Ngudang by Kotasis

Iwan Effendi and Papermoon Puppet Theatre

Published in conjunction with the exhibition Ngudang by Iwan Effendi & Papermoon Puppet Theatre Kendra Gallery, Seminyak, Bali June 29 - July 29, 2012 Published by Kendra Gallery Jl. Drupadi No. 88B, Basangkasa, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia enquiries@kendragallery.com +62 361 736 628

Supported by Uma Sapna Villas Curated by Agung Kurniawan Translated by Sherry Kasman Entus Photos by Gamaliel W. Budiharga, Lelaki Budiman & Maria Tri Sulistyani Catalogue Design by Kotasis Kamar Desain 3x3x3 First Edition, June 2012 500 copies

Printed in INDONESIA ÂŠ 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission of the copyright holder. Copyright of the artworks images belong to Kendra Gallery and their respective artists and essays to respective authors.

Iwan Effendi and Papermoon Puppet Theatre

ngudang: Pegang, Sentuh dan Mainkan

Agung Kurniawan kurator dan seniman pendamping

- - - Satu - - Ngudang adalah aktifitas yang terjadi antara orang dewasa dengan bayi atau anak kecil. Tujuannya adalah berkomunikasi den gan mengunakan bahasa lembut, bah kan sering kali menggunakan bahasa Jawa halus dan disertai dengan nyanyian. Ngudang juga hampir selalu dipenuhi de ngan puja-puji ketampanan, kecantikan atau kepintaran sang anak. Ini adalah salah satu bentuk interaksi awal antar generasi. Dar i situlah komunikasi yang lebih canggih akan dibentuk. Pada kebudayaan Jawa, anak memang menempati kedudukan sangat penting. Anak adalah pembawa rejeki. Bisa jadi pand angan ini merupakan sisa-sisa dari kebudayaan pertanian masa lalu yang bergantung pada tenaga kerja ekstensif. Sem akin banyak anak berarti semakin banyak tenaga kerja, berarti juga semakin produktif dan akhirnya banyak rejekinya. Kurang lebih begitulah nalar hubungan antara seorang anak dan rejeki pada kebudayaan Jawa lama. Ketika jaman berganti, tanah pertanian sudah diganti dengan pabrik dan per tokoan, pemujaan terhadap anak tetap tinggal, hanya saja berubah bentuk. Pola komunikasi verbal aktif perlahan digan tik an dengan alat. Mainan anak yang dengan segala peruntukan usianya telah

menggantikan bentuk komunikasi verbal ini. Anak moderen hidup di rumah-rumah sempit perkotaan ditemani mainan dan suara televisi. Tidak ada bahasa Jawa halus, tiada nyanyian puja puji. Semua sudah digantikan alat dan perangkat tek nologi digital. Ibu tak pelu menembang, cukup menempelkan earphone Ipod di per ut buncit ibu hamil, dan putar musik klasik atau alunan ayat suci. Atau tak perlu mengajak bercakap dan bersendau gurau, biark an saja si anak kecil Ipad di tangannya, alat itu pasti akan menghiburnya dan orang tua bisa tetap sibuk dengan laptop dan gadget. Itulah kurang lebih panorama keluarga modern kelas menengah di kotakota besar Indonesia sekarang. Sementara keluarga kelas bawah aktifitas ngudang digantikan raungan speaker aktif buatan cina, tangisan cengeng opera sabun di TV atau mainan-mainan berbaterai yang dibuat dengan plastik limbah dan diproduksi tenaga super murah di Cina daratan. Pameran Iwan Effendi, Papermoon Puppet Theatre (Maria Tri Sulistyani aka Ria) mengangkat fenomena ngudang sebagai tema pameran mereka. Alasan yang paling jelas kenapa mereka menggunakan tema ini adalah karena mereka tertarik pada komunikasi dan pola-polanya. Teater Bo neka yang mereka bidani, Papermoon, adalah perwujudan obsesi mereka untuk berkomunikasi dengan cara berbeda. Ber komunikasi dengan semua lapisan umur.

Menurut mereka hanya dengan boneka ma ka semua itu mungkin diwujudkan. Ngudang sebagai sebuah model komunikasi unik (yang sekarang pelan-pelan) digan tikan dengan alat dan peralatan cangg ih. Ngudang adalah komunikasi dua arah. Meski masing-masing pihak mengg un a kan bahasa yang berbeda; satu “bah as a manusia” sedang lainnya bahasa bayi. Ini juga merupakan jawaban atas kesalah pahaman, pada bagaimana sehar usnya orang berkomunikasi. Sering kali komu nikasi disalah pahami sebagai sebuah relasi yang diakibatkan dari pertemuan dengan menggunakan bahasa sama. Pad a hal dalam situasi sehari-hari komun ikasi sering terjadi, dan bahkan berjalan lancar, antar dua model bahasa yang berbeda. Seperti komunikasi ala ngudang ini. Da lam situasi ini Papermon menemukan kon teksnya. Pola komunikasi yang mereka bentuk berdasarkan pada perbed aan. Bo neka dan manusia berbicara-boneka dan manusia berinteraksi-manusia dan ma nus ia berkomunikasi. Tiga tahap komu nikasi itu menunjukkan bagaimana bone ka kemudian mampu membuat jembata n komunikasi antar manusia.

