Museum MACAN keeps putting on different kinds of shows for the people. The museum in West Jakarta is now getting ready for a big group show called “Voice Against Reason.” When it opens on November 18, 2023, this show will have works by 24 artists from the Asia-Pacific area.
A Wide Range of Artists at Voice Against Reason
The show will have artists from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia. It will include newly commissioned works, recent projects by well-known artists, and modern works that look into the dialogue of Indonesia’s art history from the last few decades.
Bagus Pandega, Nadiah Bamadhaj, Chang En Man, Heman Chong, Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso, Hyphen, Tom Nicholson with Ary “Jimged” Sendy, Aufa R. Triangga, Nasikin Ahmad, Emiria Soenassa, Galih Johar, and Shilpa Gupta are some of the artists who will be there.
I Wayan Jana, Ika Arista, Jumaadi, Khadim Ali, Meiro Koizumi, Natasha Tontey, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Mumtaz Khan Chopan, Ali Froghi, Hassan Ati, Rega Ayundya Putri, S. Sudjojono, Khaled Sabsabi, Kamruzzaman Shadhin, Sikarnt Skoolisariyaporn, Amin Taasha, and The Shadow Factory are some of the other well-known artists in the lineup.
What Does “Voice Against Reason” Really Mean?
The “Voice Against Reason” show wants to look into what it means to say something or have an opinion. In order to connect personal stories, historical contexts, political themes, and geography, it tries to make a world that is temporary and fragile. All of these things written about from the points of view of modern artists.
“Voice Against Reason” is more than just a show; it’s also a project that includes a number of talks, open forums, and public events. These events, which will happen during the exhibition, meant to get people more interested in the art and the ideas that explored.
The Museum MACAN’s education and curatorial teams put together the whole show schedule, with help from Putra Hidayatullah and Rizki Lazuardi.
Thoughts from Aaron Seeto, who runs the Museum MACAN
The director of Museum MACAN, Aaron Seeto, said that the “Voice Against Reason” show brings together well-known artists from all over Asia. The idea behind the show comes from the belief that artists help people speak out about and shape issues and ideas that aren’t always popular or that go against what most people think.
Speaking out or giving our views is important for us to critically understand our surroundings in this day and age, when technology can sometimes encourage conformity or historical stories that hide different personal and individual experiences.
Seeto also said that for more than a year, they have worked with artists to create and order a number of new works, such as performances, videos, and installations. These will be shown with important works by Asian artists from all over the area.
“Voice Against Reason is conceived not only as an exhibition but as a dynamic engagement platform between artists, works, and visitors, activated through conversations, lectures, and presentations throughout the exhibition period,” he said in the official press release.
Bringing attention to featured art projects
“Kisah di Pengasingan: Oyong-oyong Ayang-ayang (2023)” by Jumaadi and Shadow Factory is one of the most interesting pieces in the “Voice Against Reason” show. From November 18 to 26, 2023, this large-scale experimental wayang kulit (shadow puppet) show will only be shown a few times.
Poetry, music, and art are all used in the show to look at beauty and survival. “Kisah di Pengasingan: Oyong-oyong Ayang-ayang (2023)” tells the story of the amazing trip of 823 Indonesian Nationalist activists who sent by the Dutch East Indies government to Boven Digoel, Papua, in 1926 and then to Australia in 1942.
Even though things were hard, they used music and art to get through it. The Dutch gave them three kilograms of nails, but instead of making houses with them, they melted them down and used the metal to make a gamelan. Their story shows how culture, beauty, and life are all connected.
The artist Kamruzzaman Shadhin from Bangladesh will show a piece that uses recycled cloth and jute, two traditional crafts from his home country, to talk about migration, social justice, identity, and local history.
He thinks that the patterns on woven jute always look like the flow of a river. It linked to the past and memories of the people who live along the river’s banks. The artist started the Gidree Bawlee Foundation of Arts in 2001 as a way to support artistry in Bangladesh. And then, this piece is part of that foundation.
Participatory Artwork by Shilpa Gupta
Shilpa Gupta, an artist from India, will show her interactive piece called “Threat (2008–2009).” The artist makes a wall out of soap bricks with the word “THREAT” carved into them as part of this collaborative project. Gupta wants people to take a piece of this soap home and think about what it means to clean your body with something that is full of this idea.
Shilpa Gupta is an artist who often challenges the way people think and invites them to take part in events. Her works make us think about how we describe things, places, and people. In addition, she often talks about important problems like identity, boundaries, and personal sovereignty.
Thanks and Information About the Exhibition
The “Voice Against Reason” show is possible with help from the Australian Government, which gives money to the arts and ideas to Creative Australia. And then, from November 18, 2023, to April 14, 2024, the show will be open to everyone.