24 Juli - 4 Agustus 2019badai art studio

Yogyakarta

pameran kelompok empatbelas seniman muda Indonesia dan Malaysia

a group exhibition of fourteen young artists from Indonesia and Malaysia

Ajim Juxta · Aleff Ahmad · Bibichun · Blankmalaysia · CaraOK Diana Puspita Putri · Haris Rashid · I Putu Adi Suanjaya Laksamana Ryo · Lee Sydney · Oky Antonius · Rangga Anugrah Putra

Rizal Hasan · Sat tama

When Artemis Art organized the first Vice Versa exhibition in 2016, our intention was for the exhibition to be a visual “conversation” between young artists from our two neighboring countries, Indonesia and Malaysia. The exhibition proved to be a success, providing a single platform to see the commonalities and differences in the various artistic practices of the thirteen participating artists at the time.

Vice Versa 2.0, the second iteration of this exhibition series, goes one step further in bringing together young artists to a common arena – this time around we have invited the Malaysian participating artists to accompany their works, in addition to merely having them shown here in Yogyakarta. Doing so, we think, provides a golden opportunity for the artists from both nations to get to know one another on a personal basis.

Artemis Art hopes that this physical meeting of artists becomes a catalyst towards fostering a larger spirit of community between the participating young artists from both nations. There is much to learn from one another, and it is our hope that the opportunity to meet face to face is a good start towards fostering closer ties and expanding the respective communities these artists already belong to.

We congratulate all fourteen participating artists on their participation, and hope that the experiences and interactions made possible by Vice Versa 2.0 will prove fruitful for all involved.

UC LohDirector, Artemis ArtJuly 2019

Tatkala Artemis Art menyelenggarakan pameran Vice Versa yang pertama pada tahun 2016, tujuan kami adalah untuk pameran kelompok tersebut menjadi satu “perbincangan” visual antara seniman muda kedua-dua negara tetangga, Indonesia dan Malaysia, melalui karya-karya mereka. Tujuan ini tercapai, dan pameran tersebut menjadi pentas bagi menghayati persamaan dan perbedaan dalam praktik seni tigabelas seniman yang berpatisipasi.

Vice Versa 2.0, perulangan seri pameran kelompok ini, melangkah lebih jauh dalam menyatukan seniman-seniman muda ke arena bersama, di mana kali ini seniman muda Malaysia yang mengambil bahagian diundang menemani karya-karya mereka dan bukan semata-mata mempajangkan karya-karya mereka di Yogyakarta. Ini merupakan kesempatan emas bagi para seniman dari kedua negara untuk saling berkenalan secara pribadi.

Artemis Art berharap pertemuan langsung para seniman ini menjadi katalisator untuk menumbuhkan semangat komunitas yang lebih besar di antara para seniman muda yang berpartisipasi dari kedua negara. Ada banyak hal yang dapat dipelajari dari satu sama lain, dan harapan kami bahwa kesempatan untuk bertemu muka adalah permulaan yang baik untuk membina hubungan yang lebih dekat dan seterusnya memperluaskan komunitas masing-masing.

Kami mengucapkan selamat kepada keempat belas seniman atas partisipasi mereka, dan berharap bahwa pengalaman dan interaksi yang dimungkinkan oleh Vice Versa 2.0 akan terbukti bermanfaat bagi semua yang terlibat.

UC LohDirector, Artemis ArtJuly 2019

Ketika para seniman muda dari dua negara yang berbeda bertemu, mereka mungkin akan dengan cepat mengetahui kesamaan mereka dan apa yang membuat perbedaan di antara mereka. Namun, dalam seni visual mereka punya kepentingan tentang ‘visuality’, sebagai kata kunci untuk bidang ‘visual culture’ dan bahasa visual yang menyertainya.

Menurut definisi W.J.T. Mitchell, seorang peneliti terkenal didalam bidang teori media dan ‘visual culture, visualitas adalah konstruksi sosial bidang visual dan konstruksi visual bidang sosial. Mencipta image dalam pikiran adalah bagian penting dari imajinasi seniman. Jadi mereka mewujudkan sesuatu, yang tidak terlihat, sebelum terbentuk dalam rupa karya seni. Menurut definisi Mitchell, visual berfungsi di dua arah: sebuah visual membentuk sosial, tetapi sebuah sosial juga membentuk visual.

Dalam pameran yang diselenggarakan oleh Indra Dody, pemilik Badai Studio dan dirinya seorang seniman, bersama dengan Artemis Art dari Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, sekelompok seniman muda dari Malaysia bertemu dengan kelompok seniman muda dari Indonesia.

