Art Jakarta 2024 Marks the Return of Indonesia’s Flagship Art Fair
Art Jakarta, Indonesia’s flagship art fair, is back on 4–6 October 2024. With a clear focus on Southeast Asia and hosted in the region’s dynamic center for contemporary art, it is a vibrant international forum for all stakeholders of this important art ecosystem. At JIExpo Kemayoran, Art Jakarta 2024 brings together a diverse line-up of

Art Jakarta 2024: Presenting the Best of Indonesian & Regional Contemporary Art
Art Jakarta, Southeast Asia’s most significant and prestigious art fair, returns on 4 – 6 October 2024 to JIExpo, Kemayoran, Jakarta. Art Jakarta plays an essential role in the development of contemporary culture as a dynamic point of connectivity for art industry stakeholders and the evolving sectors within the region’s burgeoning creative economy. Bringing together

The Origins of Tajen in Indonesia: A Time-Honoured Tradition
Cockfighting, known locally as tajen or sabung ayam is not merely a pastime in Indonesia; it is a cultural institution deeply intertwined especially with Bali’s spiritual beliefs. Today, it is a familiar image of wicker baskets lining roads around Indonesia, housing roosters as they are toughened up with traffic sounds. In this article, Sake Santema

Five Elements of Life: Pancha Mahabhuta Exhibition at The Apurva Kempinski Bali
For the 2024 Powerful Indonesia: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika program in parity with Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day, award-winning hotel The Apurva Kempinski Bali publicly presents the Gallery of Art ‘Pancha Mahabhuta’ Exhibition from 17 August to October 2024 in their Pendopo Lobby. An exclusive idiosyncratic voyage awaits, wherein renowned artists I Made Griyawan and Teja Astawa

COLLECTION 101 UBUD: Repatriating Indonesian Heritage
Many unique aspects of Indonesia’s cultural heritage remain relatively unknown to its citizens. Gaps in knowledge derived from archaeological research, translated into curated exhibitions of museum collections, conceal a myriad of historical accounts that distinguish Indonesia internationally. Since the beginning of the 1950s, countless exceptional Indonesian artworks and artefacts have left the country, finding homes

The Spice Islands of Indonesia: A Brief History Told Through Old Maps
Spices have been a cornerstone of global commerce for thousands of years, shaping the course of human history. From ancient societies to contemporary economies, spices have been instrumental in shaping diverse cultures and culinary traditions worldwide. The Allure of Spices: Why These Maps Exist From ancient times, aromatic plant products have been highly prized for

ARTJOG Contemporary Art Festival Headlines Jogja Art Weeks 2024
Indonesian art’s annual celebration of creativity, Jogja Art Weeks (JAW), conducted throughout Yogyakarta’s Special Regency and north into Magelang, is a unique and exciting meeting point for Indonesian artists and national and international art lovers. The four-month program of events, which has distinguished Yogyakarta on the global art event calendar, is characterised by the diversity

IVAA: Safeguarding the Nation’s Artistic Heritage for Future Generations
Indonesia boasts a unique visual art heritage that distinguishes the nation globally and within Southeast Asia. However, a significant obstacle to preserving this rich heritage is the need for more public awareness about the importance of art and cultural development in Indonesian society. Indonesian Visual Art Archive (IVAA) in Yogyakarta is dedicated to the artistic

Fallen Angels: Indonesia’s Birds of Paradise
The bird of paradise, Cendrawasih in Bahasa Indonesia, holds a special place as a symbol of New Guinea and Indonesia, drawing visitors from around the globe to witness these majestic birds in their natural habitat on the second largest island in the world. However, for centuries, these birds remained as mysterious as the prized spices

The Origin of Wayang Kristal
The art of wayang – flat leather puppetry – is closely related to Javane theater. Its characters tells stories usually derived from the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, but nowadays, new variations are emerging. Some puppeteers use their own storylines, others invent new forms with new materials. One of them is Pak Sardi, who makes puppets

Gudskul: Jakarta’s Evolving Art Ecosystem Nurtures a Thriving Creative Community
Jakarta is a fusion of rich ethnic diversity from across the archipelago, merging local Indonesian distinctions with international cultures and ideas. At the grassroots levels, there is a flourishing creative community, with abundant human potential, a dynamic and evolving infrastructure, and increasingly diverse opportunities. A healthy art and creative scene is essential to any modern megacity

ART JAKARTA GARDENS: Art Fair Highlights 3D Works in Lush Open-Air Surroundings
Art Jakarta Gardens, held 23-28 April 2024 amidst the lush greenery at Hutan Kota by Plataran in Semanggi, Jakarta, is a new model of art fair devised in 2022 as a response to the pandemic introducing an exciting and unique format to Southeast Asian art. Art Jakarta Gardens balanced two components. It showcased twenty-three local and

CARE by Patricia Piccinini Set for Exhibition at Museum MACAN
Opening on 25 May 2024, Museum MACAN presents a solo exhibition by globally-recognised Australian artist, Patricia Piccinini, for the first time in Indonesia. Curated by Tobias Berger, the exhibition titled CARE will showcase forty life-size sculptures, three large video installations, along with Celestial Field (2021), a spectacular installation of thousands of flowers. Piccinini’s one-of-a-kind sculptures