- - - Dua - - Satu bagian penting pada karya Iwan dan Ria adalah boneka. Karya-karya mereka diluar pementasan Papermoon

nyaris selalu mengandung unsur ini. Bo nek a dalam pandangan mereka adalah bentuk lain dari manusia, ia bisa jadi ada lah perpanjangan tangan manusia atau merupakan subsitusi manusia itu send iri, seperti terlihat pada karya Ria. Sekum pulan kotak dengan jendela kaca yang ter buat dari kayu bekas beraneka warna. Di dalamnya terdapat obyek-obyek ganjil yang terbuat dari papier mache, paper clay, ka yu dan benda-benda temuan. Obyek-obyek ganjil itu mengilustrasikan sesuatu, sebu ah cerita. Ria menyebut karyanya ini se bagai dioramakronik. Kotak kayu bekas berkaca itu adalah wakil dari sebuah dunia, sebuah mikrokosmos du nia. Di dalamnya, Ria memperangkapkan detail cerita yang dipungutnya dari ha rapan-harapan banyak orang yang mengi rimk an pesan berupa harapan kepadanya. Ria kemudian “merajutnya” dalam kotak diorama. Membuat boneka kertas, kemudian menempelkan potongan-potongan kertas koran, dan benda-benda renik lainnya, dari situ cerita pelan-pelan disusun. Diorama adalah bentuk detail dari sebuah cerita besar. Biasanya ditempatkan dalam sebuah museum untuk menceritakan peris tiwa-peristiwa penting yang dianggap ber sejarah. Dia adalah bentuk tiga dimensi dari narasi sejarah tertentu. Dalam kon teks Ria, narasi-narasi itu berbentuk ha rapa n. Harapan dari sejumlah orang. Ma sing-masing harapan, diletakkan dalam

satu kotak berkaca, seperti sebuah kotak surat dengan jendela. Secara simbolis dioramakronik Ria adalah kotak surat. Teman-temannya mengirimkan harapan tapi Ria tidak mewujudkan harapannya, hanya mengilustrasikannya. Persoalan yang muncul kemudian mengapa mereka mau menitipkan harapan-harapan kepada Ria dan kemudian membiarkan diwujudkan dalam bentuk karya seni rupa? Kalau kita baca harapan-harapan itu, tidak ada satupun yang “baru”, harapan yang selalu kita dengar. Oleh karena harapa n itu masih pada persoalan dasar manusia untuk bisa hidup; persamaan hak, ling kunga n yang hijau dan lain sebagainya. Oleh karena harapan-harapan itu klise, maka Ria nampak tidak kesulitan untuk mewujudkannya dalam dioramakroniknya teman-teman Ria yang menitipkan pes annya untuk diwujudkan sadar betul bagaim ana seni mampu dimanfaat (juga) sebagai pengirim pesan. Dengan menitip kannya pada Ria mereka secara sadar telah membuat pesannya semakin dilihat oleh banyak orang. Harapan yang awalnya sekadar omelan berubah menjadi sebuah kampanye. Sebagai kampanye harapan klise ini bisa jadi kemudian menginspirasi banyak orang untuk melakukan sesuatu. Boneka yang dibuat Ria sebagian besar berukuran kecil. Salah satu sebabnya adalah karena wadahnya yang tidak begitu besar, akan tetapi juga dimaksudkan supa

ya penonton melihat dari jarak dekat. Dari dekat kita bisa melihat detilnya, meng amati wajah-wajah pucat boneka kertas ini. Sepintas raut wajah boneka-boneka itu terlihat seperti tandak. Mukanya dipenuhi bedak berwarna putih dan hanya menyisakan sedikit warna merah di bibir. Dari itu semua kita tahu bahwa karya Ria memang dibuat untuk “diintip”. Menempatkannya di dalam sebuah kotak kecil, maka tindakan mengintip itu ke mudian menjadi nyata. Lupakanlah me lih at dengan berjarak seperti biasa kita lakukan jika melihat lukisan. Kita harus mendekat, bahkan seolah harus membuka telinga, siap mendengar boneka itu berbisik tentang cerita yang diembannya.

- - - Tiga - - Iwan Effendi adalah pelukis yang akhir-akhir ini bekerja dengan banyak med ia. Setelah dia menemukan keasyikan bekerja dengan media teater boneka ber sama Papermoon, sekarang dia mulai be kerja dengan bentuk berbeda; karya tiga dimensional dengan merangkai bendabenda temuan, gerak mekanik, gambar dan teknik lain. Dalam proses pengerjaan karyanya sekarang Iwan memulai dengan melihat potensi benda temuan. Entah itu kayu atau yang lain. Memang dia tetap berangkat dari tema, tapi tema itu tidak spesifik.