Tentu saja, ini bukan pertama kalinya bahwa seniman Malaysia menunjukkan karya mereka di Indonesia, atau justru di Yogyakarta. Di masa lalu sudah ada pertukaran artistik dengan Malaysia. Perkembangan seni modern atau kontemporer telah mengambil jalan yang berbeda di kedua negara ini. Namun, di sisi lain, kedua negara mempunyai beberapa akar budaya yang sama, misalnya bahasa (tentu saja tidak 100 % sama tetapi masih sangat dekat satu sama lain sehingga mereka dapat berkomunikasi secara langsung dan saling memahami).

Sejarah Indonesia dan Malaysia berbeda, ditandai oleh pengaruh rezim kolonial masing-masing. Dalam kasus Indonesia, melalui pengaruh Belanda orang Indonesia berkenalan dengan seni modern. Kurator Indonesia terkenal Jim Supangkat (lht.: Turner 2005) menyatakan bahwa seni Indonesia telah “kadang-kadang beradaptasi dalam periode waktu yang lama dalam periode kolonial.” Itu menunjukkan karakteristik apa yang ia sebut sebagai “multimodernisme: salah satu ciri modernisme dilihat melalui prinsip-prinsip pluralis”.

Setelah kemerdekaan Indonesia, ASRI - Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia - didirikan pada tahun 1950 di Yogyakarta. Menurut Sarena Abdullah (2010) “ASRI mempromosikan ide bahwa pelukis lokal harus menghasilkan karya seni ‘nasional’ dan asli, yang sebagian besar berasal dari identifikasi emosional dan dogmatis mereka dengan Indonesia dan rakyatnya. ”

Pada tahun 1984 ASRI digantikan oleh Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta (ISI Yogyakarta), dengan misinya untuk mendidik seniman “dengan sikap dan kompetensi ilmiah, yang memiliki rasa tanggung jawab, kesadaran, dan komitmen dalam mengembangkan budaya nasional, sesuai dengan layanan mereka untuk pembangunan bangsa dan karakter. “

Dalam kasus Malaysia, Inggris yang membawa seni Barat modern ke Malaysia, di samping seniman Cina yang berimigrasi, yang telah mempelajari seni Barat. Seniman Tiongkok ini membentuk inti dari Akademi Seni Rupa Nanyang yang berpengaruh dan didirikan di Singapura pada tahun 1938, dengan lima tujuan:

Masa depan bersama kita

Angkatan millenial di dunia seni

1. Integrasi esensi budaya dari empat ras;

2. Peleburan seni Timur dan Barat;

3. Pengembangan semangat sains dan tren pemikiran modern;

4. Ekspresi rasa tropis lokal dan penciptaan gaya seni Nanyang (Laut Selatan);

5. Penekanan pada fungsi pendidikan dan sosial seni rupa.

Asosiasi seniman Melayu penting lainnya adalah Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (APS), didirikan pada tahun 1956, tetapi kemudian diubah menjadi Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia pada tahun 1968. Pembentukan APS dapat dilihat sebagai hal yang relevan bagi banyak seniman Melayu yang hanya mencapai pendidikan Melayu. (Sarena Abdullah, 2010)

Dorongan kuat lainnya untuk pengembangan seni Malaysia yang berasal pada awal 1960-an dari Wednesday Art Group (dilakukan oleh Peter Harris, seorang seniman dan pendidik seni dari Inggris) dan Dewan Seni Malaysia. Galeri Seni Nasional didirikan di tahun 1958, dan berganti nama, menjadi Galeri Seni Visual Nasional pada tahun 2011, sebagai badan nasional yang terlibat dalam pengembangan seni Malaysia.

Jadi di kedua negara ini, perkembangan seni modern dan kontemporer dikaitkan dengan pencarian identitas nasional, itu juga mau diekspresikan dalam seni. Malaysia sebagai negara multi-rasial dengan kelompok minoritas dan imigran dari Cina dan India yang lebih besar harus menemukan jawaban yang berbeda untuk pertanyaan ini daripada Indonesia, yang telah menuliskan “Binekha Tunggal Ika” sebagai prinsip dasar dalam konstitusinya.

Generasi seniman baru di dua negara ini dihadapkan pada hari ini dengan lingkungan dan teknologi yang sama sekali berbeda dari generasi sebelumnya. Globalisasi dan digitalisasi adalah salah satu tantangan paling serius. Ini mengakibatkan eksplorasi tema artistik melalui seni media baru dan instalasi (media itu menjadi lebih umum sejak tahun delapan puluhan, di Indonesia sudah sedikit lebih awal), dengan meninggalkan seni tradisional beserta medianya yang dulu berfungsi sebagai penanda identitas budaya. Kanon seni visual bergeser, itu telah dirusak oleh agenda postmodern baru-baru ini yang telah menantang wacana dominan sebelumnya dan kecenderungan gaya (diwakili, misalnya, melalui gerakan modernis seperti ekspresionisme abstrak).

Seni mau tidak mau harus mencerminkan sesuatu dengan cara tertentu, realitas yang berubah, dan karya seni selalu dapat dibaca sebagai kritik sosial dan komentar. Transformasi ekonomi dan teknologi, sama dengan globalisasi, urbanisasi dan industrialisasi juga berdampak besar pada seniman.

