Art Jakarta shoots for the moon

With a new venue at the heart of the sprawling metropolis, the art fair’s 2023 iteration signals a bigger context as ASEAN nations grow more powerful.

By Pao Vergara
Photos courtesy of Art Jakarta
January 3, 2023

Facade of the fair venue

This is an excerpt from Art+ Magazine Issue 88. To read the full story, get the latest issue available on collectibles by artplus, Shopee, and on select stores of National Bookstore and Fully Booked.

During the opening of Art Jakarta 2023, which ran from November 17 to 19, despite mostly addressing the audience in Bahasa, it was mentioned by one of the organizers in English that an aspiration exists to be a “cultural powerhouse in Asia.”

This year’s iteration was held in a different venue, the larger Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) in North Jakarta after years in the Jakarta Convention Center in Central Jakarta.

Artwork of Taco booth

An artist’s – and audience’s – playground 

Aside from staple mediums such as painting and sculpture, concept-focused work, using new media or otherwise reworking familiar platforms, was given equal attention. 

The Museum of Toys continued its youthful streak of boundary-pushing with its “Outta the System” stall—literally a toilet stall with a gold-like toilet sculpture facing two walls holding works from different artists. It was arranged in such a way that it faced away from the main wing, while also being near the event entrance, mimicking the privacy of washrooms in floor plans.

Artwork by Jose John Santos III

Artsy Rich Asians

At the center of JIEXpo, newcomers could be drawn to tasteful works from artists across Southeast Asia, curated by UOB Art Space, seamlessly blending in with the many dedicated galleries showcasing their works. At first glance, said space’s affiliation with one of Art Jakarta's three major sponsors isn’t apparent.

Installation of Bitbit booth

Installation of Mini booth

Art Jakarta goes beyond the big fair, if you’re lucky to be there when it happens, it’s enriching, too, to explore the rest of the city and unearth the hidden art in Jakarta.

I’m saying this as someone born and raised in Metro Manila, amazed at the similarities between the two metropolises, the resonances between Thamrin and BGC, Sabang and Poblacion, but also envious of how the main roads are smoother, the rapid bus transit infrastructure is more developed, and how I seem to get less acne here, all while banners highlighting ASEAN integration following the recently concluded summit continue to deck major thoroughfares.

If our Indonesian friends are confident in taking on the role as not just ASEAN’s economic powerhouse but also a cultural center, I can see where their confidence is coming from. 

For updates and inquiries, visit artjakarta.com or follow their official Instagram @artjakarta.