ARTJOG 2020 Goes Digital

9 Aug

Indonesian artists come together in ‘Resilience’
By Andari Suherlan

Curated by Agung Hujatnikajennong and Ignatia Nilu, ARTJOG: Resilience launches its 13th edition as Indonesia’s first annual art fair to take place in 2020. Amidst the uncertain yet growing familiarity of the new norms due to the COVID-19 outbreak, other major art events in Indonesia such as Art Jakarta and Art Moments announced they have been cancelled for the year.

Initially, ARTJOG was to run from 23 July to 30 August under the theme ‘Arts in Common’. It is now open from 8 August and will run till 10 October online and at the Jogja National Museum (JNM). Showcasing artworks under the new theme ‘Resilience’, the fair acts as a means for artists to respond working under pandemic conditions. “The main inspiration for the theme of resilience is the variety of artistic and social work undertaken by artists in Indonesia during the pandemic,” says Agung Hujatnikajennong. “In the midst of a crisis, many artists move back and forth between working at home or in their respective studios, but remain socially involved with the wider community.”

(Left) Djoko Pekik, ‘Gelombang Masker’, 2020 and (right) Putu Sutawijaya, ‘Bakti Pertiwi’, 2020, exhibition installation view. Image courtesy of ARTJOG.

While there will be no commissions or special presentations by artists this year, ARTJOG continues to feature works from artists in the country. Amongst the 150 local artists showcased this year —the highest number of participants thus far— well-known artists Djoko Pekik, Agus Suwage and Nyoman Masriadi as well as emerging artists Meliantha Muliawan, Zico Albaiquni, Cinanti Astria Johansjah and Fika Ria Santika will be presenting their works created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the title suggests in Djoko Pekik’s ‘Gelombang Masker’, which means a wave of masks, the artist conveys the demand and desperation of the people for masks as an essential tool for survival.

In contrast to the chaos found in Pekik’s painting, Agus Suwage’s ‘Droplet’ series reminisces the relative peace that we took for granted before the outbreak. In response to the restlessness of the world, Nyoman Masriadi’s ‘Batman's Promotion’ Promotion' imagines a superhero who sells the vaccines that everyone is waiting for. Seen as a whole, the works depict the past and present states, as well as future hopes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ignatia Nilu says “Most of the works exhibited this year were made by artists during the period of social distancing, and indirectly represent their critical reflection of the pandemic crisis situation in Indonesia.”

(Left) Pupuk Daru Purnomo, ‘The Dance', 2020 and (right) Nyoman Masriadi, ‘Batman’s Promotion’, 2020, exhibition installation view. Image courtesy of ARTJOG.

Due to the restrictions for health and safety concerns, ARTJOG programmes will hold scheduled events online and at JNM. While the annual Young Artist Award and ARTJOG performances will be cancelled entirely, ‘Curatorial Tours’ and ‘Meet the Artist’ sessions will be held online along with special programmes such as ARTCARE and the Murakabi Movement.

Firstly, the fair aims to promote solidarity for art practitioners and contribution of the visual arts ecosystem through a charity auction and ARTCARE programme. Managed by the Hita Pranajiwa Madaya Foundation, artists are invited to donate works for sale. All the proceeds will be used as a means of supporting and promoting social awareness of Indonesian artists affected by the pandemic financially.

Secondly, first presented at ARTJOG 2019, the Murakabi Movement is an interdisciplinary project by artist duo Indieguerillas and Singgih S. Kartono of the Spedagi Movement in collaboration with Eko Prawoto, Joko Pinurbo, Gunawan Maryanto. This year, the project is based on the philosophy ‘Sandang, Pangan, Papan’, or clothing, food, shelter and poetry, highlighting the activities that surround issues of locality. As one of the fair’s highlighted programmes, Agung Hujatnikajennong says, "We believe this movement is very relevant, especially in pandemic times like these days, and can be an inspiration for the wider community to be able to survive in the midst of a crisis.”

ARTJOG: Resilience was borne of the desire for Indonesian artists to band together and support each other to emerge from the difficulties of the pandemic. The festival serves as an encouragement and a call for the greater art community to adapt and unite to overcome the challenging circumstances ahead.

ARTJOG runs online at www.artjog.co.id from 8 August to 10 October. There will be limited in-person visits in September, with details to be announced at a later time.

To keep updated and participate in online activations, do follow ARTJOG on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/artjog.id/ and on Instagram @artjog.id, and follow the hashtag #ARTJOGResilience.

Watch the recorded livestream of the opening ceremony here.