Jadi, siapa seniman muda dari Indonesia dan Malaysia yang akan menunjukkan kepada kita sekilas dan kesan masa kini dan, mungkin, masa depan? Semua seniman yang berpartisipasi di pameran ini lahir antara awal 1980-an dan pertengahan 1990-an hingga awal 2000-an. Jadi mereka dapat dikategorikan sebagai bagian dari generasi yang disebut milenial.

Ajim Juxta (Raja Azeem Idzham), born in 1983 – a proficient artist with a long track record of exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad (Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Singapore). Ajim Juxta is painting, but as well making installations. The painted works are inspired by architectural forms, but in a state of distortion. It’s an almost abstract painting that he did for a while. The approach is conceptual, reflecting a heightened consciousness of social reality. The main characteristic for a certain period of Ajim Juxta are strong and accentuated lines.

Aleff Ahmad (Mohd Aliff Bin Ahmad), born in 1990 – exhibiting artworks since 2010 (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia). Aleff Ahmad refered to traditional painting objects like water-buffalo or depictions of landscapes in a figurative style with abstract elements, using industrial paint for indicating the ecological and economical changes which affect the Malaysian environment. His newer works are more focussed on forms.

Bibichun (Khor Zew Wey), born in 1983 – exhibition experience in Malaysia, and abroad in USA, Indonesia, Myanmar and Austria, participating in art events and festivals. He is interested in public reactions to his work, doing murals and discarded objects. His style is figurative and uses elements from mythological tales and pop art.

Blankmalaysia – the artist name adopted by Adam Jay Robert, born in 1988. He has studied in England, and exhibited in Malaysia since 2014. Working mainly with paper, he wants to speak about mortality and timelessness in the contemporary era. His approach is based on philosophy. He preferes paper because of its versatile usability. It’s a bit like conjuring what he means, everything is possible.

Caraok (Cara Ngeu), born in 1997, has a background in graphic design and has exhibited in Malaysia. The thematic context for her works are deconstruction and reconstruction, refering according to her own words to her childhood in a troubled family. A characteristic colouring with red blue enhances the contrasts that she subconsiously feels. She is committed to Dadaism and Brutalism with its clear and sharp lining. Her more personal collages look like a broken mirror, representing a broken and refigured soul.

Haris Rashid, born in 1992, has already shown his artworks in China, Singapore and Indonesia, besides participating in numerous exhibitions in Malaysia. He studied illustration, and after his graduation he decided to become a professional full-time artist, working with various media, for example wood and textured pressed paper. His favorite objects of painting are wild animals, expressing his concerns about nature, that is threatened through humans and their exploitation of the natural environment. Haris finds human features in animals, and sometimes he believes that animals possess more humanity than mankind itself. Humans should realize that they are part of nature and better protect it. In this sense his concept can be called ‘anthropocenic’.

Lee Sydney, born in 1993. She has studied in England, exploring very different media, from video to photography, installations, collages and painting, and exhibited in England, Greece, and Malaysia. She is interested in Othering and the notion of gaze, for finding out about social identity. Her series of “pieces” showed forms taken from nature. “Is that what we see really

Para peserta dari Malaysia:

real?”, is the disconcerting question behind her collages. Her artistic process is an attempt to connect again with lost memories of childhood.

Sattama (Satria Utama), born in 1986, has exhibited in Malaysia and Korea. The name is composed of the words satria and utama, its meaning in Sanskrit according to Sattama is transcendence, something beyond the range of human experience. Sattama is a musician, a designer and performing artist. The former paintings were painted on wood, with a cartoon-like style, depicting symbols, traditional and modern items (for example TV-test cards), geometric forms and figures of nude males and females, in sometimes desparate situations. It is a narrative work, but everything could change fast again.

Para peserta dari Indonesia:

Diana Puspita Putri, lahir pada tahun 1996, karya seninya dipamerkan terutama di Yogyakarta, tetapi juga di beberapa tempat lain di Indonesia. Lukisan-lukisannya berwarna-warni dan penuh perhatian, jeli dan mencerminkan dirinya dan lingkungannya. Diana tidak takut mengungkapkan saat-saat kelamnya dalam seninya - ketakutan, depresi, dan frustrasi. Subjek penting lainnya dalam lukisannya adalah kesulitan komunikasi antara orang-orang di masyarakat modern. Dia melakukan eksperimen dengan kain dan benang di kanvas, untuk menemukan kemungkinan visualisasi lainnya dan memperluas jangkauan lukisan tradisional. Karyanya subyektif, memberitahu pemirsa tentang wawasan dan perasaannya.