Ketika pertama kali berkunjung ke studionya terlihat dia masih bingung. Tumpukan kotak kayu teronggok di pojok studio. Di sudut ruang, tumpukan arang teronggok, beberapa diantaranya nampak terpahat. Nampaknya dia sedang memulai sebuah proses dengan menggunakan me dia-media itu. Dan waktu itu, bahwa dia sedang kehabisan ide. Benda-benda sete ngah jadi itu menjadi sampah. Memang berbeda dengan teman-teman satu angkat annya, Iwan nampak gelisah atau tepatnya gampang bosan dengan media konvens io nal. Awal kariernya dimulai dengan me lukis di atas kanvas, kertas atau kayu dengan menggunakan cat akrilik. Sekarang nampaknya dia sedang mencoba media lain. Percobaan menggunakan media yang tidak lazim, ternyata suatu yang baru baginya. Sejak mendirikan teater boneka dan ak tif di dalamnya, Iwan menunjukkan ke tertarikan pada dua hal: sejarah dan gerak. Karya karya terbarunya me rangkum kecenderungannya ini. Seperti yang tertulis di atas dimulai dari arang, potongan kayu, dan benda-benda temuan Iwan merangkai semua itu dalam sebuah “boneka”. Memang bukan seperti boneka lazimnya yang dia buat, tetapi lebih mirip struktur boneka. Kotak kayu yang disusun dalam urutan: besar di bawah kecil di atas, seperti badan dan kepala manusia. Dari bentuk-bentuk kotak geometris itu ditam bahk an seperangkat mesin sederhana, yang dapat menggerakkan tangan atau bagian-

bagian tertentu dari karya ini. Kalau kita kaitkan dengan judul pameran ini, maka akan jelaslah kenapa bentuk karya ini menyerupai anak kecil. Ngudang artinya lebih kurang berkomunikasi dengan anak kecil yang belum bisa berbicara secara lancar. Satu hal terpenting dari aktifitas ngudang itu adalah menyentuh, serta melakukan kontak fisik secara lembut. Hal sam a ditemui pada karya-karya Iwan ter baru. Menyentuh, menggerakkan secara lembut bebarapa bagian dari karya adalah keniscayaan. Tanpa tindakan ini karyakarya mekanik ini tidak bekerja sesuai dengan ide dasarnya. Iwan menyukai tindakan aktif dari penonton karya-karyanya. Sebagian dari karya-karya ini akan diletakkan di lantai. Anda bisa bayangkan karya-karya ini seperti seorang anak kecil yang sedang ‘ndeprok’ (duduk di lantai dengan nyaman, bahasa Jawa) menungg u diajak berkomunikasi. Sebagian karya-karya Iwan juga menerapkan teknik pewarnaan lain, pembakaran. Obsesi Iwan akan arang dimulai dari amatannya ten tang bagaimana sejarah terkait dengan traum a tertentu, tersisa di kepala anak muda Indonesia sekarang. Idiom arang bisa jadi tepat, akan tetapi awalnya dia agak memaksa, dengan meletakkan arang se bagai elemen dari calon karyanya. Arang itu seperti tumor di payudara perempuan cantik. Menempel di tempat salah di waktu yang tidak tepat.

Dari serangkaian diskusi yang kami lang sungkan, Iwan kemudian mengubah pen dek atannya. Tidak lagi mengambil arang jadi, akan tetapi menciptakannya sendiri. Dia “membakar” karyanya dengan sengaja untuk mendapatkan efek arang. Dengan cara membakar yang dikontrol, ternyata menciptakan serangkaian “pahatan” api berupa jelaga yang menempel solid pada material kayu. Sebagian dari kayu bahkan berubah menjadi arang, sebagian tetap tinggal tak terbakar. Dengan membakar, Iwan mendapatkan situasi simbolis dari fenomena sejarah menjadi abu/arang, oleh karena sengaja (telah) dihilangkan atau dilupakan. Sekaligus juga mendapatkan efek visual yang berbeda. Dalam seri lainnya Iwan secara tidak sengaja menemukan bahwa jelaga yang menempel pada kayu setelah dikerok akan mendapatkan sebuah bentuk-bentuk aso siatif, kemudian diselesaikannya men jad i bentuk yang lebih utuh: anak kecil, atau organ dalam manusia. Terkesima oleh hasil yang diperoleh karena berbagai ketid aksengajaan yang dihasilkan oleh serangkaian upaya untuk mendapatkan “media lain” Iwan seolah mendapat angin segar. Percobaan-percobaan Iwan menem patkannya pada situasi kreatif kemba li. Seperti tertulis di atas, kejenuha nnya dengan pendekatan seni rupa yang sera gam belakangan ini, memaksanya kem bali menggali akar persoaalan pada seni rupanya. Bukan hanya persoalan gagasan

akan tetapi juga persoalan bahan, atau kaitan dari keduanya. Dan dari keje nuhannya inilah karya mekanik ini lahir. Saya rasa hanya sedikit seniman muda sekarang yang melihat korelasi antara bahan dan gagasan sebagai sebuah hal penting. Sebagai generasi yang hidup dari situasi konsumsi tanda ekstensif, sesungguhnya tidaklah diperlukan pencarian-pencarian estetis seperti yang dilakukan Iwan dengan susah payah ini. Semua sudah disediakan oleh dunia digital. Pencarian sering kali di sikapi sebagai sebuah kesia-siaan. Mereka sekarang cukup meniru. Tidak ada upaya untuk mengelaborasi apa yang telah mereka konsumsi. Cukup puas dengan apa yang sudah mereka konsumsi. Tumbuh di tengah situasi “mandeg” ini, permainan dan eks perimen bahan yang dilakukan Iwan me nempatkannya selangkah lebih depan dari teman-teman satu angkatannya. Dia berani keluar dari zona nyamannya.

