Future Folk / Konon Kelak: Art Agenda, JKT

Once upon a time, in a region called Leuwinanggung, Rumah Tangga came into being amidst lush land, alongside birds, snakes, and butterflies.

For many locals, Rumah Tangga remains hidden and mysterious. But for a select few who have come from afar, Rumah Tangga is a home for creatives. A pair of artists named Ella Wijt and Kurt D. Peterson inhabit and take care of this house every day. Each year, they also love to invite other artists to reside and create works in this house for two to three months.

Last sunny season, Rumah Tangga invited three artists: Luqi Lukman, Ragil Dwi Putra, and Vicky Saputra. Luqi explored the remnants of memories and recorded the passing of days. Ragil wandered around searching for lemongrass and river paths said to have disappeared due to Indonesia’s first highway road construction. Meanwhile, Vicky, every morning until midday, learned how to paint with the sun.

As the year turned, in yet another season still scorching hot with occasional rain, three other artists arrived: Mira Rizki, Philip Lukman, and Sillyndris. All three were equally mesmerized by all that lay hidden behind the wild grass. Mira revisited the past when she heard certain sounds. Philip, meanwhile, recorded and composed a variety of these sounds, later coming to realize that sound was Time itself. Sillyndris studied myths, not through books but through the stories of family and Leuwinanggung residents in order to create artifacts for people in the future.

From the experiences of these artists-in-residence across two seasons, the idea of Future Folk/Konon Kelak was born.

The exhibition showcases new works resulting from the residency experiences of these six artists at Rumah Tangga. They have befriended nature, ideas, history, and the customs of the people around them. 

One may consider this exhibition as having brought forth works by artists from the past, for whom we are the future, or that the exhibition presents works by artists from the future, for whom we are the past. We ask, what are these objects? Who made them? Where do they come from? And so the story begins: Once upon a time, in a region called Leuwinanggung, Rumah Tangga came into being amidst lush land, alongside birds, snakes, and butterflies.

For further inquiries, reach out via WhatsApp +62 813-1066-8211 (Stella) or info@artagendasea.org.