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‘Voice Against Reason’: Challenging norms and inspiring reflection through art
Artists from Indonesian and other countries try to break down long-held beliefs, practices and a semblance of normalcy through a variety of works compassing fine arts and performance arts, as well as anything in between, in an exhibition at the Museum MACAN.
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Seeking blessings: Natasha Tontey poses in front of her video art “Garden Amidst the Flame” (2022), a 27-minute video featuring a group of girls undergoing the Karai ritual from Minahasa, North Sulawesi. Karai is an ancient Minahasan ritual to seek blessings from the ancestors. (JP/Sylviana Hamdani)
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n a world where conventions dance on the tightrope between societal norms and unvarnished truth, the artistic spectacle at Museum MACAN in West Jakarta, titled Voice Against Reason, beckons us to cast a discerning eye upon long-held beliefs and practices.
“All of our exhibitions are special,” Aaron Seeto, director of Museum MACAN, stated during a preview on Nov. 15, 2023.
“But this one is particularly special; it's the biggest exhibition of living artists at the museum, a big cross-disciplinary event.”
Crafted by the museum, this showcase features commissioned works, ongoing projects and contemporary pieces by 24 artists and artist groups from Asia Pacific.
The exhibition concept emerged from a conversation between Seeto and Indonesian curator Putra Hidayatullah.
"What's considered common sense or normality?" Putra pondered. "How often do we stifle our own voice just to fit into what's perceived as normal? These are the questions that linger after our conversation."
“[The conversation] also brings to mind this particular quote, ‘What’s normal for a spider is chaos for a fly’,” the curator added.
