Indieguerillas

Artist collective founded in 1999

Indieguerillas, founded in 1999, is a duet of artists from Yogyakarta-Indonesia. They are the couple Santi Ariestyowanti, and Dyatmiko“Miko”Bawono. The former has a background in Visual Communication Design and the latter in Interior Design. Both artists are alumni of The Faculty of Art of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta (ISI Yogyakarta). In addition to their being known for their interest in folklores, indieguerillas are also recognized for their proficiency at visual effects and inter-media experimentation in their works.

The collaboration between Miko and Santi began in 1999, when they received an order to create the cover design for Sheila on Seven’s album titled “Kisah Klasik untuk Masa Depan” (A Classic Tale for the Future). Since then, they have been working together as graphic designers under the name of Indieguerillas. One of their principles is that of “work and play”. ‘Work’ signifies the time they work commercially, doing orders from their clients, while ‘play’ signifies the time when they create works purely for their artistic pleasure. The graphic designer and interior designer eventually got married in 2002 and keep on working under the name of Indieguerillas.

In 2002, Cemeti Art house invited them to take part in a joint exhibition with a French graphic designer. The exhibition marked their entrance into the Indonesian art world. From that moment on, they have been taking parts in many art events, including the CP Biennale in 2005. 2007 was an important year in their artistic career, as they participated in an exhibition titled “ArtVertising” at the Indonesian National Gallery. Their involvement in the exhibition gave them a new perspective regarding their artistic career. Since that exhibition, they decided to reduce the ‘work’ element that had been dominant in their collaboration, and one which supported their life, and make the ‘play’ element as the dominant aspect.

CV
Selected Solo Exhibitions are: "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" and "(Foster) The Prefabricated Faith" at the Project Room, Gillman Barracks Singapore (2012), "Indie what? Indie who?" at the Garis Art Space, Jakarta, Indonesia (2010), "Happy Victims" at the Valentine Willie Fine Art, Artspace @ Helutrans, Singapore (2010) and "Fool’slore: Folklore Reload" at the Biasa Artspace, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia (2008). Selected Group Exhibitions are: "Marcel Duchamp in South East Asia" at the Equator Art Projects, Gillman Barracks, Singapore (2012), "ROMANCING INDONESIA Modern and Contemporary Painting and Sculpture" at the Royal Opera Arcade Gallery, London, UK (2012), "Gangster Nation" at the Bazaar Art Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia (2012), "RE.CLAIM" at the Indonesia National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2012), "LEGACY The Trace of Civilization" at the Esa Sampoerna Art Museum, Surabaya, Indonesia (2012) and "JANEFO #1" at the Langgeng Art Foundation, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2012), "Marcel Duchamp in Southeast Asia" at the Equator Art Projects, Singapore (2012), "Rupa Belanja, Rupa Kota (Forms of Shopping, Forms of Cities)", Salihara Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2012), "Meta-Question. Back to the Museum Per Se" at The 4th Guangzhou Triennial, China (2011), "Ethnicity Now" at the Indonesia National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2010), "The Fantastic Garden" at the Changwon Asian Art Festival, South Korea (2010) and "Dua Kota Dua Cerita" at the Semarang Contemporary Art Gallery, Semarang, Indonesia (2010).

Indieguerillas participated in several Biennals, such as:
2011
Art Domain Migration, ASEAN & China,10+1 Art Tactic Independent Art Project, The 4th Guangzhou Triennial, The 3rd Fl, Guangdong, Museum of Art, Guangzhou City, China
2011
Colllateral Event of the 54th International Art Exhibition-la Biennale: Future Pass – From Asia to the World, Palazzo Mangilli-Valmarana,Venice, Italy
2009
Biennale Jogja X: Jogja Jamming, JNM Yogyakarta
2009
Animamix Biennial : Visual Attrack & Attack, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Taiwan
2007
Neo Nation, Jogja National Museum- Biennale Jogja, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2005
Di Sini & Kini, Sagan Area – Biennale Jogja, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2005 Urban/Culture, CP Biennale 2005, Museum Bank Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Indieguerillas, Tempus Fugit: Resistance is Futile, 2014, Mixed Media, 150 x 90 x 20 cm | 59.06 x 35.43 x 7.87 in, # INDI0004

