Artist Talk TAKAR-TELUSUR

Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society
Jl. D.I. Panjaitan 41, Yogyakarta
10:00 – 17:00 | Tuesday – Saturday

Here are some highlights from the artist talk of the duo exhibition “Takar-Telusur” last Saturday, October 7. That afternoon began with a gallery tour led by the two artists, Egga Jaya and Wiyoga Muhardanto, where they talked about their works. This was followed by a discussion session in Cemeti’s garden area, led by Bob Edrian, the curator.

During the gallery tour, Egga and Wiyoga’s presentation provided insight into their artistic focus and processes. Egga Jaya’s interest lies in tracing the journey of sugar from production to consumption. This exploration expanded to include mapping the distribution of sugar factories during the colonial period and exploring human physical cravings for sweetness. Meanwhile, Wiyoga Muhardanto gauged consumption activities in society in general, as well as the consumption of artworks within the context of art exhibition rituals and prerequisites. The efforts to consume everyday objects and limited-access items such as artworks have created unique forms of rituals and social mobility.

Moving to the garden area, Bob Edrian talked about the challenges of curating this duo exhibition. After intense discussions, they found that “Takar-Telusur” revolves around observations related to various spectrums of societal consumption behaviours as the common thread, and it is grounded in the artists’ intensive experience with their chosen artistic mediums (graphic printmaking and sculpture). Bob highlighted the artists’ efforts to go beyond the typical characteristics of their mediums by delving into contextual issues related to the simple and close things of their daily lives. This is also reflected in how Egga and Wiyoga continuously gauge and analyse their creative processes over time, culminating in this duo exhibition.