I Putu Adi Suanjaya “Kencut”, lahir pada tahun 1994, I Putu Adi Suanjaya “Kencut”, lahir pada tahun 1994, dan telah dipamerkan di Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta), tetapi juga di Selandia Baru. Ia melukis secara figuratif dengan teknik realis, tetapi benda-benda yang dilukisnya berasal dari dunia imajinasi. Boneka, seperti mainan anak-anak, digambarkan dalam situasi manusia, dengan mata dalam bentuk kancing. Kelihatan tubuh mereka mirip dengan manusia, mereka berpakaian dengan kemeja dan celana panjang berwarna-warni. Dengan teknik melukisnya yang tepat, I Putu Adi Suanjaya menimbulkan ilusi tekstil yang sempurna, tetapi itu hanyalah cat.

Laksamana Ryo, lahir pada tahun 1993, punya pengalaman pameran di Indonesia, terutama Yogyakarta. Laksamana mengatakan bahwa seni telah menjadi hal yang alami baginya, seperti naluri. Ia terpesona oleh kebebasan yang bisa ia capai dalam karya seninya. Dalam melukis ia telah menemukan elemen ‘magic’, karena itu melukis adalah cara yang lebih dia sukai untuk membuatnya. Tetapi, bagaimanapun, ia ingin disebut seorang seniman daripada seorang pelukis, karena ada begitu banyak kemungkinan lain selain melukis yang belum ia coba. Dia menggunakan bahasa visual seni populer, yang lebih dekat dengan generasinya sendiri, namunya milenium. Mungkin suatu hari budaya populer semacam ini akan menjadi pola dasar dari generasi ini, katanya. Lukisan-lukisannya menggambarkan suasana sureal, sering

memvisualkan gadis-gadis muda di lingkungan dan bentuk yang tidak biasa.

Oky Antonius, lahir tahun 1994, sering berpartisipasi dalam pameran di Yogyakarta dan beberapa kota lain di Jawa dan Sumatra. Sosoknya mungkin terlihat lucu atau aneh dan menggelikan, tetapi mereka menceritakan tentang visinya yang serius tentang masyarakat. Ada keserakahan, ada permainan, ada persaingan, semua jenis kegiatan yang bisa ditemukan dalam kehidupan manusia. Beberapa lukisan menunjukkan hewan dalam pose antropomorf. Lukisan-lukisan lain menggunakan gaya yang sama sekali berbeda, mengarah pada bentuk semi-abstrak dengan cara yang jauh lebih rinci dan penuh warna. Ini adalah eksplorasi dan dalam perkembangannya di masa depan akan terlihat ke mana perjalanannya akan membawanya.

Rangga Anugrah Putra, lahir pada tahun 1995, telah berpartisipasi dalam pameran di Yogyakarta, tetapi juga di Jakarta, Solo dan Bandung. Rangga ingin lepas dari kendali dan melawan aturan. Gaya lukisan abstraknya bervariasi, ada yang lebih ekspresif, dengan warna yang pada dasarnya lebih gelap, karya-karya lain termasuk elemen lukisan figuratif, tetapi dalam gaya abstrak dan diminimalkan. Angka-angka dan kata-kata tertulis juga diperkenalkan dalam lukisannya. Teksturnya memperlihatkan kualitas cat yang solid atau sangat kental, seperti bitumen yang ia sindir dalam salah satu lukisannya.

Rizal Hasan, lahir pada tahun 1992, telah memamerkannya di Indonesia sejak 2013. Dunia Rizal adalah seperti alam mimpi yang sureal, dilukis dengan warna-warna lembut dan dipenuhi oleh tokoh-tokoh yang mengingatkan pada gaya komik. Monster dengan tiga mata muncul, atau hanya kepala seorang gadis dengan mata yang mengkristal di sisi kolam kecil. Alien, atau makhluk aneh muncul di lingkungan tropis. Mata yang jadi ikon adalah kunci untuk membaca karya Rizal. Mata dapat dilihat dalam berbagai bentuk yang aneh. Dan tentu saja mata adalah pusat seni visual. Apa yang dilihat, itu tergantung pada masing-masing individu.

Kelompok seniman muda ini cukup beragam, dengan berbagai latar belakang pendidikan dan budaya, dengan prioritas masing-masing dalam memilih mata pelajaran dan media yang mereka gunakan. Tetapi mereka semua memiliki keinginan berbagi untuk melanjutkan pendekatan eksploratif, sampai mereka menemukan apa yang mereka cari. Mereka semua ingin berkontribusi pada dunia seni dengan karya-karya individual yang inovatif dan signifikan yang mewakili identitas mereka. Ini adalah proses menemukan diri mereka sendiri, dan perjalanan yang benar-benar artistik. Sebagai anak milenial, mereka mewakili generasi mereka dengan sikap dan konsep yang lebih bergeser ke individualitas masing-masing seniman yang terlibat. Milenial dikarakteristikkan sebagai generasi yang sangat berorientasi ke konsumerisme, tetapi mereka juga produktif dan mereka akan memutuskan masa depan sejak dini. Meskipun mereka adalah generasi pertama yang telah mendasar hampir sepenuhnya dengan teknologi digital ini di sekitar mereka, mereka masih ingat bahwa manusia harus diprioritaskan. Yang pasti, cara mereka berkomunikasi, mengumpulkan informasi dan memecahkan masalah dibentuk oleh teknologi baru.

