Invisible by Kotasis

Hendra ‘Hehe’ Harsono

say hello to old friend ink on cardboard

Hendra ‘Hehe’ Harsono and The Citizens of His La-La-Land

by Farah Wardani

I first met Hehe in 2006. We were connected by a mutual friend through Yahoo Messenger chats. At that time, he was still juggling between continuing his studies at the graphic arts department, Indonesian Art Institute (ISI), and working in several places, mainly at an internet café called ‘Betonet’, Yogyakarta. By working at Betonet he could be connected 24/7 to the internet. From there, he was active in building up his network and sharing his works and creative processes through his blog and the popular deviant art site. It was very useful for me then to know more about his work and then I invited him to join a collective exhibition that I curated, ‘Fringes Vol.1’ at Toimoi Ar+Design, Jakarta.

ball head ink on cardboard

Hehe then started to make his own way up his first solo at Via-Via café, and entering Black Urban Art competition. the beginning he’s always interested in working painting, drawing, toys, with premises on his experiences everyday life and iscontemporary culture. happily making a career as emerging artist wife, Restu Ratnanalso an artist and their Minggiran, Yogyakarta. Hehe is one of of ISI of early in early 1980s. specific interest ed in the Free(2009). Many of ter coming up grown up within multiculturalism their own country, internet, and neoworks, we can of Pop Culture, graphic novels, surrealism street-

in 2007 with the Djarum Since been with resin based in sues of Now, he’s a busy, with his ingtyas, son Yoda, at

the young artists generation 2000 who were born mostly I have always been taking a in them that I first manifestdom in Geekdom exhibition the artists belong to a clusfrom subcultures that have the paradoxes of Western and changing values in MTV invasion, cable TV, liberalism. Like in Hehe’s see traces of influences the Indie Movement, ‘lowbrow art’, pop style fashion and

more,that somehow also becoming of this part young generation. project of this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;September tion at Kedai in which

affect the sense of of the Indonesian The first noteable generation is the Somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exhibiKebun in 2005, Hehe joined.

In Indonesian contemporary art especially, there is a tendency to move beyond ideologies and grand narratives, choosing interdisciplinary creative processes in trying to create their own visual communication, taking inspirations from everyday lives and small narratives. try to articulate their existence through their visual strategies, coming from the displaced generation with ambiguities and hybridities. Yet, the ambiguities itself might as well reflect the shifting process of the young generation, in coping with their restlessness of being raised

being 5 good artist ink on cardboard

in multi-dimensions, with so many polarities and confrontations of values – and not to mention, identity politics particularly induced to them having grown up in the repressive New Order era. I especially use the term ‘geek’ to identify this generation, representing the new subculture of creative generation that can be called as ‘The Geek Culture’. According to the Well of Knowledge of today’s generation a.k.a Wiki, one of the definitions of ‘geeks’ is “A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest”. This definition is very broad but since many of these interests in the contemporary culture are then sponsored and endorsed by mainstream industry, the term ‘Geek’ has been applied to a vast range of genres and fields. Persons have been labeled as or chosen to identify as science geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks (techies), movie geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, music geeks, art geeks and literature geeks. Though still more used in the ICT/techie field and not particularly recognized in the art world, Geeks are a global syndrome. They exist in both worlds of physical and virtual realities and transcend the rigid structures of class hierarchies and attributes as they find their own channels and niches of actualization from the democratization of knowledge and references, helped by the advancement of technology, information system, and media. It creates interesting new patterns of social life, where they can find and choose their own self-absorbed niches within and in-between, or sometimes outside the multi-layers.

