한국국제교류재단

ASEAN GALLERY

Indonesia, the First Beneficiary of Western Art
By _ JeongEun-gyeong, CEO of EK Art Gallery

Painters from Europe introduced oil painting techniques in Indonesia early on during the country’s 360-year Dutch colonial rule. To date, the center of European art education in the country is Bandung, which serves as the hub for international modern art. Bandung is located on a plateau located two hours from Jakarta and has a relatively cool climate. It is home to the Indonesian School of Art, national and public art museums, and artists’ workshops. Along with Bandung, the integral art cities in Indonesia are Jakarta and Bali. Another great art city is Yogyakarta, which hosts Indonesia’s Biennial Art Jog.

Bandung’s art is international, whereas local and folk art are centered in Bali, with Jakarta falling somewhere in between. Contemporary art is mostly produced in Bandung and Yogyakarta, and consumed in Jakarta. Bali is an art city in its own right, with infrastructure for both art consumption and production. Jakarta, the capital, has a concentration of big galleries and organizes large-scale art fairs.

Art Jakarta, previously known as Bazaar Art Jakarta, is Indonesia’s leading art fair. It has been held in Jakarta every August since 2009. Art Jakarta is centered around local art and domestic artists. On the other hand, Art Stage Jakarta, a latecomer among the fairs, is a more international event. Art Stage Jakarta began in August 2016. With a larger scale than Art Bazaar, it captivated the eyes of demanding collectors by featuring highly prestigious galleries from abroad.

Indonesia frequently has art exchanges with neighboring Singapore. A large group of well-funded Singaporean galleries has exclusive contracts with Indonesian artists for their global business. Indonesian contemporary art is not yet well known in Korea, but I look forward to more exchanges between the two countries.