How should we see art today? How does a young artist especially Indonesian young artist interprets two terms that are often used interchangeably- even inapproriately contradicted within a context; “a modern art and a contemporary art”?Can we see these two terms as a way of thinking that integrates each other rather than a method, medium, or a different approach as an attempt to expand a framework of art in depicting various social problems?
Taking a symposium format that consists of two speeches and three panels, this program, as part of The Memories Hurying Home project, features a number several prominent speakers of fine art and social science. This discussion aims to expose us to the artistic pursuit of today’s young artists. Based on the works of Suvi Wahyudianto exhibited in his solo exhibition entiled the Memories Hurrying Home, this symposium aims to map out the preferences, knowledge, concerns, expressions, orientation, style of exposition, and models that are engrained in the new works of contemporary artists.
By engaging speakers from different background such as artist, curator, and social researcher , this symposium aims to consider a new perspective on the practice of “ modern art”, especially in paintings. Furthermore, this also attempts to identify the posibilities that surround modern art that might be relevant with the current development of both fine art discpline and others fields. Besides, this program will also reevaluate the notion and practice of the “art-based research” that has been stealing the attention today’s artist when trying to describe art as an ideal way to give a tangible impact to our society.
– Day #1, Jan 15th, 2020 l 14.30-17.30 (Local Time)
“The Context of Fine Art From Other Perspectives: Art as A Medium on Autoetnography and Reconciliation
- Poem Recital: Suvi Wahyudianto
- Keynote Speech: St. Sunardi (Academician, Sanata Dharma University)
St. Sunardi is expected to speak about autoetnography as a creation strategy. His first approach might be to read Suvi’s works in the realm of autoetnography, and his second approach might be to discuss how autoetnography works as a tool for creation. Those two points can be presented through some works that have already existed. He might do so by mentioning real examples and scopes of autoentnography in art interpretation. This topic can also be broadened by linking it with the theory of psychoanalysis as an attempt to further analyze the relation between self-exploration (physical and pychological) and the experience of “loss”, “violence”, “trauma”, and as well as conflict narations experiences that determine the perception and social behaviour exhibited by our body, in which the connection between the two can reflect the fragmented experience that are connected to the socially conditioned role of an individual or a group.
- Panel 1: “Fine Art, Autoethnography, and Reconcilitiation”
Speakers:
Anne Shakka (Writer, Researcher)
Diah Kusumaningrum (Writer, Academician)
Moderator:
Muhammad Abe (Writer, Researcher, Historian, Actor)
Description:
(This description is written by the moderator of the discusssion, Muhammad Abe)
In 2019, Suvi Wahyudianto had an opportunity to visit West Kalimantan under a Residency Program called Rimpang X Kelana initiated by Cemeti Institute for Art and Society together with Biennale Jogja. Duringhis residency in Pontianak, Suvi who was born and raised in Madura, kept some printed-news artciles on ethnicity conflict happened in West Kalimantan in the 1990s-2000s. With these articles in hand, he visited the locations where the conflict was mentioned.
During his first month in Pontianak, Suvi faced a situation where potential ruggers arising from the previous conflict between Madura, Malay, and Dayak ethnicities still permeated in West Kalimantan. According to Suvi, tthere were some areas which ,adura people were forbidden to enter-which was Sampang, it was the most dangerous territory at the time.Suvi was able to enter those locations disguising himself as a Maduranese and he also got safety assurance from Malay and Dayak people who were willing to help him conduct his research.
His works in his solo exhibition in Cemeti gallery are derived from his personal experience during his residency program which he connects with his growth as a Maduranesemand who is inseparale from the patriarchal society in Madura. In the ethnicity conflicts that he studied, Suvi found asense of glorification of patriachy. Suvi’s solo exibitionis a reflection on the narration of “loss” and “coming home”. To Suvi, all the parties were the victims of this endless ethnicity conflict.
In doing his works, Suvi used two approaches to interpret the data that he had compiled. For The first approach, he used autoethography to show how the conflict that happened in Madura in the late 1990s until the early 2000s influenced his personal development. For instance, in 1999 there was blackout in Madura for three days which happened around the Climax of the ethnicity conflict in Kalimantan. The second approach in which I offered myself as one of the researchers assisting in his preparations for the exhibitions is called “performance studies”, which freely sees culture as a manifestationnof symbols that could be presented. Through “performance studies”, Suvi was able to “deconstruct” a cultural symbol and therefore had no pressure to put one symbol in a different contect, which served as a strategy to present himself and deliver his point of view.
