In a world where people constantly want to talk, it is fascinating how no one really listens, something Italian artist Fabrizio Dusi wants to emphasize in his work called Bla Bla Bla.

Bla Bla Bla is on display and open for the public to enjoy at the Art:1 New Museum in Jakarta.

The wall-length art piece was inspired by Dusi’s personal life and an interest to know more about the communication culture of the modern world. It presents a somber message about the communication difficulties in contemporary times while using identical cartoonish figures and bright colors.

The site-specific artwork for Art:1 is just one part of Dusi’s global Bla Bla Bla project with other similar pieces located all over the world. He uses a range of vibrant colors in the hope that it would not only attract the eyes of many visitors, but also as a way to convey his heavy message in an easier light to his audience.

“This is my own personal piece on how I view society during this contemporary time. The artwork you see here is very personal to me,” said Dusi.

Dusi was born in Sondrio, Italy, in 1974. At the moment, he is based in Milan but travels constantly to do exhibitions. His art pieces have graced a number of galleries worldwide such as the Jorge Pérez Art Museum in Miami, United States, and the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem.

After attending a ceramics course in Scuola Cova in Milan, Dusi has made ceramics one of his primary media for his artworks along with paint. At times, he combines these elements along with other things such as plexigas and wood and in 2005, Dusi finally opened his own art studio.

His exhibition in Jakarta is not only his first in Indonesia, but it is actually his debut in Asia.

The opportunity to debut an exhibition in Asia came to him when he received the offer from Michela Magri, the director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta.

Born from a collaboration between Art:1 and the institute, the Italian artist painted his piece directly onto the walls of the museum.

Dusi purposely made a painting that had figures with identical features as a way to portray that everyone is at the same level in their communication hardships.

Let’s Dance Tonight: A first Post-It note on Fabrizio Dusi’s wall-length painting. (JP/Audrey Cahyadi)

“[These figures are] distinguished only by the clothes,” Dusi wrote on the description of Bla Bla Bla.

“Suits and ties for executives. Designer T-shirts are for fashionable guys who wear the slogan of their angst.”

Among the many figures in his extensive painting, Dusi made sure a few of them caught the attention of the visitors. These unique figures have the words “Talk to Me” and “Listen to Me” written on their clothes.

The two figures were a representation of the types of people in contemporary society, according to Dusi.

“Talk to Me” represent the people that want others to talk to them while “Listen to Me” are those who always want to be heard but never want to listen. 

Among the figures, one open-mouthed character caught the attention of many with his stream of colorful dots leaving his mouth. Dusi said the dots were a representation of the never-ending words many people try to say but are never heard.

Above all, the pinnacle of the piece is a figure in the very center with the words Bla Bla Bla plastered on his sweater, a representation of those in society who neither wants to talk nor listen.

The exhibition, which opened on July 5, was greeted by a considerable crowd of all ages during its grand opening.

“The message of Fabrizio Dusi’s artwork is for all generations,” said Magri.  

As a finishing touch to his already unique artwork, Dusi requested those who visited to write a phrase or two on a colorful range of Post-It notes to stick on the slogan-less figures.

“Write phrases that everyone feels will be heard the most,” the director of Art:1 Museum, Monica Gunawan, said on behalf of Dusi.

“Something that everyone wants to express but very rarely gets heard. This can be something very personal that you want to stick up on the figures.”

Crowd Interest: Guests at the grand opening of the Bla Bla Bla exhibition crowd around the wall-length art piece. (Courtesy of Art:1 New Museum)

— The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

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Fabrizio Dusi’s exhibit titled Bla Bla Bla will run until July 22 at the Art:1 New Museum in Central Jakarta.