- - - Empat - - Kelompok teater boneka ini did i rikan oleh Ria dan Iwan pada 2006. Latar belakang Ria sebagai pemain teater dan kecintaannya pada dunia anak-anak dan dongeng membawanya pada dunia teater boneka. Bersama dengan Iwan effendi, Ria membawa teater yang semula di cap sebagai (hanya) teater untuk anak-anak ini ke arah berbeda. Bahwa teater ini bisa dinikmati

anak-anak sudah demikianlah adanya, akan tetapi bukan berarti teater boneka kemudian hanya berhenti pada wilayah itu saja, tapi dia bisa menjadi media ekspresi yang lebih “murni”. Ekspresi berbeda di awali dengan pementasan yang mulai menggarap tema-tema dewasa. Sampai sekitar setahun yang lalu, ketika mereka sukses mementaskan ‘Mwathirika’, sebuah pertunjukkan teater boneka berdasar pada peristiwa ‘genocide’ simpatisan komunis di Indonesia pada 1965. Keberhasilan meng garap tema “dewasa” membawa kelompok teater ini berhasil melewati stereotype teater boneka di Indonesia, sebagai teater edukasi untuk anak-anak.

yang terakhir “Secangkir Kopi dari Playa”, kemampuan mereka untuk merespon ru ang sangat mengagumkan. Sebuah gud ang mebel antik kumuh berdebu, diubah menjadi ruang imajinatif yang membuat penonton mampu membayangkan daerah-daerah ek sotis; Havana, Jakarta, dan cinta yang ter wujud. Di ruang galeri nanti mereka akan merespon meja makan sebagai panggung pertunjukkan. Seperti karya-karya mereka sebelumnya, disini dibutuhkan interaksi dari penonton. Interaksi dari penonton itu lah pertunjukkan teater ini terwujud. Tanpa upaya penonton untuk menarik tali atau memegang boneka maka pertunjukkan itu tak pernah ada.

Iwan dan Ria memang tidak dapat dipi sahk an dari kelompok ini, sebagai pen diri mereka memberi warna pada pemen tasan-pementasannya. Kemampuan Ria menyutradarai, digabungkan dengan ke mampuan Iwan untuk memberi sentuhansentuhan artistik pada boneka dan tata pangg ungnya. Pada pameran kali ini, mereka akan memanfaatkan situasi di galeri yang kebetulan juga adalah sebuah restoran. Merujuk pada pentas mereka

Pameran di Kendra ini adalah titik berang kat bagi Iwan Effendi, Ria, dan Papermoon. Masing-masing meskipun berangkat seba gai sebuah kelompok pada dasarnya dalam pameran ini mempunyai agenda mas ingmasing. Iwan dengan agenda karya me kan iknya, Ria dengan dioramakroniknya serta Papermoon dengan teater boneka site spesific-nya. Semoga agenda-agenda itu tercapai, kita sebagai penonton adalah sak si mata dari langkah penting ini. ---

ngudang: Hold, touch and play

Agung Kurniawan curator and supporting artist

- - - One - - “Ngudang” is a Javanese term for activities that happen between adults and infants or young children. The goal is to communicate, using gentle language, often High Javanese, along with song. Ngudang is almost always filled with praises for the good looks, beauty, or cleverness of the child. It is one of the first forms of intergenerational interaction – based on which more sophisticated communications will be built. In the culture of Java, children occupy a very important position. Children are the carriers of fortune. This view may be a remnant of the farming culture of the past, which relied on extensive labor. Having more children meant having more workers, which meant greater productivity, and ultimately, lots of good fortune. That’s roughly the logic of the connection between children and fortune in old Javanese culture. As times have changed, farmlands have been replaced by factories and shopping malls, yet the cult of the child has remained. Only it has changed in form. Active verbal communication patterns have slowly been replaced by gadgets. Children’s toys, with all their age designations, have replaced the old verbal communication patterns. Modern children live in cramped urban dwellings accompanied by toys and the sounds of the television. There is no more High

Javanese language; the songs of praise are gone. They have all been replaced by digital technology tools and devices. Pregnant women need not sing; all they have to do is place their i-pod earphones on their bulging stomachs, and turn on classical music or strains of sacred verse. Nor is it necessary to cajole little children into conversation and banter – just leave them, engrossed, with an iPad in hand; this is sure to keep them entertained, and let their parents keep busy with their laptops and apps. That’s more or less the scene for modern, middle-class families in the big cities of Indonesia today. Meanwhile, in lower-class families, ngudang has been supplanted by the active blare of loudspeakers made in China and the maudlin cries of soap operas on TV, or by trashy plastic, battery-operated toys, produced by super cheap labor in mainland China. This exhibition by Iwan Effendi and Papermoon Puppet Theater raises the ngudang phenomenon as its theme. The most obvious reason for this is the artists’ fascination with communication and its patterning. Papermoon is the brainchild of Maria Tri Sulistyani, a.k.a Ria, and Iwan Effendi. It was born of their obsession to communicate in a different way. To communicate with people of all ages. For them, it was only through puppets that they could realize this.

