Museum Macan Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara
A long-awaited private museum, the Museum of Mod and Contemporary Art in Nusantara—Museum MACAN for short—finally opened its doors in Jakarta over the weekend. Founded by Indonesian philanthropist and art collector Haryanto Adikoesoemo and in the works since 2013, it is the country's beginning modern and gimmicky art museum.
The museum was originally scheduled to be completed in March, only was delayed until the fall to coincide with Jakarta Biennale and Biennale Jogja, two of the most significant fine art events in a country with a significant number of private collectors merely minimal museum infrastructure.
Located on the 5th floor of a tower built by ARKdesign, the museum's interiors have been designed past London-based firm MET Studio Design Ltd. (The museum's long full name includes Nusantara, the name for the Indonesian archipelago in Javanese, while its abbreviation, MACAN, is the Javanese word for tiger.)
The countdown evidence, which opened on November 4, brings together ninety works by 70 Indonesian and international artists. At that place volition exist much more to see as additional works come out of storage: The museum'south founder, a property programmer and the president of chemical and energy logistics visitor PT AKR Corporindo, has amassed a drove of 800 works of American, European, and Asian fine art.
Robert Rauschenberg, Blitz 20 (Cloister), 1980. Courtesy of Museum MACAN.
The debut exhibition "is the showtime public unveiling of an extraordinary collection developed over two decades by our founder," the museum'southward director Aaron Seeto told artnet News. (Seeto, the sometime curatorial manager of Asian and Pacific art at the Queensland Art Gallery in Commonwealth of australia, took over in November 2016 following the sudden difference of Thomas J. Berghuis.) He noted that the show "offers a reading of Indonesian art history in dialogue with world art history, and highlights the breadth and depth of the collection."
Big names like Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, Gerhard Richter, Andy Warhol, and Yayoi Kusuma are represented, just the exhibition gives equal airtime to the piece of work of Indonesian artists, who take received comparatively little exposure on the international level. Among those showcased are FX Harsono, Heri Dono, Kusama Affandi, and Raden Salèh Sarief Bustaman, who is considered the father of modern Indonesian painting.
Installation view of the Global Soup section of "Art Turns. Globe Turns: Exploring the Collection of Museum MACAN." Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN.
Organized by Indonesian curator Agung Hujatnika and Charles Esche, managing director of the Netherlands's Van Abbemuseum and curator of the 2015 Jakarta Biennial, the countdown exhibition shows how Indonesian artists were influenced past the nation'south history as a Dutch colony. The state declared independence in 1945, and much of the fine art on view reflects Indonesia'due south multi-ethnic and racial makeup, its struggle for nationhood, constructions of exoticism, the influence of colonial powers, and the ascension of globalism.
Amongst those featured is Indonesian artist Arahmaiani Feisal, whose paintingLingga-Yoni depicts Arabic lettering with the Hindu symbols for the male and female genitalia. The work is on display for the first time since she fled to Commonwealth of australia due to decease threats from Islamic fundamentalists.
Arahmaiani Feisal, Lingga-Yoni, (1994). Courtesy of the Museum MACAN. ©Arahmaiani.
When Feisal learned that the painting, meant to stand for the multiculturalism of her native Java, had been purchased by the Museum MACAN, "I thought no, that is not possible," she told theSydney Forenoon Herald. "The work has very deep meaning for me, although it is likewise quite traumatic. I don't how to explicate."
Lingga-Yoni is a key example of the strengths of the Museum MACAN'southward collection. "Because of its geographical range, we can brainstorm to draw out comparisons between what was going on hither alongside the interests and activities of artists around the world," Seeto told the National. It is possible to illustrate, he notes, artists' diverse reactions to the postwar experience in America, Europe, Japan and Korea.
The museum also debuted a new commission from leading Indonesian artist Entang Wiharso in its Children's Fine art Infinite. TitledFloating Gardens, the piece volition provide the properties for educational programming.
Children'due south Art Space Entang Wiharso commission, Floating Garden (2017) at the Museum MACAN. Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN.
Museum MACAN is part of a growing tendency, perhaps nowhere as popular every bit in Asia, of ultra-rich collectors opening their own individual museums. Co-ordinate to a survey of private museums by Larry's List released last January, another Asian country—South korea—has the virtually private museums of anywhere in the world. (Jakarta'south first, Budi Tek's Yuz Museum, closed in 2014 equally the collector turned his attention to a new museum venture in Shanghai.)
"The private sector," Seeto told the Herald, "has taken up a lot of the conversations that nosotros in the Westward would expect the public sector to do."
Meet more than photos of the new museum and its collection below.
Installation view of the Struggles Effectually Form and Content section of "Art Turns. World Turns: Exploring the Drove of
Museum MACAN." Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN.
Museum MACAN, interior. Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN/Yori Antar.
Entang Wiharso, Melt (triptych), 2008. Courtesy of Museum of MACAN.
Museum MACAN, interior. Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN/Yori Antar.
Children'due south Art Space Entang Wiharso commission, Floating Garden (2017) at the Museum MACAN. Photo courtesy of
Museum MACAN.
Sindudarsono Sudjojono, Ngaso (1964). Courtesy of Museum of MACAN.
Museum MACAN, interior. Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN/Yori Antar.
Installation view of the Global Soup department of "Art Turns. World Turns: Exploring the Collection of
Museum MACAN." Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN.
Museum MACAN, interior. Photo courtesy of Museum MACAN/Yori Antar.
"Art Turns, Earth Turns: Exploring the Collection of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara" is on view at the Museum of Mod and Contemporary Art in Nusantara November iv, 2017–March xviii, 2018.
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Source: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/indonesia-unveils-the-museum-macan-1141112