Karya-karya seni dalam pameran ini membuktikan bahwa kaum milenial tidak berkomitmen pada konsumerisme - walaupun kebanyakan dari mereka tentu menyukai budaya populer - tetapi mereka memiliki minat untuk mengalami lebih dalam. Pertemuan ini, para seniman muda dari Indonesia dan Malaysia membangun jembatan antara dua sejarah dan budaya yang berbeda, dengan bertukar dan berbagi pengalaman dalam seni. Masa depan akan bersama mereka.

Anton Larenz, Penulis Seni

Catatan:

Abdullah, Sarena: Absenteeism of Malaysian Identity in Art in the Early Years of Independence. In: JATI, Vol 15, Issue 1; Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Malaya, 2010)

Turner, Caroline: Art and Social Change: Contemporary Art in Asia and the Pacific. Pandanus Books, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 2005

When young artists from two different countries meet, they will probably quickly find out what they have in common and what makes a difference between them. However, in visual arts they share their concerns about visuality, a keyword for the field of visual culture. and the visual language that goes along with it.

According to the definition of W.J.T. Mitchell, a well known researcher of media theory and visual culture, visuality is the social construction of the visual field and the visual construction of the social field. Producing an image in the mind is an essential part of artists’ imagination. So they construct something, that is invisible, before it takes shape in form of an artwork. According to Mitchell’s definition the visual works both ways: shaping the social, but the social shapes the visual as well.

In this exhibition, organized by Indra Dodi, the owner of Badai Studio and himself an artist, together with Artemis Art from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a group of young artists from Malaysia meets with young artists from Indonesia.

Of course, this is not the first time that Malaysian artists show their works in Indonesia, or even in Yogyakarta, In the past there was already artistic exchange with Malaysia. The development of modern or contemporary art has taken different paths in these two countries. But, on the other hand, both countries share some common cultural roots, for example the language (certainly not the same, but still so close to each other that they can communicate directly and understand each other).

Indonesia and Malaysia have a different history, marked by the influences of the respective colonial regimes. In the case of Indonesia it was through the Dutch that Indonesians became acquainted with modern art. The renowned Indonesian curator Jim Supangkat (in: Turner 2005) remarked that Indonesian art has “adapted sometimes over a long period of time in the colonial period.” It showed characteristics of what he called “multimodernism: a modernism seen through pluralist principles”.

After the Indonesian independence ASRI Arts Academy was founded in 1950. According to Sarena Abdullah (2010) “ASRI promoted the idea that local painters should produce ‘national’ and indigenous artwork, stemming mainly from their emotional and dogmatic identification with Indonesia and its people.”

In 1984 ASRI was replaced by the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta (Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta, ISI Yogyakarta), with its mission to educate artists “with a scholarly attitude and competency, who have a sense of responsibility, awareness, and commitment in developing the national culture, in accordance with their services for the nation and character building.”

In the case of Malaysia it was the British who brought modern Western art to Malaysia, besides the immigrating Chinese artists, who had already studied Western art. These Chinese artists formed the core of the influential Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts which was established in Singapore in 1938, with five objectives:

The Future is With Us

Millennials in the art world

1. Integration of the cultural essence of the four races;

2. Fusion of the art of the East and West;

3. Development of the spirit of science and trends of modern thinking;

4. Expression of the local tropical flavour and the creation of a Nanyang (South Seas) art style and;

5. Emphasis on the educational and social functions of fine art.

Another important Malay artist association was the Angkatan Pelukis Semenanjung (APS), formed in 1956, but it was changed later on to Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia in 1968. The formation of the APS can be seen as pertinent for many Malay artists who had only attained Malay education. (Sarena Abdullah, 2010)

Other strong impulses for the development of Malaysian art derived in the early 1960’s from the Wednesday Art Group (conducted by Peter Harris, an artist and art educator from Britain) and the Art Council Malaysia. The National Art Gallery was established since 1958, and changed its name to the National Visual Arts Gallery in 2011, as the national body involved in the development of Malaysian art.

So in both countries the development of modern and contemporary art was linked with the search of a national identity, also expressed in the arts. Malaysia as a multi-racial state with bigger minorities of Chinese and Indian descendants and immigrants had to find different answers to this question than Indonesia, that had inscribed “Unity in Diversity” as a basic principle in its constitution.