Now, geeks are even considered ‘cool’, and have their own fashion codes, communities. In some ways, there have been also a blur between ‘geeks’ and hipsters. Hehe can be said as one of those geeks, he’s an art geek. He said to me, “I am very instinctive when it comes to making works. I do what I know. I love comics since childhood, and made my own characters of monsters and imaginary ‘friends’ or anything that pops up in my mind, all based on memory of everything that I’ve seen, and it is fun to turn or twist them into something else”. ‘Invisible: The Unknown Between Us’ is his fourth solo after Share a Bed with Monster at Via2 (2007), Utola Land at Vivi Yip Art Room (2008), Little House and The Prayer at Richard Koh Gallery, Kuala Lumpur (2010). It can be said as a kind of a homage to the Cybergeek World that he feels so related to, the virtual world. Here Hehe creates a virtual world full of random ‘portraits’. The inspiration is based on his experiences working at the internet café and getting involved in the cyberworld. “It’s a strange realm but also very attractive. Artists used to be very isolated with its own world since we mostly work individually and back then we found it so hard to get connected with the outside world. Since I’ve been active with blogging and entering the social media world, I met lots of interesting people. I even first met my wife through Facebook, though not total strangers since we were introduced by mutual friends. It’s easier to connect, but at the same time also more detached. There are people remaining to exist in that virtual world and we somehow keep it that way. Who are these people actually, I don’t know personally but at some certain levels, we also understand each other.”

disorder eyes ink on cardboard

The word ‘invisible’ is taken from the yahoo messenger application that allows users to hide their online status. ‘Invisible’ is not really about the technology of the cyber space but more about the relationships of people in it. Real relationships as in sharing, knowing and feeling which are real, but at the same time also invisible since we don’t touch, have no physical contact or direct encounters. Hehe tries to make ‘The Invisibles’ visible, in his own way.

Hehe maintains his signature childlike, surreal characters. The works are full of them. They are divided in three parts: The canvas works, drawings and cardboard series. Most of them are objects that all have characters and personalities as if they are all alive. The land is imaginary but it cant be said as ‘unreal’ or completely a fantasy. It exists, as we can do things and interact inside it. It even can make us feel. It replaces the supranatural world as our second reality. To some others it even becomes a second life (which inspires a software with the name). *La-La-Land: 1. A place renowned for its frivolous activity. 2. A state of mind characterized by unrealistic expectations or a lack of seriousness. 3. A state of consciousness.

Many of the canvas works depict faces and organs morph and blend with each other, which remind me of the concept ‘Bodies without organs’. In Deleuze’s work, the term initially refers to the “virtual” dimension o the body. In Anti-Oedipus they say: “The body without organs is an egg: it is crisscrossed with axes and thresholds, with latitudes and longitudes and geodesic lines, traversed by gradients marking the transitions and the becomings, the destinations of the subject developing along these particular vectors.” I myself perceiving the series as a loose interpretation of Bodies Without Organs’, in particular the works ‘Over Capacity’, ‘Digital Prayer’ and ‘I Just Need Your Nickname’, the egg shaped creatures with only eyes and facial organs merging into one.

Though of course, it is a rather literal depiction of it and Hehe does not actually refer to that concept, it is purely his own imaginative play of his own premise of ‘The Invisibles’. In short, ‘Invisible’ is a fragmented sketches of the way Hehe subconsciously defines this virtual world that he feels attached and also detached with. They are depictions of his La-La-Land*. This realm remains invisible, mysterious, and untouchable. Yet, it also opens lots of doors to undiscovered territories. Some are fearful with it, think of it as a distant dehumanizing, while some consider it as an escapade, an alternative reality to escape and get lost. Hehe embraces the invisible with friendliness and fun, a kind of acceptance and openness of new possibilities and potentials, while also still being aware of its ironies and distance, while moving on with his existence in the real world that can be the same on one side but also completely different on the other, in terms of absurdities and abnormalities. --- [Yogyakarta, November 2011]

