An upcoming exhibition in Jakarta's upscale Senayan City mall - part of the Jakarta Biennale - promises something different.

Organized by ruangrupa, the city's most dynamic art collective, "Jakarta 32 C" brings together the work of students from various disciplines across the many universities in the capital city.

On show will be selected works from three exhibitions in the past six years, including paintings, installations, video, fashion, and architectural as well as graphic design. The 30 works will be showcased at the atrium in Senayan City between Feb. 1 and 7.

Ade Darmawan of the Jakarta Arts Council, who is also the director of ruangrupa, said that, back in the early 2000s, Jakarta-based artists felt a need to organize themselves as a nonprofit organiza-tion with a special focus on the relationship between art and its social and cultural context in the capital city.

Research, study and documentation in forms other than exhibitions were all part of the concept. A little later on, when ruangrupa felt the creative thought and work of students across universities in the capital city remained obscure, they hit on the idea of inter-student dialogue so students could properly visualize their work before it was presented to the wider public.

This led to the creation of a forum for students from across various disciplines at the universities, and the invitation for submissions of creative work - not necessarily art, but also architectural design, fashion, documentation and even research.

The initiative met with great enthusiasm, with each and every work and project being discussed by the students, leading to animated dialogues, learning, insights and the creation of even more, better works.

Wanting to share the results with the general public, a biannual exhibition was organized at the National Gallery in Jakarta under the title "Jakarta 32 Celcius". Now, after its third exhibition since 2004, selected works will be exposed to an even wider audience in Senayan City.

The Jakarta Biennale is divided into three zones - zona pemahaman (zone of comprehension), zona pertarungan (battle zone) and zona cair (melting zone).

The program at Senayan City belongs to the second stage of the Jakarta Biennale, the battle zone, which also includes workshops, discussions , interactions - all meant to create new spaces, mental spaces of culture, of new ideas affecting the city and its citizens positively.

By including communities and the wider public, the Jakarta Biennale in its conceptual frame wishes to trigger the public's sense for art and culture, which are known to elevate the human spirit, not to mention citizens' mental well-being, fast diminishing with the increasing chaos of the city.

The 30 works, consisting of paintings, installations, video works, photography, architectural and fashion design, will be on show at Senayan City's atrium, which will also have other supporting activities, such as mural-painting and graffiti, a live band and street dance.

Jakarta 32 *C Showcase Program

Organized by ruangrupa

Senayan City's Atrium

Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, 2009

Further information: The Jakarta Biennale at The Jakarta Art Council

at 021- 319 37639, 3162780, 39899634, or Iwan +62 8159213952; or

email jakarta.biennale.09@dkj.or.id. Website: www.jakartabiennale09.com

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