Contemporary
worlds
Indonesia

The twenty-first century has witnessed a rapid expansion of the commercial art system and the development of a global infrastructure. Indonesia, like many other contemporary worlds, has been shaped by this period of increased interconnectedness. A determined international focus and sophisticated engagement with global currents are the hallmarks of the post-Reformasi generation. These artists demonstrate incredible ambition and their works stand among the most conceptually and aesthetically innovative art practices today.

Uji 'Hahan' Handoko Eko Saputro is an artist practicing within, and actively shaping, the new parameters of this century's 'transnational' scene. Ruminating on this experience, Hahan's investigation of artistic strategy has been developed into a conceptual project now spanning several iterations.

Working collaboratively with Adi 'Uma Gumma' Kusuma, this newly commissioned neon work demonstrates an array of career-making moves that come with the heady promise of artistic success. Here, the artists invite us to participate in their findings, providing a chance to play the contemporary art game for ourselves via the use of a networked communication system.

What results is an industry exposé. Behind the billions of dollars transacted in contemporary art each year, we soon discover that it is the hard-to-grasp, slippery 'soft' forces of trust, belief, confidence and commitment as exchanged between the 'Holy Trinity'—the artist, the dealer and the gallery—that forms the overall 'silent operation'. The flashy 'bling' and alluring bright lights of the contemporary art world are revealed to be a network of co-option and allegiance. With sharp intellectual rigour delivered as a playful critique, we are invited to the parties and frustrated by the pitfalls that comprise the ever-changing, contemporary art milieu.