Ngudang, as a unique model of communication, is (now gradually) getting replaced by sophisticated tools and devices. Ngudang is two-way communication. Even though the ones involved use different languages: one, “human language” and the other, the language of infants. Ngudang also constitutes a response to a misunderstanding, about how people should communicate. All too often, communications are misunderstood in relationships, as a result of encounters in which the same language is used. Whereas in everyday life, communications commonly take place, and even run smoothly, when two different models of language are used. As in ngudang-style communication. It is here that Papermoon finds its context. The communication patterns Iwan and Ria create are based on difference. Puppets and humans talk – puppets and humans interact – humans and humans communicate. These three stages of communication demonstrate how puppets can create a bridge for communication between people.

- - - Two - - Puppets are a key part of Iwan’s and Ria’s artworks. Their works beyond the stage performances of Papermoon almost always feature this element. Puppets, in their view, are another form of human being, which may be an extension of the human hand, or substitutes for people themselves.

As shown in Ria’s work: a collection of boxes with glass windows, made of multicolored bits of salvaged wood. Inside the boxes are peculiar articles, made of papier mache, paper clay, wood, and found objects. These strange objects illustrate something – a story. Ria calls these works dioramachronicles. Those glass-covered, used-wood boxes are representaives of a world, microcosms of the world. Within them, Ria captures details of stories she has picked up, based on the hopes of a lot of other people, who have sent their messages of hope to her. Which Ria then “weaves” into diorama boxes. Makes paper dolls, then attaches bits of newspaper, along with other tiny objects, out of which a story is slowly composed. A diorama shows the details of a larger story. Usually located in a museum, it depicts an important event, considered to have historic value. It’s a three-dimensional scene from a particular historical narrative. In Ria’s context, the narratives on display are formed by hopes. The hopes of a number of different people. Each hope, respectively, is placed in a box under glass, like a mailbox with a window. Symbolically speaking, RIa’s dioramachronicles are mailboxes. Her friends send hopes, but RIa does not realize these hopes, she only illustrates them. The question then arises: why would these people want to entrust their hopes to Ria,

and then let these hopes be embodied in works of art?

to hear the dolls whisper, about the stories they carry.

When we read these hopes, none of them are “new”; they are hopes that we hear all the time. Because they have to do with the basic hopes people have, to stay alive: equal rights, a green environment, and so on. Since the hopes are cliches, Ria has no difficulty embodying them within her dioramachronicles. Indeed, the friends who leave Ria their messages are well aware of how art (too) can serve as a message sender. By entrusting their messages to her, they are consciously making them more visible, to a larger number of people. So a hope that begins as a gripe is turned into a campaign. As a campaign, that cliche hope might one day inspire a lot of people to do something.

- - - Three - - -

Most of the dolls Ria makes are small-sized. One reason for this is that their containers are not very large, but it is also intended to make the viewer look at them close up. Up close, we can see the details, observe the pale faces of the paper dolls. At a glance, the doll faces look like tandak (the faces of dancers). They are covered in white powder, leaving only a bit of red at the lips. From all of this we know that Ria’s work is designed to be “spied on” or “peeped at”. By placing these things in small boxes, the act of peeping becomes real. Forget about looking at them from a distance, the way you do when you look at paintings. We must come closer. In fact, it’s as if we have to cock our ears,

Iwan Effendi is a painter who has recently been working with diverse combinations of media. Having discovered how much fun it is to work in puppet theater media with Papermoon, he has now begun to work with still different forms: three-dimensional works, assemblages of found objects and mechanical motion, drawing and other techniques. He began the process of making his current works by looking at the potential of found objects, be they of wood or other materials. He still departed from a theme, only the theme was non-specific. The first time I visited Iwan’s studio, he seemed to be still confused. Stacks of wooden boxes were piled in one corner of the studio. In another corner of the space, sat a pile of charcoal, some of which appeared to be sculpted. At first it seemed he was starting a process using these media. And then he told me he was running out of ideas, and those half-finished objects were just trash. Unlike other friends of his generation, Iwan seemed restless, or rather, easily bored by conventional media. He had begun his career painting on canvas, paper, or wood, using acrylic paint. Now he was trying out other media. Experiment-

ing with unconventional media proved to be something new for him. After establishing and being active in the puppet theater, Iwan became interested in two things: history and motion. His latest works encapsulate both these trends. As mentioned above, he began with charcoal, pieces of wood, and found objects. Then he assembled all these things into a sort of “puppet”. Indeed, it was not like the conventional puppets he had made, but something resembling the structure of a puppet. Wooden boxes arranged in order: large ones on the bottom, small ones on the top, like the body and head of a person. To these geometric box shapes he added a set of simple machinery, which can move the hands or certain other parts of the work. When we associate this work with the exhibition title, it becomes clear why this artwork resembles a small child. Ngudang more or less means communicating with a child who can’t speak fluently yet. One of the most important things about ngudang is touching and making gentle physical contact. We find the same thing in Iwan’s latest works. Touching, gently moving parts of the artwork, is imperative. Without such actions, these mechanical works would not work in accord with their underlying idea. Iwan likes viewers of his works to be active. Some of the works are to be placed on the

