Jogja Art Scene

It's amazing how life works when you're abroad. Two weeks ago we didn't know anyone here and last night we had an invitation to an art gallery opening from a friend of a friend. So, we descended upon Yogya by cab and watched as our driver took us one turn after another. Eventually we were off in some unfamiliar district with few people between the occasional still-open restaurant. We took another turn and ended up in a pitch dark neighborhood. Thoughts of the cab driver dropping us off in the wrong location flitted through our minds as we frantically tried to identify any building that might be an art studio. Finally, we turned onto a road that suddenly seemed to be full of life.

The entrance to Krack Studio, where the exhibit was held. 

Welcome to the art district of Yogyakarta. A mix of trendy and alt-culture Indonesians, Australians, and Dutch hovering in the light of the studio building as if their proximity to art was like oxygen to their lungs. Hijabs were traded in favor of graphic thrift store outfits and tea was replaced by beer in plastic cups.

We perused the art exhibit taking in piece after piece. It was an impressive collection of screen printed renderings of old (or not so old) advertisements from Indonesia's history. The official description of the exhibit is as follows (from their Facebook page here): 

A new life. Democracy. Heaven. Winning the lottery. A big house. Career. Celebrity. Sex. Smartphone. We are defined by what we dream. Tanah/Impian (Dream/Land) explores the aspirations of Indonesia over 100 years, as reflected through popular culture. The exhibition highlights the often stark difference between ‘Dream’ and ‘Reality’, and, as an election approaches, challenges us to think critically about the values that define us as individuals, as a community and as a nation.

The pieces did not disappoint. It's amazing and horrifying what advertising sells to us. For instance, 3 Swords Wine...

The advertisement reads: "Be strong! Be fit! 3 Swords Wine. Increases your blood. Makes your body stronger. Makes you fatter. Makes you smarter. Good for bones. Never feel tired. Makes women get pregnant faster."

Or even more horrifying, this one from 2012....

For $0.64 you can buy your own Indonesian maid. But don't worry, if paying in full is too hard for you, you can just pay a deposit of $0.30 to get yours. So I reiterate, only two years ago you could literally buy your own slave for less than a can of Coke in the United States. 

Since we were in an unfamiliar part of town we decided to do a bit of wandering before returning to our house. There wasn't much open since Yogyakarta seems to close up pretty early, particularly on weeknights unless it's a busy area. Eventually we decided to call a cab to come get us, as there were clearly none in the vicinity. Which worked really well considering we had no clue where we were.

An amazing man at his Roti booth on the corner of the street watched as we struggled. Although speaking no English, he understood our intentions and when we handed our cellphone to him, he gave the taxi directions to where we were and then provided us with chairs as we waited.

The Roti booth on the street corner.

He and I bonded over the fact that his stall was called the same nickname my friends call me, considering telling my name in Bahasa Indonesia and pointing are two skills I've gotten really good at perfecting during my time here. But eventually the cab came and collected us and our night of mini-adventure came to an end as the fatigue from our workday hit us in the airconditioning of the car.