The new generation of artists in these two countries is confronted today with a completely different environment and technology than the former generations. Globalization and digitalization are among the most serious challenges. This results in the exploration of artistic themes through new media art and installations (becoming more common since the eighties, in Indonesia already a bit earlier), by leaving traditional forms and media that once served as markers of cultural identity behind. The canons of the visual arts are shifting, they have been undermined by recent postmodern agendas that have challenged the former dominant discourses and stylistic tendencies (represented, for example, through modernist movements like abstract expressionism).

Art inevitably reflects in a certain way the changing realities, and artworks could always be read as social critique and commentary. Economical and and technological transformations, globalization, urbanization and industrialization have also a deep impact on artists.

So, who are these young artists from Indonesia and Malaysia who will show us glimpses and impressions of the present and, maybe, of the future? All of the participating artists are born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s to early 2000s. So they can be categorized as belonging to the generation of the so-called millenials.

Ajim Juxta (Raja Azeem Idzham), born in 1983 – a proficient artist with a long track record of exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad (Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Singapore). Ajim Juxta is painting, but as well making installations. The painted works are inspired by architectural forms, but in a state of distortion. It’s an almost abstract painting that he did for a while. The approach is conceptual, reflecting a heightened consciousness of social reality. The main characteristic for a certain period of Ajim Juxta are strong and accentuated lines.

Aleff Ahmad (Mohd Aliff Bin Ahmad), born in 1990 – exhibiting artworks since 2010 (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia). Aleff Ahmad refered to traditional painting objects like water-buffalo or depictions of landscapes in a figurative style with abstract elements, using industrial paint for indicating the ecological and economical changes which affect the Malaysian environment. His newer works are more focussed on forms.

Bibichun (Khor Zew Wey), born in 1983 – exhibition experience in Malaysia, and abroad in USA, Indonesia, Myanmar and Austria, participating in art events and festivals. He is interested in public reactions to his work, doing murals and discarded objects. His style is figurative and uses elements from mythological tales and pop art.

Blankmalaysia – the artist name adopted by Adam Jay Robert, born in 1988. He has studied in England, and exhibited in Malaysia since 2014. Working mainly with paper, he wants to speak about mortality and timelessness in the contemporary era. His approach is based on philosophy. He preferes paper because of its versatile usability. It’s a bit like conjuring what he means, everything is possible.

Caraok (Cara Ngeu), born in 1997, has a background in graphic design and has exhibited in Malaysia. The thematic context for her works are deconstruction and reconstruction, refering according to her own words to her childhood in a troubled family. A characteristic colouring with red blue enhances the contrasts that she subconsiously feels. She is committed to Dadaism and Brutalism with its clear and sharp lining. Her more personal collages look like a broken mirror, representing a broken and refigured soul.

Haris Rashid, born in 1992, has already shown his artworks in China, Singapore and Indonesia, besides participating in numerous exhibitions in Malaysia. He studied illustration, and after his graduation he decided to become a professional full-time artist, working with various media, for example wood and textured pressed paper. His favorite objects of painting are wild animals, expressing his concerns about nature, that is threatened through humans and their exploitation of the natural environment. Haris finds human features in animals, and sometimes he believes that animals possess more humanity than mankind itself. Humans should realize that they are part of nature and better protect it. In this sense his concept can be called ‘anthropocenic’.

Lee Sydney, born in 1993. She has studied in England, exploring very different media, from video to photography, installations, collages and painting, and exhibited in England, Greece, and Malaysia. She is interested in Othering and the notion of gaze, for finding out about social identity. Her series of “pieces” showed forms taken from nature. “Is that what we see really

The partipants from Malaysia:

real?”, is the disconcerting question behind her collages. Her artistic process is an attempt to connect again with lost memories of childhood.

Sattama (Satria Utama), born in 1986, has exhibited in Malaysia and Korea. The name is composed of the words satria and utama, its meaning in Sanskrit according to Sattama is transcendence, something beyond the range of human experience. Sattama is a musician, a designer and performing artist. The former paintings were painted on wood, with a cartoon-like style, depicting symbols, traditional and modern items (for example TV-test cards), geometric forms and figures of nude males and females, in sometimes desparate situations. It is a narrative work, but everything could change fast again.

The partipants from Indonesia:

Diana Puspita Putri, born in 1996, has mainly exhibited in Yogyakarta, but as well in some other places in Indonesia. Her paintings are colorful and thoughtful, observant and reflective of herself and her surroundings. Diana is not afraid of revealing her darker moments in her art - fears, depressions and frustrations. Another important subject in her paintings is the difficulty of communication between people in modern society. She did experiments with fabric and yarn on the canvas, for finding other possibilities of visualization and to extend the traditional range of painting. Her works are subjective, telling the viewer about her insights and feelings.

I Putu Adi Suanjaya “Kencut”, born in 1994, and has exhibited in Indonesia (Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta), but also in New Zealand. He paints figuratively with a realist technique, but his painted objects originate from the realm of imagination. Dolls, like children toys, are arranged in human situations, with eyes in the form of buttons. Dolls, likening children toys, are arranged in human situations, with eyes in the form of buttons. Their human-like bodies they are dressed with colorful shirts and trousers. With his exact painting technique I Putu Adi Suanjaya evokes the perfect illusion of textiles, but it is just paint.

