dahlia 23, is currently on view at Jogja National Museum as part of ARTJOG 2025 – Motif Amalan. In this article, he shares the process of creating the site-specific installation, which serves as a spatial archive that re-traces the architectural memory of his childhood home.

Mar Kristoff, Threshold, 2025, 60 x 25cm. Image courtesy of the artist and ara contemporary.

Threshold is a piece from my latest solo presentation titled Dahlia 23 at ARTJOG 2025 – Motif: Amalan in Yogyakarta, curated by Hendro Wiyanto, DR. Bambang ‘Toko’ Witjaksono, and Ignatia Nilu. The source image is drawn from a close-up of the corner of the gate leading into my childhood home.

Mar Kristoff, Dahlia 23, installation view at ARTJOG 2025. Photo by @baksoitok.

This image shows Dahlia 23, an installation from my solo presentation at ARTJOG 2025. It features a weathered replica of my childhood home's façade, serving as both a literal entrance and a symbolic threshold, marking the boundary between public and private space, and reflecting on memory, place, and personal history.

Dahlia 23 scale model. Photo by Italo Azario.

This is a rough scale model from the studio, used to plan the placement of the façade for Dahlia 23.

Section of desk in studio. Image courtesy of the artist.

A section of my desk, with notes, sketches, and photographs laid out. The photographic albums are central to my process, combining personal and found archives. The family photos were inherited from my late father, who was often behind the camera, documenting moments that now form the foundation of my practice.

Mar Kristoff’s studio, taken in 2025. Photo by Italo Azario.

This view of my studio shows works in progress and ongoing explorations. I am currently preparing for group exhibitions and creating new work for my upcoming solo show at ara contemporary. Music, often played through a tape player in the studio, is a quiet but significant influence throughout my process.

Follow Mar Kristoff on Instagram here to see more of his works.