TAKAR-TELUSUR
5 October – 17 November 2023
Bob Edrian
Egga Jaya
Wiyoga Muhardanto
Opening:
Thursday, 05 October 2023 | 19:30 WIB
Public Program:
Artist Talk :
Saturday, 07 October 2023 | 15:30 WIB
Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society
Jl. D.I. Panjaitan 41, Yogyakarta
10:00 – 17:00 | Tuesday – Saturday
Artist is a keen observer. Artists measure and explore their visions to realise their artistic ideas. “Takar-Telusur” is an artistic presentation that emphasises the spectrum of observation by two artists: Egga Jaya and Wiyoga Muhardanto. Both Egga and Wiyoga who observe the consumption behaviours.
Inspired by the use of sugar compounds in the exploration of printmaking (the sugar aquatint technique), Egga Jaya became interested in tracing the journey of sugar from the realm of production to its consumption. Egga’s observation of sugar spans from mapping the distribution of sugar factories in the colonial period to the human desire for sweet taste. In Egga’s exploration, sugar is no longer viewed merely as a sweetener. In his view, sugar is also a symbol of power and a variable for the exchange of knowledge and culture.
Wiyoga Muhardanto measures consumption activities in society as a whole and, specifically, the consumption of artworks in the context of artistic ritual and the prerequisites of art exhibitions. Art events that are fundamentally open to public consumption/appreciation are often limited to the realm of consumption/acquisition. Art is considered a luxury item, and consequently, it can only be owned by a limited number of people. In Wiyoga’s observation, efforts to consume everyday objects to items with limited access, such as artworks, have given rise to unique rituals and social mobility, each influencing the other. The impulse to consume subsequently triggers movement and shifts in social classes.
Observational skills become essential in managing inspiration and turning imagination into works of art. Efforts to present observational findings in artistic presentations are often known as research-based art. There are various opinions regarding this development of 21st-century contemporary art. Is research-based art a breakthrough in the presentation aspect of art? Is it a dual-purpose trend, aiming for both artistic achievement and scientific accomplishment? “Takar-Telusur ” does not attempt to position artists between the artistic and scientific domains. The observations of Egga Jaya and Wiyoga Muhardanto are experiential observations with their respective artistic mediums: printmaking and sculpture. How do artistic mediums become the main variables in discovering new findings and awareness of specific issues and situations.
“Takar-Telusur” maps specific artistic mediums as the starting point for artists’ observations of various objects and events in their surroundings. Artworks, sugar, and a variety of consumption behaviours are within the scope of Egga Jaya and Wiyoga Muhardanto’s observations.
Bob Edrian
Curator
Documentation
Biography
Currently based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Bob Edrian (b.1988) is an independent curator, as well as a Project Director at IndoArtNow and Managing Director at Audial Plane (Orange Cliff Records). Focusing his research on the development of sound in the arts and media art, his curatorial projects include “Bandung New Emergence Vol. 6: Listen!” (2016), “Intomedia” (2017), “Soemardja Sound Art Project” (2018), “International Media Arts Festival Instrumenta” (2018-2019), “Pancaran Citra Lokal” (2020), and “Universal Iteration” (2021-2023).
He won the 2016 Curatorial Research Grant funded by Selasar Sunaryo Art Space and the Sidharta Aboejono Martoredjo (SAM) Fund for Arts and Ecology (Indonesia), and was selected as one of the participants in the Para Site Workshops for Emerging Art Professionals 2018 (Hong Kong). His recent work has been featured in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Sound Art (2020), published by Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
Egga Jaya Egga Jaya, born in Bandung on May 31, 1994. He completed his Bachelor’s in Graphic Arts at the Bandung Institute of Technology. His works often explore variables such as paper, metal, and sugar – everyday vernacular objects, within the contextual history of sugar in the Indonesian archipelago and the medium of sugar itself. He actively exhibited both nationally and internationally, including Jogja International Miniprint Biennale (2016 & 2021), Seamless (solo exhibition) at Gudskul Ekosistem, and Grafis Huru-Hara 2019, finalist of Bandung Art Contemporary Award #6 at Lawangwangi Creative Space in 2019, Out of Register (printmaking exhibition) at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space in 2019, Cipta Gula:simpan ditempat kering (solo exhibition) at Galeri Ruang Dini in 2020, the 3rd International Print Biennale Yerevan in 2021, Manifesto VIII at Galeri Nasional and Museum Stovia in 2022, Mother Tongue – Are You There at ISA Art Gallery in 2023, and Sydney Contemporary at Carriageworks (with Krack! Studio) in 2023.
Wiyoga Muhardanto Wiyoga Muhardanto lives & works in Bandung, Indonesia. Wiyoga is primarily a sculptor whose works that incorporate methods of imitation, simulation and the juxtaposition of daily objects to explore his interest in urban community behaviours. Muhardanto studied at Bandung Institute of Technology with major in fine art – sculpture studio, 2002 – 2007 (BFA).
He has exhibited his work across south East Asia with his recent solo exhibitions being Api yang Menyambar – Nyambar (The Brazing Fire), Omnispace, Bandung, 2022; 3 in 1, ROH Projects, Jakarta, 2017. He participated in art festivals and fairs of ARTJOG Motif : Lamaran, Yogyakarta, 2023; ARTJOG MMXIX, Yogyakarta, 2019; and Art Basel Hongkong, Hongkong, 2016. He also participated in residency programs, including those at 3331 Arts Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, 2011; Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2020. Wiyoga also the co-founder of the art organization, Area Olah Karya and was the Director PLATFORM3, Bandung, Indonesia. His work is in the collection of the Singapore Art Museum.