Laksamana Ryo, born in 1993, has exhibition experience in Indonesia, mainly Yogyakarta. Laksamana says that art has become natural for him, like an instinct. He is fascinated by the freedom that he can achieve in his art. In painting he has found a ‘magic’ element, so painting is his prefered way of producing. But, however, he wants to be called an artist rather than a painter, because there are so many other possibilities beyond painting that he has not explored yet. He uses the visual language of popular art, which is closer to his own generation, the millenials. Maybe someday this kind of popular culture will be the archetype of this generation, he says. His paintings depict some surreal atmosphere, often showing young girls in unsual envronments and figurations.

Oky Antonius, born in 1994, participated in exhibitions in Yogyakarta and some other cities

on Java and Sumatra. His figures might look funny or bizarre and ludicrous, but they tell about his serious vision of society. There is greed, there is play, there is competition, all kinds of activities that could be found in human life. Some paintings show animals in anthropomorph poses. Other paintings use a completely different style, aiming at semi-abstract forms in a much more detailed and colorful way. It is an exploration and in his future development it will be seen where his journey will lead him to.

Rangga Anugrah Putra, born in 1995, had particapated in exhibitions in Yogyakarta, but also in Jakarta, Solo and Bandung. Rangga wants to escape control and resist against the rules. His abstract painting style varies, some is more expressive, with basically darker colors, other works include elements of figurative painting, but in an abstracted and minimalized style. Numbers and written words are introduced as well in his paintings. The textures expose solid or highly viscous liquid quality of paint, like the bitumen to which he alludes in one of his paintings.

Rizal Hasan, born in 1992, has exhibited in Indonesia since 2013. Rizal’s world is like a surreal dreamscape, painted in soft colors and populated with figures which remind of comic-style. A monster with three eyes shows up, or just the head of a girl with a crystallizing eye by the side of a small pool, Aliens, or strange creatures appear in a tropical surrounding. The iconized eye is the key for opening up to Rizal’s work. Eyes can be seen in many varied shapes and bizarre figurations. And eyes certainly are at the center of visual art. It depends on each individual what is being seen.

This group of young artists is quite mixed, with various educational and cultural backgrounds, with their individual priorities in the choice of subjects and the media they use. But they all share the will to continue with their exploratory approaches, until they have found what they are looking for. They all want to contribute to the art world with innovative and significantly personal works that represents their identity. It is a process of finding themselves, and a truly artistic journey. As millenials they represent their generation with attitudes and concepts that are shifting more to the individuality of each involved artist. Millenials have been characterized as very consumer-oriented, but they are also productive and they will decide about the future now. Although they are digital natives as the first generation to have grown almost completely with these technologies around them, they still remember that humans should come first. For sure, the way they communicate and gather information and solve problems is shaped by the new technologies.

The artworks in this exhibition proves that millenials do not commit to consumerism - although most of them certainly like popular culture - but that they have an interest to be more profound. This meeting of young artists from Indonesia and Malaysia builds a bridge between two different histories and cultures, by exchanging and sharing experiences in the arts. The future will be with them.

Anton Larenz, Art Writer

Notes:

Abdullah, Sarena: Absenteeism of Malaysian Identity in Art in the Early Years of Independence. In: JATI, Vol 15, Issue 1; Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Malaya, 2010)

Turner, Caroline: Art and Social Change: Contemporary Art in Asia and the Pacific. Pandanus Books, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 2005

Acknowledgments / Penghargaan

Pertama sekali, Artemis Art ingin merakamkan terima kasih kami kepada bapak Indra Dodi yang menyarankan ide pameran ini serta sudi memberi izin untuk menggunakan badai art studio sebagai lokasi pameran. Penghargaan yang amat tinggi juga kepada tim Vice Versa 2.0, diketuai Rachma Aprillian Kusuma Wardhani, dalam usaha mengelolakan koordinasi pameran ini. Juga, ribuan terima kasih kepada bapak Anton Larenz diatas usahanya menghasilkan penulisan yang amat bernas. Tetapi terima kasih yang tiada terhingga dari kami ditujukan kepada seniman-seniman yang berpatisipasi, keatas usaha gigih kamu serta kesudian mengikuti program pameran yang sederhana ini.

Firstly, Artemis Art would like to express our thanks to bapak Indra Dodi, who suggested the initial idea for this year’s group exhibition, and for his willingness to allow us to use badai art studio as the exhibition venue. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes out to the Vice Versa 2.0 team, led by Rachma Aprillian Kusuma Wardhani, for their untiring effort in assisting us coordinate the exhibition. Also, our utmost thanks to bapak Anton Larenz for the superb essay written for the exhibition. But none of this would have been possible without the participating artists - to these fourteen young artists, our sincere heartfelt THANK YOU for your efforts and willingness to make Vice Versa 2.0 a reality.