Suvi did not treat “autoethnography” and “performance studes” separately. To Suvi, this exhibition is a medium to explore the feeling of “loss” that might be found in everyone. He tries to go beyond boundaries of the symbolic aspects of ethicity to convey it. The panel discussion that accompanies Suvi Wahyudianto’s exhibition that does not emerge from his works directly, but rather from other means of creation.
Anne Shakka: ”Autoethnography Method in Creation”
Anne is expected to give a perspective about how autoethography can be used in cultural-based researches. Especially, how this method can be apllied as a strategy to convey the alternative narations which probably represent a different perception from the others perceptions that commonly spread.
Diah Kusumaningrum: ”Performance and Performativity in Reconciliation in Ambon”
Diah is expected to present her perspective about the process of reconciliation that has been done by the government and organically done by the society. These two processess almost happened at the same time when ethnicity conflict occcured in Kalimantan. Diah will speak on performance and performativity as seen in daily life; how performance studies methodology can be applied in a critical thinking in order to reveal the construction of cultural symbols.
- Poem Recital by Suvi Wahyudianto: Muhammad Abe and Eka Nusapartiwi
– Thursday, Jan 16th 2020 l 14.30-17.30 (Local Time)
“Art Practice as Self and Society Empowerment“
- Keynote speech: Alia Swastika (Curator, Director of Biennale Foundation, Yogyakarta)
The presence of Alia Swastika in this program is to give visionary perspectives on art practice aside from all boundaries that have already existed- as one of methods to objectify empowerment action, it does not only in the context of self- empowerment but also in the society in general. In the other hand, this also elaborates “art empowerment” as a way of thinking, an approach, and a personal conversation methodology among subjects in the society; it is a method and motive that are able to relieve distance, social gap, and discrimination. Through this framework, the art empowerment comes up as a starting point to depict new findings in the context of artistic language, aesthetic, and communication model that relevant to the society.
- Panel 1: “See Art Practice through Today’s Young Artists”
Speakers:
Sigit P (Artist)
Suvi W (Artist)
Moderator:
Umi Lestari : (Academician, Critic)
Description:
It is going to be a light discussion that presents two artists from two different generations. This panel attempts to break down the practice direction- including idelogy as a base, a choice of medium and style of expression, an approach and a method with art framework in today’s artist. Regardless their age gap and uniqueness, along with Umi as a moderator, Suvi Wahyudianto will be invited by the moderator to discuss and share his project that he has been doing and exploring until now. Meanwhile, Sigit Pius led by moderator, he will take his role as a respondent in this discussion.
This is a discussion where all parties can share their experience and perspective in identifying the work production practices. It also aims to trigger a new inspiration in response to the progresivity of art in the society, so we can both see our position in developing the contemporary art discourse and strengthen our sensitivity towards the history of art development as a guidance in the creation of modern achievements for now and in the future.
- Panel 2: “Art –Based Research” The Artistic Research and The Paintings Practice through Young Artist’s Perspective
Speakers:
Ayos Purwoaji (Curator)
Arham Rahman (Curator)
Moderator:
Manshur Zikri (Curator, Artistic Manager of Cemeti)
Description:
(This description is written by the moderator of the discussion, Manshur Zikri)
To provoke the understanding- or a new method to understand- the connection between art and research, this panel will identify the furthermost possibilites- as far as the speakers can imagine . This panel will examine the practices of art artistic that has been perceived as the background of the packaging of creating artworks, art phenomenon, and both textual and non textual outputs surround that practices. All speakers are expected to share their pesonal experience based on their focus that has been curated/researched and also their work style. It is done in order to reevalute the old understanding that has been attaching to the practice models that has been labelled as “artistic-based research”. Particularly, this panel will also talk about the relevance of paintings- a category of artistic practice that is getting unpopular to young artists in the development of today’s Indonesian young artist. Can we formulate a certain progesitivity from that subject? Can we find the significance of it? Or can we say that is something that we can perceive significantly in a dynamic of millenials generation and so forth.
CEMETI 