Faqih Muhammad Azka (1206617009) until December 10th, 2017.

The “Biennale”
Muhammad Alfaridzi (1206617047) means is the exhibition is held once every
two years in Jakarta returns in 2017 with a
“Sunda Kelapa: Selamat Datang Jakarta” rather different take on the theme from
JIWA: Jakarta Biennale 2017 the previous editions. On the first three
editions, the curators and artists had an
outward outlook that were poured into
the arts, in which they tried to respond to
Jakarta’s urban problem. Taking a
different approach, in 2017 they go with
the theme JIWA, Jakarta Biennale present
human’s urge by observing various
relations that come afterwards.
Performance artists Melati Suryodarmo is
appointed as the Art Director of the
exhibition. She was assisted by four
curators which are Anissa Gultom
(Jakarta), Hendro Wiyanto (Jakarta),
Philippe Pirotte (Frankfurt), and Vit
JIWA: Jakarta Biennale 2017 was Havranek (Praha). Together, they picked
the exhibition we’ve visited in 2017, it has 51 artists to display their artworks in three
so many works from artists not only from main venues of the exhibition there are
Indonesia, but also from other country. It Gudang Sarinah Ekosistem at Pancoran,
was a good exhibition to visit because Museum Sejarah Jakarta (Fatahillah) and
every artworks we have seen has a soul Museum Seni Rupa dan Keramik at Kota
even in the very small things, and that Tua. The theme was chosen as an
soul comes from within which later affects emergency measure in times of
various senses, feelings, knowledge that fanaticism, intolerance, madness are
reside within humans. This notion is tried growing stronger and stronger these days,
to be captured into the artworks especially in the capital city of Indonesia
displayed on Jakarta Biennale 2017 that where culture clashes and facts are easily
has been opened since November 4th distorted. Albeit picking a theme that has
more retrospective direction, that does
not mean Jakarta Biennale becomes
distant with the reality of society today.
As explained by Ade Darmawan, the
Executive Director of Yayasan Jakarta,
Jakarta Biennale 2017 aims to enrich the
knowledge of art and entice the critical
side of society with a more contemplative
and sublime ways. Melati also stated that
Jakarta Biennale acts as a window for
people to know more about the existing
local problems in the city. Culture and the
product from culture like artworks have
become a benchmark that could measure
society’s development as she added. So,
JIWA: Jakarta Biennale 2017 is hoped to
become a measuring tool to assess
whether the society is in good condition
or not.
From all of the artworks we’ve
seen there is one work that we think it
was eye catching, it is a performance art
by Aliansyah Caniago. At Jakarta Biennale
2017, Aliansyah observes the fast
changing drama in the residential
community of Kampung Akuarium in
Penjaringan, Sunda Kelapa, North Jakarta
in installation and performance art
punching bag with HD Video that played
on screen 8 hours straight per day.
Kampung Akuarium is an area outskirts of
jakarta that has grown out of proportion
in regard to its residents, floods, and fires.
He splits his performance between teo
separate places. In the first place, he
grinds up the remnants of debris in
kampung akuarium as a sign of the artist’s
presence. The debris is then crushed to
dill a punching bag, which is taken to his
performance space at the jakarta
biennale. This is his second performance
space. The sandbag serves as a means for
the public to be physically involved as well
as a symbolic presence of the violence and
wrath of the social landscape.
The social landscape which
aliansyah has observed since 2016 is a
consequence of policing and residential
relocation by the greater Jakarta
administration. A number of residents
who have moved to a new area have
always tried to return to their previous
home despite it having been levelled to
the ground. As if one within a reciprocal
relation with their old landscape, mani
residents of kampung akuarium have built
new homes from debris.
His focuses are identity, memory,
social circles, tradition, and modernity. He
uses landscape and social space
interchangeably. According to Aliansyah,
Landscape cannot be unders tood as a
panorama or static vista. Landscape art
experts can show that landscape
(landschaft, landscipe) is formed by two
things, that is, land and scabe, schaffen or
ship (partnership). There is a human
element and space formation in every
landscape because of human presence
and interaction.
He is a former amateur boxer in
Bandung, Aliansyah is trained to use the
body's physical movements and potential
to face an opponent. The body's ability to
take a punch becomes a symbolic
narrative to evoke our me mory of social
spaces imbued with indiscernible
struggle.and he show he's boxing ability in
performance in second performance
space, represent the public to be
physically invalved as well as a symbolic
presence of the violence and wrath of the
social landscape.