The Artworks

Karya-Karya

b. 1983, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bachelor of Science in Architecture, MARA University of Technology, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Akur (2019) Mixed Media on Canvas, 160 x 67.5 cm

Kembali (2019) Mixed Media on Canvas, 160 x 67.5 cm

Toleh (2019) Mixed Media on Canvas, 160 x 67.5 cm

b. 1990, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bachelor of Fine Art, Faculty of Art & Design, Universiti Teknologi MARA (Seri Iskandar Campus), Perak, Malaysia

Garisan, Bentuk dan Warna I (2019) Industrial Paint, Oil Pastel, and Acrylic on Canvas, 90 x 90 cm

Garisan, Bentuk dan Warna II (2019) Industrial Paint, Oil Pastel, and Acrylic on Canvas, 90 x 90 cm

b. 1983, Malaysia

Self-taught Artist / Seniman Otodidak

Satt Menari (2019) Acrylic and Collage on Plywood, 53 x 44 x 8 cm

b. 1983, Malaysia

Self-taught Artist / Seniman Otodidak

San Sebastiane (2019) Acrylic on Papier Mache, 30 x 21 x 16 cm

Puncak Pertama (2019) Acrylic on Papier Mache, 80 x 30 x 40 cm

Antropocean Machine (2019) - set of 10Acrylic on Papier Mache, 9.5 x 13.5 cm x 10

b. 1997, Penang, Malaysia

Diploma in Graphic Design, KDU Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

At 6 (2019) Mixed Media on Canvas, 91.5 x 61 cm

b. 1996, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Bachelor in Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

A Story of Rendevouz (2019) Acrylic on Canvas, 130 x 170 cm

b. 1992, Kedah, Malaysia

Diploma in Illustration, The One Academy, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Evolution I (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 45.5 x 45 x 44 cm

Evolution II (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 48 x 47 x 33 cm

Evolution IV (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 58 x 39 x 58 cm

Evolution II (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 48 x 47 x 33 cm

Evolution III (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 48 x 39 x 45 cm

Evolution IV (2019) Acrylic and Color Pencil on Wood, 58 x 39 x 58 cm

Repetition Series - Berdiskusi (2019) Acrylic on Canvas, 180 x 140 cm

b. 1994, Badung, Bali, Indonesia

Bachelor of Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

b. 1993, Banyuwangi, Indonesia

Bachelor of Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Desire (2019) Oil and Acrylic on Canvas, Variable Dimensions (3 panels, 50 cm, 30 cm, and 15 cm dia.)

Dérive (2018) Digital Video (Color + Sound, Loop), 51 sec.

b. 1993, Penang, Malaysia

Bachelor of Art (Fine Art), University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

Reka - “Mereka” (2018) Acrylic on Canvas, 180 x 150 cm

b. 1994, Sicincin, Sumatra, IndonesiaPursuing his Bachelor of Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Close to the Chance (2019) Acrylic, Bitumen, Oil and Spray Paint on Canvas, 120 x 130 cm

b. 1995, Sleman, Yogyakarta, IndonesiaPursuing his Bachelor of Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Harvest Day (2019) Acrylic, Bitumen, Oil and Automobile Spray Paint on Canvas, 125 x 145 cm

Seeing Through Memories (2019) Acrylic, Decorfin, Paper, and Watercolor on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm

b. 1995, Gresik, East Java, IndonesiaPursuing his Bachelor of Fine Art, Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI), Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Pertembungan Pertama Dengan Bunjut Batik (2019) Acrylic on Sewn Fabric with Fillings, 95 x 96 x 12 cm

b. 1986, Sabah, MalaysiaSelf-taught Multidisciplinary Artist

Project Manager / Manajer ProyekU.C. Loh

Event Coordinator / Koordinator AcaraRachma Aprillian Kusuma Wardhani

Installation & Setup / Instalasi & PengaturanTeam/Tim Vice Versa 2.0Rachma Aprillian Kusuma Wardhani (Team Lead)Desy Irma FitrianiGandawyuha ManarussinaNur Sista Senja Wiragasari

Writing & Translation / Penulisan & PenterjemahanAnton Larenz

Photography / FotografiParticipating Artists / Seniman Yang Berpatisipasi

Brochure Design & Layout / Desain & Tata Letak Brosur6is9DESIGNWERKZ

© 2019 Artemis Corporation Sdn BhdAll Rights Reserved / Seluruh Hak TerpeliharaNo part of this publication may be reproduced, except for the purpose of research, criticism, and review, without first seeking written prior permission from the participating artists and publisher.Tidak ada bagian dari publikasi ini yang boleh direproduksi, kecuali untuk tujuan penelitian, kritik, dan review, tanpa meminta izin tertulis dari seniman yang berpartisipasi dan penerbit.

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