REGIONAL PROFILE: INDOARTNOW
June 4, 2015 | Selina Halim
IndoArtNow is a non-profit organization that strives to promote and support Indonesian contemporary art. IndoArtNow helps raise fund for potential projects, initiate project and connect Indonesian contemporary art to a wider audience through its online platform www.indoartnow.com
IndoArtNow engage in activities and aims to provide support for the infrastructure of Indonesian contemporary art, by featuring exhibited artworks and publications by artists, curators, gallerists, collectors and journalists.
Here, INCCA-AP interviews Natasha Sidharta, the Director of IndoArtNow on their initiative in showcasing exhibitions, artists and curators in Indonesia through their online platform.
Q: Tell us about IndoArtNow. How did it start and what is IndoArtNow’s vision?
A: My partner, Tom Tandio realized that there are not enough updates and information on Indonesian contemporary art out there, especially on the internet. So he thought it would be useful if he could help in promoting Indonesian contemporary art through a website platform that exposes images of artworks being exhibited locally and internationally. IndoArtNow started on the focus of the website alone, how to get real time exposure on exhibition of Indonesian contemporary art. Since the beginning Tom and I shared the same vision, which is to do something useful in order to promote, support and develop the Indonesian art scene. Since then I concentrated on the development of projects which range from funding exhibitions, to translating important art archives to supporting artists or curators for residencies.
Q: What is IndoArtNow’s current and long term project?
A: Currently we produce an Art TV program for Bloomberg TV Indonesia which has been extended to second season/year. We co produce a big solo show on a prominent Indonesian contemporary artist in Japan in June. At Art Basel HongKong, we hope to launch the translation of selected Indonesian important archives to English, a project initiated by Art Asia Archive and Indonesian Visual Art Archive and IndoArtNow produced at AAA booth. And we co organize open call for any artist/ curator or art related profession for a proposal of any project that engages in an Ecology and Environment thematic issue. Up to a maximum of 10 proposals will win 100 million Rupiah each.
Q: How does IndoArtNow make the selection of which artists, curators and exhibitions to showcase on its website?
A: Initially we do not have any selection procedures to showcase exhibition in the website. But almost naturally, it comes down to the venue. As much as possible we try to expose new art events, exhibitions, emerging artists and curators. Most of the time, emergings artists have limited channels to promote their exhibitions so we try our best to expose them through our website.
Q: IndoArtNow is at present an independently run initiative, how do you foresee it being operated in the future?
A:IndoArtNow is still independent for now but it is a bit difficult to run the organization and maintain the programs with such limited sources. In the future we have plans to create endowment funds in order to better sustain the organization.
Q: How do you foresee the future of IndoArtNow and its role in the Indonesian art scene as well internationally?
A: IndoArtNow’s mission is to promote Indonesian contemporary art locally at home. In Indonesia not many people appreciate their own contemporary art. Some people abroad know more about Indonesian artists than we do locally. So through many of our projects we focus on that. Internationally, our ambition is to push Indonesian artists to be well known and on the same level with other international artists by putting out good exhibitions. Therefore, we always look to sponsor our artists to international platform such as biennales or exhibitions at art spaces and residencies.
Q: What are IndoArtNow’s current obstacles and how do you intend to overcome them?
A: IndoArtNow's current obstacle is funding. We do not have a strong funding program to sustain the organization in order to do its programs. Hopefully in the near future we could create an endowment funding or raise funds through some art activities. We collaborate and work very closely with influential and important people in the art infrastructure in Indonesia. So we have high hopes we can move forward as long as we work together.
Q: What are your hopes for the INCCA-AP network? How would you like to see it
develop?
A: I would like to see if there are future collaborations for exhibiting Indonesian artists or engaging in any art projects that would develop and help support Indonesian contemporary art.