Stella & The yellowSUITCASE
Creating alternative form of "Internationalizing Indonesian Contemporary art"
Overly commodified situation in Indonesian contemporary art
The legitimate Indonesian art infrastructure that was expected to support Indonesian Contemporary art has not functioned properly according to role. This malfunction has caused dependency for Indonesian contemporary art to certain private institutions such as commercial gallery that have less concern in aesthetic or discourse value in exhibition making.
Having that certain needs based on economic situation has caused Indonesian contemporary artist mostly driven by these certain private institutions to be treated as a commodity.
This situation happened also as a result of what happened globally within the international art market, in which was stated in 2008 at The Global Art Forum by The Financial Times, “art is a business”. (Belting 2009: 1)
As Rahadi (2013) mentioned in her interview, market and commodification practice is something unavoidable, but how can the artist negotiate their artistic principle through argument and work quality although there has been a tendency on validating artwork based on economic value.
Plattner (1998) argues that “Good artists don’t necessarily sell paintings, and all of the paintings that sell – even for high prices – are not necessarily good. Only the long run of history can affirm aesthetic significance”. (Wuggening, Rudolph, 2013:113)
The quotation’s above has not yet been able to be applied in Indonesian art contemporary, as there has been a lack of understanding amongst the private institutions practitioners. In which to be part significantly in international art world, the idea of placing economic value as a main reference for artist reputation needs to be complemented with aesthetic and artistic development such as their work quality and their criticality.
Addressing commodification
My critical research paper will addressing the overly commodified situation by creating ways of facilitating conversation between Indonesian artists and International artists through experimental and collaborative project as well as providing alternative forms of thinking about exhibitions.
Based on their market dependency, the art market practitioners have thinking that the only way to internationalize Indonesian artists one has to have great funds and efforts to internationalize them through Biennale, Art Fair or auctions.
In her interview, Staniszewski (2009: 3) explained, “An exhibition – including those in smaller or alternative spaces – has the potential to seep, spread, influence, transform and change culture.”
Her explanation in addressing such small scale of exhibition and alternative spaces could have that potentiality to change a culture. Therefore, transforming a culture or enriching a culture is inadequate if the surface or physical matter is the main concern to be transformed; however, the culture enrichment can be enhanced and improved by experiencing criticality and interaction. And it can be related with Rendell’s argument by having an interaction based on the ability to work together between disciplines can provoke a potential for transformation both criticality and physical form such as art work.
“working between disciplines, working with another.... They seem to be drawn to the strangeness of new areas of study, to making relationships – the connections and distinctions – between things. What travel and interdisciplinary study have in common is their potential for transformation.” (Rendell, 2002:47)
Rethinking Culture
Rendell (2002: 43) described, “The distances we travel are physical and psychic, emotional and mental. The others we meet on route take the form of place, objects or people. They may be our teachers, critics, students, lovers, children, parents, or friends. Most often the distant other we encounter in our travels is what we thought to be a familiar part of ourselves.” I relate Rendell’s description with my experience as a traveler for the past 10 years, in which I often have to encounter a situation that help to generate my criticality and appreciative attitude in understanding issues such as nationalism and the openness to accept and understand the differences that were previously overlooked. As we travel, transformation within our physical and psychic as well as emotional and mental is unavoidable as it was addressed by Boer, Gedalof, Felski (2002) “A figuration is a living map, a transformative account of the self – it is no metaphor. Being nomadic, homeless,...., is no metaphor” In which by having a contradict experience as being a nomadic even homeless can be a trigger to emerge a transformation within ourselves. As it is not merely a concept but a process of becoming, and becoming something that we have a choice to become; as it was pointed by Braidotti (2002: 2)”the point is not to know who we are, but rather what, at last, we want to become, how to represent mutations, changes and transformations, rather than Being in its classical modes”. As Braidotti (2002: 2) pointed about “Being in its classical modes”, I have related it with Alisjahbana (2008) argument on how the Indonesian society comprehends culture. In which there has been a tendency on comprehend culture through a “noun” dimension. Whereas through the “noun” dimension, culture has acted as something “given” and in the development culture remain act as an heirloom that needs to be preserve and protected. However Alisjahbana (2008) did not argue that it was a wrong attitude to comprehend, but the introvert attitude towards culture, which leads to a perspective of culture as finished object that are ready to be heritable.
