GET INSIDE ARTMOMENTS JAKARTA 2024, THE IMMENSE ART EXHIBITION OF INDONESIA THAT COLLECTED THE DIVERSE RANGE OF ARTISTS’ WORKS ALIGNED WITH A THEME ‘RENEWAL’
TEXT: NUTTARAT PUNJAWILAIPIBOON
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTMOMENTS JAKARTA
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Embarking on a journey to Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia to explore the largest art fair of Southeast Asia called ArtMoments Jakarta 2024. This annual art fair always serves as a platform for galleries, art enthusiasts, and collectors, showcasing works under a theme that is deeply intertwined with human life.
For anyone who is new to this exposition, ArtMoments, which was founded in 2015, is a premier art fair initiated by a collective of Indonesian art collectors in collaboration with colleagues and galleries. The event was firstly held with +ARTMOMENTS: JOGJA at the Jogja National Museum in 2015, before expanding its presence to Jakarta in 2018. In spite of Covid-19 pandemic, ArtMoments Jakarta Online (a hybrid art fair) has been successfully hosted from 2020 to 2021, and continues both online and offline to this day.
This year’s theme is ‘renewal,’ a concept intertwined with human life, encompassing personal growth, social transformation, cultural rejuvenation, technological advancement, and environmental sustainability. The ArtMoments showcased leading national and international galleries featuring a diverse range of modern, contemporary, and new media art including curated art tours and various supporting activities.
The theme ‘renewal’ was also aligned with structures of the eco-friendly art exhibitions which were created with low-emission materials and long-term plans for sustainable booth designs such as using recycled panels to reduce the use of wood, LED lights. Its strategies of booth designs could reduce carbon emissions.
“This event is designed to inspire, challenge, and celebrate all forms of renewal, fostering a deeper understanding of transformation and growth in personal, social, and environmental realms,” Sudjud Dartanto, the artistic director said.
Additionally, the exhibition featured a series of engaging discussions from experts on topics such as ‘The Challenge of Media Art Ownership,’ ‘The Relevance of Curatorial Direction in Building Your Art Collection,’ ‘Renewal: Art Today and in the Future,’ etc , creating numerous opportunities for networking. Furthermore, there was a charity auction in collaboration with the S.Sudjojono Center.
One of the outstanding events in the ArtMoments was the first solo exhibition in Southeast Asia by the renowned American-Ivorian artist, Aboudia (Abdoulaye Diarrassouba) who marked a significant milestone in the global art scene, bringing his works to a new audience for showcasing his dynamic and expressive paintings that blend street art aesthetics with traditional African art influences. Aboudia’s work represented the energy and complexity of urban life in Africa through large-scale canvases characterized by bold colors, chaotic lines, and densely packed figures. His raw and rough style resonated with street art, reflecting personal experiences and observations of contemporary African society. Meanwhile, there was a showcase of Heri Dono, the first Indonesian artist to break into the global art scene in the early 1990s, known internationally for his innovative and creative installation works. Heri Dono and Aboudia also had the discussion with the topic ‘Up Close and Personal’ moderated by Sudjud Dartanto.
Aboudia’s work
Additionally, the art fair displayed a collaboration titled ArtWonder, featuring new media art from Indonesia and its sister cities. This initiative showcased modern creations that fuse technology and creativity, emphasizing innovative spirit among contemporary artists.
The ArtMoments 2024 was held at the Grand Ballroom of Sheraton Grand Jakarta Gandaria City Hotel from August 9th to 11th and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia (KEMENPAREKRAF) and the Jakarta Provincial Tourism and Creative Economy Agency (Disparekraf DKI Jakarta).
