The Great Archipelago Exhibition

In ‘Kayu’, one of the beautiful, wooden joglo buildings of the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets in Mas Village, Ubud, an incredibly eclectic set of art installations are on display. The Great Archipelago Exhibition features 11 tables, all of which have been designed and produced by 12 international artists: Michelangelo Pistoletto, Arahmaiani, Dora Budor, Ashley Bickerton, Marco Cassani, Rafram Chaddad, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Fendry Ekel, Michal Helfman, Rochelle Goldberg, Filippo Sciascia and Entang Wiharso. 

The Third Paradise Michelangelo Pistoletto 2018 Kayu Photo by Cyril

The exhibition is inspired by the work of Michelangelo Pistoletto, an important Italian contemporary artist who founded the Arte Povera movement, Cittadellarte and the Third Paradise project, which promotes the concept that nature (first paradise) and the man-made (second paradise) can coexist in harmony. His piece Il Grande Arcipelago (The Great Archipelago), a mirror table shaped into the sea that surrounds Indonesia, became the basis of inspiration for the other 11 artists. In his piece, Pistoletto ‘mirror table’ defines the sea as the ultimate melting pot, a symbol of meeting between cultures. A table is used specifically as a domestic object as well as a symbol of union. Whilst certainly defined as a contemporary exhibition, the artists began their work with a few factors in mind: all used a table (to reflect Pistoletto’s piece), domestically found materials and finally the concept of ‘Sustainability through Differences’ - as the exhibition closed a three-day forum of the same title. The artists then interpreted these into their own, unique works. The sustainability forum and the exhibition are organised by The Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta in collaboration with the Italian Honorary Consulate in Bali, Cittadellarte Pistoletto Foundation, Kayu Lucie Fontaine and Setia Darma House of Mask and Puppets, as part of the Festival “Vivere all’Italiana”, the Festival of the Italian Way of Life. The exhibition will remain open until 21 December 2018. Kayu at Rumah Topeng dan Wayang Setiadarma  Jalan Tegal Bingin, Banjar Tengkulak Tengah, Mas, Ubud +62 361 8987493 www.iicjakarta.esteri.it/id/