floor. You can imagine such works as a little child who is ndeprok (Javanese: comfortably sitting on the floor) waiting to be invited to communicate. Some of Iwan’s works apply alternative coloration techniques, such as burning. Iwan’s obsession with charcoal stemmed from his observations about how history is linked to certain traumas, which are imprinted in the minds of young people in Indonesia today. The idiom of charcoal might be right, but at first he had to force it, by positioning the charcoal as an element in his prospective work. The charcoal was like a tumor in the breast of a beautiful woman. Stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. Following a series of discussions we held, Iwan changed his approach. He no longer used readymade charcoal, but made it himself. He “burned” his works deliberately to get a carbon effect. Through a controlled method of burning, he created a series of fire “sculptures” out of the soot that solidly attached itself to the wood. Some of the wood turned into charcoal, some of it remained uncharred. By burning, Iwan obtained a situation that is symbolic of historical phenomena that – (having been) deliberately ommited or forgotten – turn to ash/carbon. At the same time, he also obtained a distinctive visual effect.

In another series, Iwan accidentally discovered that the soot that got attached to the wood, after scraping, would take on associative shapes, which, when finished, became more complete: forms of children, or human body organs. Amazed by the results he got from the various unintentional effects of his effort to find “other media”, Iwan seemed to get a second wind. His experiments had brought him back to a creative state again. As noted above, his sense of over-saturation with the uniform approach of art in recent years, forced him to return, to dig for the roots of the problem in his own art. It was not merely a matter of ideas but also, a matter of materials, or the relationship between the two. And out of this saturation, the mechanical artworks were born. I think that there are few young artists today who see the correlation between material and idea as an important thing. As a generation that lives under circumstances of extensive sign consumption, there is really no need for them to embark on esthetic

quests as Iwan has so laboriously done. Everything is already provided by the digital world. The quest is often treated as an exercise in futility. It is enough for them to mimic. No effort is made to elaborate on what they are consuming. They are satisfied enough with what they have consumed. Growing up in such a “stagnant” situation, the games and experiments Iwan has conducted put him one step ahead of his peers. He has the courage to venture out of his comfort zone.

- - - Four - - The Papermoon puppet theater group was founded by Ria and Iwan in 2006. Ria’s background as a theatrical performer and her love of the world of children and fairytales led her to the world of the puppet theater. Together with Iwan Effendi, she brought a theater that was initially branded as (just) children’s theater in a different direction. That children could enjoy this kind of theater, so be it, but this did

not mean that it stopped there; it could also be a “purer” medium of expression. A different kind of expression was initiated, in performances that began to address adult themes. This went on, up to about a year ago, when they successfully staged Mwathirika, a puppet theater piece based on the genocide of communist sympathizers in Indonesia in 1965. Their success in working on “adult” themes enabled the theater group to successfully get past the stereotype of puppet theater in Indonesia, as educational theater for children. Iwan and Ria are truly inseperable from the group; as its founders, they give its performances color. Ria’s ability in directing combines with Irwan’s ability to give an artistic touch to the puppets and stage settings. On the occasion of this exhibition, they will take advantage of the gallery setting, which also happens to be a cafe. Judging from their last stage performance, Secangkir Kopi dari Playa (A Cup of Coffee from Playa), their capacity to respond to spaces is amazing. They transformed a

warehouse full of dusty antique furniture into an imaginary space that allowed the audience to conjure exotic locales: Havana, Jakarta, and love were materialized. In the gallery space they will respond to the cafe tables as performance platforms. As in their previous works, audience interaction will be required here. It is through audience interaction that the theatrical performance gets realized. Without efforts by the viewers to pull the strings or hold the puppets, the performance would not exist. This exhibition at Kendra marks a new point of departure for Iwan Effendi, Ria, and Papermoon. Although they depart as a group, all of them essentially bring their own agendas to the exhibition: Iwan, with his mechanical artworks, Ria, with her dioramachronicles, and Papermoon, with its site-specific puppet theater. Let’s hope that their agendas will be achieved: we, as onlookers, are the eye witnesses to this important step they take. ---

Iwan Effendi

Education 2000 - 2002

Visual Art Education, UPI, Bandung

2002 - 2004

Fine Art, Department of Visual Art, ISI, Yogyakarta

Solo Exhibition

Sleman, December 17, 1979

2005

Menuju Matahari Terbenam, kafe deket rumah, Yogyakarta

2006 The Last Fortress, Via Via Café, Yogyakarta 2009 Two Shoes for Dancing, Project Room VWFA, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2010 Iwan Effendi feat Papermoon Puppet Theatre, Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta 2011 Eye Of Messenger, YAVUZ Fine Art, Singapore