Exhibitions

"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 | Click on image to see more

"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013

SIP! INDONESIAN ART TODAY / SENI RUPA INDONESIA KINI

The past three generations of Indonesian Contemporary Art

Group show by ARNDT Berlin

27 April to 01 June 2013
Tue – Sat, 11am – 6pm

Please click here to watch a video of the "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" show in Berlin.

The exhibition "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" and the accompanying publication results from ARNDT’s recent focus on Southeast Asian art and the new Asian and Pacific art markets. Over the past four years Matthias Arndt has worked in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. His research, the past shows of Southeast Asian artists and the opening of ARNDT Singapore, the Asian showroom and office of ARNDT, makes Matthias Arndt one of the leading experts for contemporary Indonesian and Southeast Asian Art in Germany and Europe.

The exhibition "Sip! Indonesian Art Today", curated by Enin Supriyanto, is the 10th show dedicated to Southeast Asian art ARNDT is hosting in Singapore, Australia, Great Britain and Berlin. The 150 page publication "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" edited by Matthias Arndt and published at DISTANZ Verlag (ISBN 978-3-95476-007-7) is available in all bookstores.

The public talk "The last three decades of artistic production in Indonesia: 25 years of Cemeti Art House and the status of curating.” with Enin Supriyanto (curator) and Mella Jaarsma (artist), moderated by Katerina Valdivia Bruch (curator / critic) will take place at ARNDT Berlin on 27 April 2013 at 4 pm.

The exhibition presents over 40 works from all artistic mediums, painting, sculpture, installation, photography and film, by 16 contemporary artists from Indonesia. They belong to a larger community of artists who are actively shaping Indonesia’s dynamic developing contemporary art scene. If we consider their age and career development, the artists here represent 3 generations of contemporary art practice dating back from the late 1970s: beginning first with FX Harsono, one of the proponents of the Indonesian New Art Movement (Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru) founded in 1975 followed by a group of artists who emerged at a time when Indonesia was undergoing major socio-political transformations in its strive towards democracy during the late 1990s (Agung Kurniawan, Agus Suwage, Mella Jaarsma), the post-Reformasi (Reformation) generation of artists (Christine Ay Tjoe, Entang Wiharso, Rudi Mantofani, Handiwirman Saputra, Eko Nugroho, Syagini Ratna Wulan and Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo), and finally a generation of artists who have been active in the past decade, sophisticated operators of their own careers in a more or less stable and democratic Indonesia (Wedhar Riyadi, J. Ariadithya Pramuhendra, Wiyoga Muhardanto, Indieguerillas and Tromarama).

The generational differences do not only represent differing socio-political experiences in connection with the development of Indonesia’s society in the past three decades but also illustrates the differing socio-political contexts of the artists observations and artistic approaches that have changed and altered over the years.

The word “Sip” in Bahasa Indonesia may be a simple and modest one but it is full of meaning. While the origin of this word is unknown, it is a word that is used by nearly everyone every day. “Sip” is the briefest way to state that something – whether an art work, an event, an experience or anything – is good, of good quality, super or outstanding even. Like this word, and like the process of our ongoing global culture, we do not question the origin of an idea, but we consider how this idea can continue to grow and contribute to the interaction and civilization of the world. In a way, we can say that ‘Sip’ has no such thing as exotic cultural background, neither stereotypical cultural baggage. Whatever the case, the meaning is clear: good, great, outstanding.

For more information and images, please contact info@arndtberlin.com or +49 30 206 13870.

Please click here to download the press release as PDF file (English)

Please click here to download the press release as PDF file (German)