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‘Machine/Magic’: Exhibition shows the science fiction of today’s reality
The international festival on new media art returns with Instrumenta #2 entitled “Machine/Magic” to bring visitors to a parallel world of reality.
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Breaking the norms: A video installation by Japanese artist Hayashi Chiho shows a sensual relationship between a woman and a cyborg by the name of Mr. President. (JP/Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak)
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rts people understandably categorize the art of science fiction as the kitsch of modern art, but despite their flashy presence – with multimedia gizmos and all – there is nothing common about the art installations on display at the National Gallery in Central Jakarta.
After its debut last year with “Sandbox”, which was about games, the international festival on new media art returned with Instrumenta #2 entitled “Machine/Magic” to bring visitors to a parallel world of reality – one that may not make any sense today, but could imminently, or already does in real life in a way that can best be described as science fiction.
The works of 28 artists, 21 of whom are Indonesians and most of whom are young people, removed the borders between art, science, technology and cultural values.
Instrumenta artistic director and curator Agung Hujatnikajennong said the festival aimed to show the public both the inherent and imaginary intersections between art media and science fiction, either as a concept or in its practical form, as an affirmation of science and technology or a criticism of them.
“As they raise questions on the relations between science and technology and cultural values, science fiction art caters to human desire to go beyond the mundane world and normalcy and use imagination to go to a world of magic filled with novelty and charm, as well as vision,” he said.
A multilegged giant robot controlled by a baby genius (which is actually a toy) named X-Spider Punx greets visitors at the entrance of Building A of the gallery.
