FARHAN SIKI “Iconology”
FARHAN SIKI “Iconology” F
ahan Siki, pittore street tra i maggiori esponendi dell’arte contemporanea indonesiana debutta sul territorio svizzero con “Iconology”, i suo ultimo progetto espositivo.
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Vero e proprio maestro nell’utilizzo della vernice spray, Fahran racconta la realtà contemporanea attraverso le sue opere audaci, irriverenti, ironiche e mai fini a sé stesse che portano lo spettatore a riflettere sui valori della cultura pop del XXI secolo. L’artista esplora in profondità l’elemento testuale: raccoglie loghi, brand, icone e simboli della cultura di massa, sia locali che globali, per predisporli sulla tela – fino a qualche tempo fa sui muri – caricandoli di attributi iperbolici e di parodia. Il linguaggio policromatico, chiaramente mutuato dalla pubblicità e dalla comunicazione, permette a Farhan di esprimere i contenuti ed i temi delle sue opere in modo chiaro e diretto rappresentando le ironiche, e talvolta amare, contraddizioni della vita. Ancora una volta, l’artista propone delle opere di una delle sue serie più famose, “Mu(War)kami Series” dove, su uno sfondo composto dai loghi che Takashi Murakami ha ideato per Louis Vuitton si affollano scene di guerra, come a voler ricordare che oltre quella mancanza di profondità, esiste qualcos’altro che non si può ignorare. A tal proposito il curatore indonesiano Hendro Wiyanto afferma “Gli attacchi di Farhan colpiscono il mondo dell’arte e la cultura della celebrità dall’interno. Il nome e l’immagine di un artista oggi sono diventati essi stessi marchi. I dots per Hirst, le orecchie da coniglio per Jeff Koons, il logo Vuitton per Murakami, plasmano l’immagine dei rispettivi artisti assecondando vere e proprie strategie di marketing. [...] Non è forse vero che l’eccentricità vende? Una buona arte è sempre un buon affare, ha detto Warhol. O viceversa, dicono gli uomini d’affari”. Detto ciò è evidente che quella di Farhan Siki non è solo una critica nei confronti di un consumismo sempre più diffuso, ma anche a un sistema dell’arte diventato ormai per taluni artisti un vero e proprio star system. Ai più famosi brand globali Farhan affianca in certi casi citazioni provenienti da un’arte più tradizionale, anch’esse in qualche modo trasformate in loghi, perché sempre riconoscibilissime. Ne sono un esempio opere come “Splashing Mona”, o le opere della serie “At the beginning” nelle quali l’artista ripropone l’adamo michelangiolesco circondato da loghi riconducibili al mondo della globalizzazione.
“Splashing Mona”, 2013 spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
La sua attività di street artist comincia nei primi anni 2000 per le strade di Yogyakarta come uno dei membri di un collettivo di artisti che praticavano clandestinamente la così detta guerrilla stencil, tecnica in risposta a varie questioni come la creazione di un’istituzione per le arti.
“Dots of Marat”, 2013 spray paint on canvas, 200 x 150 cm
“Not Dead Yet #1 ”, 2013 spray paint on canvas, 120 x 120 cm
“Mur(War)kami Series”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 180 x 200 cm
“Are We Happy Yet ”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 60 x 76 cm
“Midnite show (Eabrielle d’Estrees series)”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
“Desire (Eabrielle d’Estrees series)”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 95 x 80 cm
F
arhan Siki, street artist among the most important of Indonesian contemporary art, makes his debut in Switzerland with his latest project: “Iconology”. A master in the use of spray paint, Farhan shows the reality through his bold, irreverent, ironic work. He will bring the spectator through a reflection about the pop culture of the 21st Century. The artist explores deeply the textual element: collecting logos, brands, icons and symbols of mass culture, both local and global, in order to prepare them on canvas – until a few years ago on the walls – charging them with hyperbolic attributes and parody.