top slice head ink on cardboard

Another Way to Meet You acrylic on canvas 180 x 120 cm 2011

i just need ur nickname acrylic on canvas 180 x 120 cm 2011

digital prayer acrylic on canvas 60 x 60 cm 2011

overcapacity acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm 2011

the other between us acrylic on canvas 180 x 120 cm 2011

Take ur face for good reason acrylic on canvas 34 x 35 cm 2011

touchless conversation acrylic on canvas 150 x 120 cm 2011

accost in between boredom acrylic on canvas 180 x 160 cm 2011

i know what u see ink on cardboard

always know ink on cardboard

Mr. valley ink on cardboard

too much see you ink on cardboard

fight for bones ink on cardboard

blinddate drawing on paper

accost in between boredom drawing on paper

another way to meet you drawing on paper

always good drawing on paper

bandwith believer drawing on paper

i still know how old are you drawing on paper

curious club drawing on paper

deckhead drawing on paper

desolate slice drawing on paper

digital prayer drawing on paper

disorder eyes drawing on paper

digital prayer 2 drawing on paper

domestic problem publicise drawing on paper

Born in Kediri on September 26, 1983. Working and living as an artist in Jogjakarta. Studied at ISI Yogyakarta graphic arts major. Now a lot of work in the mediums of Painting, drawing, resin toys. Interested in the experience of everyday life, contemporary culture, urban toys. SOLO EXHIBITION 2007 SHARE A BED WITH MONSTER, VIA VIA café, Jogjakarta 2008 UTOLA LAND, viviyipartroom, Jakarta 2010 LITTLE HOUSE AND THE PRAYER, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

GROUP EXHIBITION 2004

HARI-HARI CERIA SEWON – BULAKSUMUR, gelanggang mahasiswa UGM, Jogjakarta NGERUMPI DI MALL, plaza TRIO, Magelang HALO KAWAN BARU, Ruang pamer IKJ ROADTRIP, outmagz artuary GEDEEBOOK, kedai kebun , Jogjakarta

Mr valley drawing on paper

2005

DAUN MUDA, galeri padi, Bandung SEPTEMBER SOMETHING, kedai kebun, Jogjakarta

2006

BOTOL KAGET, the gate café, Jogjakarta

2007 FRINGES vol.1, toimoi , Jakarta YANG ERROR, the GATE café, Jogjakarta teaser BLACK URBAN ART, toimoi, kemang Jakarta GET IT (W) ALL , galeri LIP, Jogjakarta BLACK URBAN ART 2007, kedai kebun, Jogjakarta SUPERB AMBITION, senayan city, Jakarta CAPO EXHIBITION, commonroom ,Bandung JOGJA BIENNALE IX, NEO NATION, jogja nasional museum, Jogjakarta 2008

CAPO EXHIBITION, Lembaga Indonesia Perancis, Yogyakarta KOMEDI PUTAR, Jogja Galeri, Yogyakarta BLACK URBAN ART 2008, Jakarta-Bandung-Yogyakarta BOYS ARE TOYS, SriSasanti galeri, Yogyakarta Asia Youth Contemporary artist, Richard Koh Fine Art, Malaysia

JAF#1, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta INIBARUINI, viviyipartroom, Jakarta CONNECTED, Indonesia Jepang Expo Arena Kemayoran PRJ, Jakarta

2009

BOARDERLESS WORLD, Taman budaya, Jogjakarta UP AND HOPE, D’ peak art space, Jakarta SEPTEMBER CERIA, Jogja galeri, Yogyakarta BIENNALE SASTRA SALIHARA, Galeri Salihara, Jakarta HeRe IS HERE, viviyipartroom, Jakarta- puri art gallery, Surabaya JOGJA BIENNALE X, Jogja Jamming, Sangkring art space 2, Jogjakarta

2010 ARTJOG 10, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta MASTERCARD DESTINATION ART WONDERLAND, Grand Hyatt Jakarta BAZZAR art fair, pacific place, Jakarta pameran ilustrasi cerpen kompas 2009, Bentara Budaya Jakarta – Jogja-Bali JAVAN WHIMSY, Utterlyart, Singapore 2011 MENGINTIP LAUT, CCF/LIP, Jogjakarta. TV EYE Custom Project, LouBelle, Bandung ARTJOG 11, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta SPEECH OBJECTS, Musée de l’Objet, Blois, France CYCLE CROP, Galeri Canna, Jakarta FINDING ME, Semarang Contemporary art, Semarang PAUSE;AUTOMATIC DRAWING SIMPLE AND DANGEROUS: Langgeng Art Foundation, Yogyakarta FANTASY ISLANDS, Espace Louis Vuitton, Hongkong DRAWING REVOLUTION, Fighr For Rice, Yogyakarta

Catalogue for Invisible: The Unknown Between Us by Hendra â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Heheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Harsono at D gallerie

Edition 500 copies

Published by D gallerie Jakarta, Indonesia December, 2011