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ART Basel Hong Kong Made in Indonesia
Lot Lost by Eko NugrohoWith 233 galleries from 37 countries showcasing their best collections under one roof, Art Basel Hong Kong is an art force to be reckoned with
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Lot Lost by Eko Nugroho
With 233 galleries from 37 countries showcasing their best collections under one roof, Art Basel Hong Kong is an art force to be reckoned with.
The works by Indonesian artists, brought in by Nadi Gallery and Roh Projects from Jakarta as well as Semarang Gallery from Semarang in Central Java, tried to steal attention at the fair, which started out in Basel before branching out to Miami and later Hong Kong.
Roh's gallery manager, Faisal Reza, said on the opening day of the fair, its third edition, that it was expecting exposure and not so much on deals.
'We aim to develop the careers of young, emerging artists. We take part in international events to promote them,' said Faisal.
It was the gallery's second participation at the three-day fair, which ran from March 15 to 17. This year, the gallery, set up in 2012 to facilitate the need for artist regeneration, brought in kinetic works by Bandung artist Bagus Pandega, which focused on a mechanism moved by vocal cords that was later converted into codes to move the system.
'Visitors are amazed that such a simple system can produce such work,' Faisal says.
Renowned artist Eddie Hara put forward his signature pieces that highlight irony behind humor, such as The Crowded Universe XIX and Call It Bad Art.
'Art Basel has many advantages, not just commercial, but most of all for networking. Here, we can see world-class works, how galleries manage their artists and their works,' said Eddie, who now lives in and works from Basel, Switzerland, with his family but returns to Indonesia four to five times a year for exhibitions.
'The fair also gives us an opportunity to meet not just buyers but also other artists.'
Eddie, who has taken part in many exhibitions, including previous Art Basel Hong Kong, noticed how the art fair has grown into an event as important as an art biennale, since it provides space for many new works, such as those shown at the fair's Discoveries section.
'The art fair is not just commercial like many people think. In fact, I started to look at it as an international forum that prioritizes quality and world-class works,' Eddie says.
Semarang Gallery's Chris Dharmawan presented Yusra Martunus' solo exhibition 'Uncertain', curated by Enin Supriyanto.
His works address material and simple forms that are brought together to create a completely new form, inviting viewers to engage their senses while observing and guessing about his works.
The artist is also renowned for not giving his work narrative titles, but merely a series of numbers, which accentuate his focus on materiality and form.
'As an artist, I don't want to restrict myself. I create what I desire to create, not based on trends,' said the 42-year-old graduate of Yogyakarta's Indonesian Fine Arts Institute, who has taken part in exhibitions back home and abroad, including the previous Art Basel Hong Kong.
Yusra said the fair had given him global exposure, allowing his works to be seen and appreciated more.
For the gallery, Chris found the fair helped boost both gallery and artists' reputations.
Sales, he said, is not the only consideration as the gallery also aims to promote its artists and gallery for networking and long-term purposes.
'Art Basel Hong Kong is very important, since the city is an important art market in Asia; a place where world collectors gather when they hunt for the works of Asian artists,' Chris says.
At the fair, he said the gallery's buyers were all from outside of Indonesia. 'Indonesia needs an art fair like Art Basel. It would put us in charge of developing our art market while at the same time showcase the competitiveness of our artists,' Chris says.
This year, renowned artist Eko Nugroho premiered his work at the fair's prestigious Encounters section, which displayed large-scale installations by international artists.
Eko said Art Basel was one of the prestigious art fairs to get the attention of the international art circle ' not just collectors, but museums, curators and world galleries that took part and came for the event.
The fair, he said, also serves as the latest showcase of art development, mainly in Asia, and is not just about selling art.
'The fair takes into account the big potential of art development in Asia, including in Indonesia,' the artist, who could not attend the fair, said from his home in Yogyakarta.
Indonesia, he said, needs world-class art fairs like Art Basel that highlight the country's many promising talents while at the same time supports the art scene's development.
'The presence of such a fair will put Indonesia on the international art map,' said Eko.
He cited ArtJog as an example of a really good art fair. The annual event, independently organized in Yogyakarta and taking place in July this year, brings in the works of world-class artists, such as Yoko Ono, Marina Abramovic, Stefan Sagmeister and others, and places them side-by-side with the works of Indonesian artists.
'This fair also attracts many collectors, artists, galleries, curators and world-class museums,' he said.
At the Art Basel Hong Kong, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Eko's installation, titled Lot Lost, was created for an especially curated project for the Encounters and brought to the fair by the Arndt gallery.
It was not the first time galleries had included his works at the fair.
In Lot Lost, which comprises life-size bronze sculptures, murals and machine-embroidered tapestries, Eko shows his deep engagement with local and global pop culture as seen through batik and embroidery styles as well as contemporary street art, graffiti and comics ' while stressing his commitment to deliver socio-political critique.
Eko said his piece was inspired by posters, banners and even graphic visuals commonly spotted on the backs of trucks and buses.
One of the tapestries carries the words 'Mayoritas dihalalkan, minoritas diharamkan' (Majority is accepted, minority is banned), which touches on widespread intolerance.
In another, he wrote 'Negeri kaya yang miskin moral' (Rich but morally poor country) to criticize how norms and morals in the country's multi-cultured community are being played with to create confusion and insecurity.
'I present my socio-political critique in humorous and maybe strange ways, through Lot Lost,' the 38-year-old says.
The Encounters section, one of the fair's big draws, provided visitors the opportunity to experience works that transcend the traditional art fair stands, with 20 projects featured this year presented in prominent locations throughout the exhibition hall.
Alexie Glass-Kantor, executive director of Artspace in Sydney, Australia, who curated the section for the first time, said that from nearly 60,000 visitors coming to the fair, all of them would cross the Encounters in some way and she wanted to be generous in giving that experience to the viewers.
'Eko Nugroho's work is really important to begin the journey,' said Glass-Kantor, who said Yogyakarta was one of her favorite cities.
'I love artists who work across generations of artists. I love artists who build residencies for other artists. And Eko has been important in nurturing a generation of artists.'
' photos by JP/Stevie Emilia