Latest group exhibition

The Alleys of a City named Jogya, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italia IVAA Archive Aid, Jakarta Art District, Jakarta 2010 Indonesia Disjunction, Kendra Gallery, Bali DRAW Project, Curated by Erik Foss and Curse Mackey, Mexico City-Museo de la Cuidad de Mexico

Visual Artist Illustrator

Living Room, Hachibankan Gallery, Koganecho Yokohama , Japan 2011

Money Culture, Garis Artspace Jakarta

ARTJOG 11, Yogyakarta

MENGINTIP LAUT, French Cultural CentreYogyakarta & Les Tonnerres de Brest 2012-Brest, France

ART JOG 2010, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta

Six by Six Project, Charmingwall Gallery, New York Space and Image, Ciputra Gallery, Jakarta

GRANT 2009

Fellowship of Asian Cultural Council 2009-2010 in United States

2010

Residency for Yfest at Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore (JulyAugust).

2011

Residency for Yfest at Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore (JulyAugust)

2012

Fellowship Artist Residency of AIR Koganecho , YokohamaJapan (January-March)

2012 Living Room, S 14 Gallery Bandung

Artistic Director of Papermoon Puppet Theatre

“TV EYE”, indieguerillas vs happyvictim, Lou Belle Shop, Bandung

Maria Tri Sulistyani

Education 1999 - 2005 Bachelor’s Degree of Communication, Social Politics Faculty, Gadjah Mada University

GRANT & Award

Jakarta, November 4, 1981

Artistic Director & Program Manager of Papermoon Puppet Theatre Children book’s writer Illustrator

2007

Grant for “BOTOL KAGET” Program. (Custom plastic bottle)

Visual Art Exhibition, Workshop for Children and Puppet Performance “The Man Who Eat Moon”. Sponsor: National Department of Education (Indonesia)

2009

Fellowship Artist Residency of Hooyong Performing Arts Centre (South Korea)

2010

Fellowship of Asian Cultural Council 20092010 in United States

Award of “Empowering Women Artists” by Kelola, HIVOS, Ford Foundation and BIYAN

Residency for Yfest at Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore

2011

Residency for Yfest at Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore

2012

Fellowship Artist Residency of AIR Koganecho , YokohamaJapan

papermoon puppet theatre Selected Performance 2007

2008

Puppet performance “The Story of A Man Who Eat Moon”, in cooperation with National Department of Education 2007, The Gate Café Yogyakarta Puppet performance “Sikayasuha Creating a Human”, Rumah Papermoon, in cooperation with CCF Yogyakarta Puppet performance “Sikayasuha Creating a Human 2”, in Taman Budaya Yogyakarta in cooperation with Kolong Tangga Museum Yogyakarta Puppet performance for Adults “Man’s Flaws in Mona’s Heart”. In CCF Yogyakarta

Initiator of Puppet performance “PESTA BONEKA” collaboration with 5 artists from Indonesia, Mexico, French and Australia 2009

Puppet performance “Nothings Perfect, Honey.. I say sorry”, in Hooyong Perfoming Arts Centre, South Korea Puppet performance “Gifts

from Korea”, in Launching IVAA

Puppet performance “Two Shoes For Dancing”, in Valentine Willie Fine Arts Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Puppet Video “POHON KECIL”, launched in October, 2009, in collaborating with Ma Petite Crokette (French)

Empowering Women Artists supported by Kelola, HIVOS, Ford Foundation and BIYAN, at LIP-Yogyakarta, Goethe Institute-Jakarta 2011

Puppet performance “MAU APA- Indian version”, in Ishara Puppet Festival, New Delhi-India

Puppet performance “SIRDUSKARKUS”, in Festival Wayang Indonesia 2011, Kota Tua-Jakarta

Puppet performance “No More Waiting”, in Puppet Uprising, Philadelphia, US

Puppet performance “MAU APA- New York version”, in Spaghetti Dinner-Judson Memorial Church, New York , US

Puppet performance “The Eye of Messenger”, in the opening of Iwan Effendi’s solo exhibition, Yavuz Fine Arts, Singapore

Puppet performance “Suitcase of Life”, in Puppet Blok-Dixon Place, New York, US

Puppet Cabaret at St. Stephen Church, Washington DC, US

Puppet performance “Setjangkir Kopi dari Plaja”, grantee of Empowering Women Artists supported by Kelola, HIVOS, Ford Foundation and BIYAN, at an antique shop, Yogyakarta

2012

2010

Puppet performance “IMAGO”, in Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Hanoi & Hue (Vietnam) in collaboration with Dessacorde -French

Puppet performance “MWATHIRIKA”, grantee of

Puppet performance “Living Room, Living Space”, in the opening of Papermoon’s solo exhibition, in collaboration with Issui Sachi Minegishi (Japan), AIR Koganecho, Yokohama Japan

Selected Workshop 2006

2007

Art on World, puppet theatre workshops for children who became earthquake victims in Bantul and Klaten, in cooperation with World Vision Reviving Imogiri Folk Batik, puppet workshop in cooperation with Jogja Heritage Society, which is aimed to the children of batik’s artist in Imogiri Bantul Plastic bottle puppet workshops “Botol Kaget”, in cooperation with National Department of Education 2007, Yogyakarta Animation workshop for children with Kuschen (Dutch) and Handi (Bandung), in cooperation with Cemeti Art House, Yogyakarta Puppet workshop for children in collaboration with c’koi ce cirk compagnie (France), in Sanggar Giri Gino Guno, Bantul