“O Gabrielle (Mu-war-kami series)”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
In this regard, the Indonesian curator Hendro Wiyanto, says: “Farhan‘s attacks affect the art world and the celebrity culture from inside. The artist’s name and image today became brand, as the dots for Hirst, bunny ears for Jeff Koons, the logo Vuitton for Murakami, that shape the image of the respective artists favoring real marketing strategies. [...] Is it not true that the eccentricity sell? A good art is always a good deal, said Warhol. Or, vice versa, say businessmen”. It is evident that for Farhan Siki is not only a criticism of an increasingly wide consumerism, but also a criticism to an art system that became, for certain artists, a star system.
His language is polychromatic, clearly borrowed from advertising and communication. With this language Farhan expresses the themes of his works in a straightforward manner, to better represent the ironic, sometimes bitter, contradictions of life.
In other artworks can be seen the most famous global brands joined to some quotes of more traditional art, yet somehow translated into logo, to be always recognizable. Such works as “Splashing Mona”, or the works of the series “At The Beginning”, in which the artist propose the Michelangelo’s Adam surrounded by logos of globalization.
Once again, the artist presents works of one of his most famous series: “Mu (War)kami Series”. On a background composed of logos that Takashi Murakami designed for Louis Vuitton, crowded scenes of war, as to remember that under the lack of depth, there is something else, impossible to be ignored.
Farhan Siki’s work as steet artist begins in the early 2000s in the alleys of Yogyakarta, as a member of a collective of artists who practiced clandestinely the so-called “stencil guerrilla”, technique in response to various issues, such as the creation of an institution for the arts .
“Not dead yet #1”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 140 x 170 cm
“At the Beginning #3”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
“Hi Venus”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
FARHAN SIKI
biography
Born in 1971, Lamongan, Indonesia Education: 1992 Studied at Faculty of Literature and Cultural Science, State University of Jember (UNEJ), Indonesia Studied Painting at Student Fine Art Studio of State University of Jember (UNEJ), Indonesia Selected exhibitions 2013 “Iconology”, Primae Noctis, Lugano, CH “Crossing Contemporary Cultures”, MiFA (Melbourne Intercultural Fine Art), Melbourne, Australia 2011 Implosion: Imperfect Signs, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy The Art of Motorcycle; Tribute to Nur Kholis”, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia “Departures; Global Arts Initiative to Celebrate Contemporary Asian Art”, Sotheby’s, New York, USA “Bayang”, Indonesia Contemporary Islamic Art Exhibition, National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia “Indonesian Eye; Fantasies and Realities”, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK Sin City, galeri Nasional Jakarta, Indonesia Motion and Reflection, Indonesia Art Motoring I, Galeri
Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta. The Alleys of a city named Jogja, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy 2010 BMW Art and Sustainability, Nazaart Art Jakarta, Pacific Place, jakarta, Indonesia Manifesto; Percakapan Masa, National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia 2009 Jogjia Jamming, Biennale Jogjia X, Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Common Sense, National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia Menilik Akar, Nusantara Visual Art Exhibition, National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia 2008 Manifesto, National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia “Komedi Putar”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia “Animal Kingdom”, The Last Chronicle, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2007 Neo-Nation, Biennale Jogja IX, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2005 Disini & Kini, Biennale Jogja VIII, Jogja Study Center, Yogjakarta, Indonesia 2004 Disini Akan Dibangun Mall, Public Art Project, Titik 0 Kilometer & Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Gedebook!, Kedai Kebun Forum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 2003 Muralmulawarsa, DZIG!Movement, Mural Project at Bunda Adv Shop Purnawarman, Bandung, Indonesia
“Not dead yet #1”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 140 x 170 cm
“At the Beginning #2”, 2013 spray paint on canvas, 140 x 170 cm
“At the Beginning #4”, 2013 spray paint on canvas, 60 x 76 cm
“Tribute to a fame #1”, 2013, spray paint on canvas, 76 x 60 cm
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