A premium art fair organized by passionate Indonesian art collectors alongside local galleries, this year’s event is set to be a grand celebration of art and will be the most exciting iteration of ArtMoments yet.

The Jakarta Post recently sat down with ArtMoments cofounder and fair director Sendy Widjaja to discuss more about the theme of this year's event, the journey it has gone through since its inception in 2015, and what must-see pieces guests can expect this weekend.

Sendy said the driving force behind ArtMoments is its goal of enriching the art ecosystem in Jakarta, making the activity of enjoying art accessible for all.

”This year’s theme, Renewal, is meant to reflect the changes we are facing this year as a country, while also reinforcing that we have recovered stronger after the pandemic.”

Sendy notes that there are more art enthusiasts and collectors coming from the younger generation, and he feels that ArtMoments can serve as an accessible entry point for them to enjoy the local art scene.

”Life in Jakarta is quite stressful, isn’t it? I hope that with ArtMoments, local youth can experience a wide variety of art from all around the world easily, supporting them in enjoying life, bettering them spiritually and mentally through art,” he added.

This year’s exhibition is also paying close attention to its environmental impact, with the event only using recyclable materials such as repurposed plywood for their exhibitors and environmentally friendly lighting to use the minimum amount of watts needed.

”Global sustainability is a huge focus for us, as we only have one earth. We want to show that we can showcase quality art without sacrificing the earth, closely monitoring ArtMoments’ carbon footprint throughout the event.”

The discussion shifted to ArtMoments’ lengthy journey since its inception in 2015, and Sendy said the project was started out of love, expressing his surprise and gratitude for the support it has received over the past nine years.

ArtMoments has experienced steady growth since the journey began with ArtMoments Jogja nearly 10 years ago, with last year's ArtMoments Jakarta garnering over 13,000 offline visitors and 7,000 online visitors, featuring 30 curated galleries that showcase the best art Sendy and his team have meticulously scouted.

What's interesting however, is that its growth is also somewhat of a problem that ArtMoments has to overcome.

”We're quite selective in our curation, as we want to focus on quality. I’ve probably visited 1,000 galleries this year to curate our final roster of 45, and it was such a difficult process choosing only that amount when there’s so much good art out there.”

Mr. Sendy Widjaja as Co-Founder & Fair Director of ArtMoments Jakarta

Sendy reiterates that as there is more interest pouring into the art scene and more artists wanting to collaborate, the organizers have to be very careful in their curation process.

”We want to ensure that both our exhibitors and visitors get the best experience. We worry that if we have too many exhibitors, some art would be drowned out, and that would defeat the purpose of our mission.”

He was reticent when asked about any notable success stories he has seen from artists featured on ArtMoments, saying that the fair only plays a partial part in their success as the artists’ hard work deserves to be recognized on its own merits.

”But one example I’m proud of is of Eko Nugroho. He was in ArtMoments last year, and his work is now being featured on the Union Bank of Switzerland’s art collection!”

Sendy also said visitors planning to attend this year’s ArtMoments Jakarta can expect some exceptional works, including an installation from Heri Dono, paintings from Ethan Cohen Gallery’s Aboudia, a flying car sculpture from Eddi Prabandono, works from esteemed Chinese sculpturist Ren Zhe, as well as pieces from American painter Kenny Scharf, who will be visiting the ASEAN region for the first time ever.

”We want to make a platform that can expose our artists to a global set of eyes, connecting Indonesian artists to Western markets, to prestigious art scenes like the New York art society. But also bring some of that global art here, for locals to easily view,” he concluded.