Workshop about logo and sign “Home Sweet Home” in collaboration with Home Sweet Home Berlin in Yogyakarta

2008

“Story Telling with Puppet Theatre as Media”, Workshop about puppet theatre for librarians, in cooperation with Coca Cola Foundation in Malang “Listening Indonesia”, puppet workshop for university students about crime in their daily life, in cooperation with

Pondok Rakyat Foundation in Padang Panjang-Sumatera (October 25th – 28th)

Puppet theatre workshop for sea conservation educator in cooperation with Conservation International Indonesia in Raja Ampat, Papua “Book’s World, Puppet’s World”, workshop about puppet theatre for librarians, in cooperation with Coca Cola Foundation in Blora – Central Java, Sukoharjo-Central Java, Cilacap- Central Java.

2009

“DREAM”, puppet workshop for youth in Hanal Alternative School, South Korea

2010

“Puppets’ World in The Mind of the Youth”, puppet workshop for youth in Singapore Yfest, Singapore

2008

“Botol Kaget”, initiated by Papermoon Puppet Theatre, The Gate Cafe, Yogyakarta

2011

Feat.Iwan Effendi: “The Artworks of MWATHIRIKA”, at Tembi Contemborary Gallery- Yogyakarta

Solo exhibition “CIRCUS OF LIFE”, commisioned artworks of Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore, about the working elderly 2012

“LIVING ROOM”, at AIR Koganecho, Yokohama Japan

“LIVING ROOM”, at S 14 Gallery, Bandung

PESTA BONEKA (Biennial Puppetry Festival- Held by Papermoon Puppet Theatre) 2008

PESTA BONEKA #1 (2008), participants: Carla Pedroza (Mexico), Carla Ori (Australia), Danielle Poidomani (Australia), Anne Sophie (France)

2010

PESTA BONEKA #2 (2010), participants: Wayang Beber (Solo), Wayang Kancil (Yogyakarta), Wayang HipHop (Yogyakarta), Automne 2085 (France), Sanggar Teater Boneka Indonesia (Yogyakarta), Papermoon Puppet Theatre (Yogyakarta)

“Affraid”, puppet workshop for children and teenage at Tembi Contemporary GalleryBantul, Yogyakarta

Workshop for youth as part of Papermoon Puppet Theatre Solo exhibition “CIRCUS OF LIFE”, commisioned artworks of Esplanade Theater of The Bay, Singapore, about the working elderly Workshop for 90 children as part of “LIVING 2012

Visual Art Exhibition

ROOM” project, at AIR Koganecho, Yokohama, Japan

Workshop for 25 adults as part of “LIVING ROOM” project, at S 14 Gallery, Bandung, Indonesia

Understanding

The Warrior Princess

graphite, coffee stain on paper 20,4 x 31 cm 2012

i wan e ffen di

Si Bodong mixed media 60 x 70,5 x 35 cm 2012

Get Well Soon series acrylic on carving burned wood 15 x 15 cm (each) 2012

i wan e ffen di

Bubble series Acrylic on carving burned wood 19,5 x 19,5 cm (each ) 2012

i wan eff en di

Toys series rned wood acr ylic on car vin g bu ) ch (ea cm 14,5 x 15 2012

Si Bandel mixed media 72,5 x 22,5 x 22,5 cm 2012

iwan eff en di

Like Father Like Son acrylic on carving charcoal 30 x 30 x 9 cm 2012

i wa n e f fe n di

Holy Power acrylic on carving burned wood 20 x 30 cm (each) 2012

Tetah

mixed media 61,5 x 76,5 x 39,5 cm 2012

iwan eff en di

pa pe rmoon p uppe t theatr e

Sending Our Hope Puppet Installation 2012

Berlapis Ilmu Pengetahuan antique papers, wood, antique medicine cabinet 40,6 x 36 x 11,5 cm 2012

m a ria t ri s u list ya ni

Know myself more paper, paper clay, plastic dolls, wooden toy, antique woods 40,3 x 30,5 x 12,5 cm 2012

m a ri a t r i s u l is t ya ni

Leaves that leave me carved leather, paper, antique woods 47,2 x 37,5 x 11,8 cm 2012

m a ri a t r i s u l ist ya ni

Iwan Effendi and Papermoon Puppet Theatre thank to The Almighty Creator of the Universe , Mr. Bruno Wauters, Sekar Wauters, Mbak Martha Soemantri, Gek Shining Kusuma Dewi, Kendra Gallery, Uma Sapna, Agung Kurniawan, Wulang Sunu, Eko Bhirowo, Gamaliel W. Budiharga, Lelaki Budiman, KOTASIS, Ethan Fishbane, Yennu Ariendra, Sylvia Beiwinkler, our parents, family, friends, the loved ones, and all of you who come to share your love with us.

Kendra Gallery would like to thank Uma Sapna for their continuous support in the arts.