Having that perspective has caused an overly commodified situation in Indonesia both in traditional and contemporary art. Another dimension that tends to be overlooked by the Indonesian society is by comprehending culture with “verb” dimension. Alisjahbana (2008) explained that there has been a different “spirit” to comprehend culture with “verb” dimension, in which culture is not merely act as something “given” but as an assignment and a challenge that needs to be overcome. Therefore in the future we can comprehend culture in a productive manner in the terms of creation and innovation as a reflection of “Zeitgeist”.
Project Development
Based on my rethinking of culture, I have tried to embed it through my experimental collaborative project, in which we perceive it within “verb” dimension. By perceiving it through “verb” dimension artists were invited to explore the potentiality of transforming through experimental and collaborative project, in which they will be confronted physical and psychic (art practice) as well as emotional and mental (criticality and culturally) with their counterpart artist from the other part of the world. Currently, the use of technology has allowed the accessibility of communication between people in different countries become more approachable. Therefore there are no longer limitations in making a connection with people from other part of the world. The use of technology is also beneficial in the terms of connecting artists throughout the world. Therefore, the idea of transformation within their physical and psychic (art practice) as well as emotional and mental (criticality and culturally) can be accomplished with the use of technology. This technical approach is act to complement my experimental and collaborative project; in which to convey the notion of experimental and collaborative, I have used my travelling yellow suitcase as a metaphor for imagining the idea of the exhibition, as a trigger of starting a potential conversation between artists from different cultures and background.
Throughout this final semester I have been continuing the last semester experimental project by having two pairs of artists in the process of collaborating and several Indonesian artists interested in getting involved in this experimental collaborative project.
In thinking of providing alternative forms of thinking about exhibitions one of the artist that has involved in this collaboration project said “I think that what we are trying to do is to explore how this project can be an alternative way of approaching the world of curating and working as an artist towards this idea” (Jennifer Wright, Facebook conversation 29/07/2014)
This opinion emerged after experiencing the difficulties in communicating their thought and understanding not only because of cultural and language barrier but also it has been a challenge as artists to collaborate their practice. Although in the beginning I mentioned that technology has a beneficial in connecting artists from different countries and locations, but there are also limitation caused by it.
Bibliography
- Belting, Hans (2011). World art and global art. A new challenge to art history. (Lecture at Global Art Symposium, 29 July 2011)
- Blamey, David (2002). Here, there, elsewhere: dialogues on location and mobility / edited by David Blamey. London: Open Editions
- Braidotti (2002). Metamorphosis: Towards a Materialist Theory of Becoming. UK: Polity Press
- Lomax, Yve. (2002), Sounding the Event: Escapades in Dialogue and Matters of Art, Nature & Time. London: IB Tauris)
- Rahadi, Annisa. D (2013). Interview with Rahadi. Interviewed by Stella Prasetya. Skype, 6 December 2013, 22.45.
- Rendell, Jane (2010). Site Writing: The Architecture of Art Criticism. London: IB Tauris
- Simposium internasional para pakar tentang relevansi kekinian dan kemasadepanan pembaharuan pemikiran dan gagasan budaya, bahasa, filsafat, sastra keindonesiaan Prof. Dr. Mr. Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana (2008). Manusia renaisans Indonesia: Prof. Dr. Mr. Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. Jakarta: Dian Rakyat
- Sherlita, Wella (2011). Seni Kontemporer Indonesia sulit masuk pasar global. At:http://www.voaindonesia.com/content/seni-kontemporer-indonesia-sulit-masuk-pasar-global--122420874/93544.html (Accessed on 02.11.13)
- Stagoll, Cliff (2010). “Event” from Parr, Adrian, The Deleuze dictionary. Edinburg: Edinburg University Press
- Staniszewski, Mary Anne (2009). Denial, Delusion and Curating in the U.S. Interviewed by Gerd Elise Mørland and Heidi Bale Amundsen. In: ON CURATING.org : The Political Potential of Curatorial Practise, issue 4. (2010)
- Van den Berg, Karen & Pasero Ursula (2013). Art Production beyond the Art Market? Berlin: Sternberg Press
- Wright, Jennifer (2014). “Yellow Suitcase 1st Discussion”. Facebook conversation, 29 July 2014, 15.09.
Creating alternative form of "Internationalizing Indonesian Contemporary art"
Overly commodified situation in Indonesian contemporary art
The legitimate Indonesian art infrastructure that was expected to support Indonesian Contemporary art has not functioned properly according to role. This malfunction has caused dependency for Indonesian contemporary art to certain private institutions such as commercial gallery that have less concern in aesthetic or discourse value in exhibition making.
Having that certain needs based on economic situation has caused Indonesian contemporary artist mostly driven by these certain private institutions to be treated as a commodity.
This situation happened also as a result of what happened globally within the international art market, in which was stated in 2008 at The Global Art Forum by The Financial Times, “art is a business”. (Belting 2009: 1)
As Rahadi (2013) mentioned in her interview, market and commodification practice is something unavoidable, but how can the artist negotiate their artistic principle through argument and work quality although there has been a tendency on validating artwork based on economic value.
Plattner (1998) argues that “Good artists don’t necessarily sell paintings, and all of the paintings that sell – even for high prices – are not necessarily good. Only the long run of history can affirm aesthetic significance”. (Wuggening, Rudolph, 2013:113)
The quotation’s above has not yet been able to be applied in Indonesian art contemporary, as there has been a lack of understanding amongst the private institutions practitioners. In which to be part significantly in international art world, the idea of placing economic value as a main reference for artist reputation needs to be complemented with aesthetic and artistic development such as their work quality and their criticality.
Addressing commodification
My critical research paper will addressing the overly commodified situation by creating ways of facilitating conversation between Indonesian artists and International artists through experimental and collaborative project as well as providing alternative forms of thinking about exhibitions.
Based on their market dependency, the art market practitioners have thinking that the only way to internationalize Indonesian artists one has to have great funds and efforts to internationalize them through Biennale, Art Fair or auctions.
In her interview, Staniszewski (2009: 3) explained, “An exhibition – including those in smaller or alternative spaces – has the potential to seep, spread, influence, transform and change culture.”
Her explanation in addressing such small scale of exhibition and alternative spaces could have that potentiality to change a culture. Therefore, transforming a culture or enriching a culture is inadequate if the surface or physical matter is the main concern to be transformed; however, the culture enrichment can be enhanced and improved by experiencing criticality and interaction. And it can be related with Rendell’s argument by having an interaction based on the ability to work together between disciplines can provoke a potential for transformation both criticality and physical form such as art work.
“working between disciplines, working with another.... They seem to be drawn to the strangeness of new areas of study, to making relationships – the connections and distinctions – between things. What travel and interdisciplinary study have in common is their potential for transformation.” (Rendell, 2002:47)
Rethinking Culture
Rendell (2002: 43) described, “The distances we travel are physical and psychic, emotional and mental. The others we meet on route take the form of place, objects or people. They may be our teachers, critics, students, lovers, children, parents, or friends. Most often the distant other we encounter in our travels is what we thought to be a familiar part of ourselves.” I relate Rendell’s description with my experience as a traveler for the past 10 years, in which I often have to encounter a situation that help to generate my criticality and appreciative attitude in understanding issues such as nationalism and the openness to accept and understand the differences that were previously overlooked. As we travel, transformation within our physical and psychic as well as emotional and mental is unavoidable as it was addressed by Boer, Gedalof, Felski (2002) “A figuration is a living map, a transformative account of the self – it is no metaphor. Being nomadic, homeless,...., is no metaphor” In which by having a contradict experience as being a nomadic even homeless can be a trigger to emerge a transformation within ourselves. As it is not merely a concept but a process of becoming, and becoming something that we have a choice to become; as it was pointed by Braidotti (2002: 2)”the point is not to know who we are, but rather what, at last, we want to become, how to represent mutations, changes and transformations, rather than Being in its classical modes”. As Braidotti (2002: 2) pointed about “Being in its classical modes”, I have related it with Alisjahbana (2008) argument on how the Indonesian society comprehends culture. In which there has been a tendency on comprehend culture through a “noun” dimension. Whereas through the “noun” dimension, culture has acted as something “given” and in the development culture remain act as an heirloom that needs to be preserve and protected. However Alisjahbana (2008) did not argue that it was a wrong attitude to comprehend, but the introvert attitude towards culture, which leads to a perspective of culture as finished object that are ready to be heritable.
Having that perspective has caused an overly commodified situation in Indonesia both in traditional and contemporary art. Another dimension that tends to be overlooked by the Indonesian society is by comprehending culture with “verb” dimension. Alisjahbana (2008) explained that there has been a different “spirit” to comprehend culture with “verb” dimension, in which culture is not merely act as something “given” but as an assignment and a challenge that needs to be overcome. Therefore in the future we can comprehend culture in a productive manner in the terms of creation and innovation as a reflection of “Zeitgeist”.
Project Development
Based on my rethinking of culture, I have tried to embed it through my experimental collaborative project, in which we perceive it within “verb” dimension. By perceiving it through “verb” dimension artists were invited to explore the potentiality of transforming through experimental and collaborative project, in which they will be confronted physical and psychic (art practice) as well as emotional and mental (criticality and culturally) with their counterpart artist from the other part of the world. Currently, the use of technology has allowed the accessibility of communication between people in different countries become more approachable. Therefore there are no longer limitations in making a connection with people from other part of the world. The use of technology is also beneficial in the terms of connecting artists throughout the world. Therefore, the idea of transformation within their physical and psychic (art practice) as well as emotional and mental (criticality and culturally) can be accomplished with the use of technology. This technical approach is act to complement my experimental and collaborative project; in which to convey the notion of experimental and collaborative, I have used my travelling yellow suitcase as a metaphor for imagining the idea of the exhibition, as a trigger of starting a potential conversation between artists from different cultures and background.
Throughout this final semester I have been continuing the last semester experimental project by having two pairs of artists in the process of collaborating and several Indonesian artists interested in getting involved in this experimental collaborative project.
In thinking of providing alternative forms of thinking about exhibitions one of the artist that has involved in this collaboration project said “I think that what we are trying to do is to explore how this project can be an alternative way of approaching the world of curating and working as an artist towards this idea” (Jennifer Wright, Facebook conversation 29/07/2014)
This opinion emerged after experiencing the difficulties in communicating their thought and understanding not only because of cultural and language barrier but also it has been a challenge as artists to collaborate their practice. Although in the beginning I mentioned that technology has a beneficial in connecting artists from different countries and locations, but there are also limitation caused by it.
Bibliography
- Belting, Hans (2011). World art and global art. A new challenge to art history. (Lecture at Global Art Symposium, 29 July 2011)
- Blamey, David (2002). Here, there, elsewhere: dialogues on location and mobility / edited by David Blamey. London: Open Editions
- Braidotti (2002). Metamorphosis: Towards a Materialist Theory of Becoming. UK: Polity Press
- Lomax, Yve. (2002), Sounding the Event: Escapades in Dialogue and Matters of Art, Nature & Time. London: IB Tauris)
- Rahadi, Annisa. D (2013). Interview with Rahadi. Interviewed by Stella Prasetya. Skype, 6 December 2013, 22.45.
- Rendell, Jane (2010). Site Writing: The Architecture of Art Criticism. London: IB Tauris
- Simposium internasional para pakar tentang relevansi kekinian dan kemasadepanan pembaharuan pemikiran dan gagasan budaya, bahasa, filsafat, sastra keindonesiaan Prof. Dr. Mr. Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana (2008). Manusia renaisans Indonesia: Prof. Dr. Mr. Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. Jakarta: Dian Rakyat
- Sherlita, Wella (2011). Seni Kontemporer Indonesia sulit masuk pasar global. At:http://www.voaindonesia.com/content/seni-kontemporer-indonesia-sulit-masuk-pasar-global--122420874/93544.html (Accessed on 02.11.13)
- Stagoll, Cliff (2010). “Event” from Parr, Adrian, The Deleuze dictionary. Edinburg: Edinburg University Press
- Staniszewski, Mary Anne (2009). Denial, Delusion and Curating in the U.S. Interviewed by Gerd Elise Mørland and Heidi Bale Amundsen. In: ON CURATING.org : The Political Potential of Curatorial Practise, issue 4. (2010)
- Van den Berg, Karen & Pasero Ursula (2013). Art Production beyond the Art Market? Berlin: Sternberg Press
- Wright, Jennifer (2014). “Yellow Suitcase 1st Discussion”. Facebook conversation, 29 July 2014, 15.09.
