Artist : Various
Genre : Painting
Period : March 5 till March 31
Everyday, 9.00AM to 10.00PM
Location : Gaya Fusion of Senses
Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud
Tel: 979252
Occasionally a show will come along that reminds me why I prefer to hang out in art galleries rather than bars or sandy beaches. For me, a good show must be inspiring and uplifting. It must be well crafted and leave me with a sense of awe at the abilities and talents of the artists. Also, the gallery mounting the work can affect the out come of any show. The works should be hung complimentary to each other, with a sense of progression through the show. The lighting must bring out the features of the work, and the catalogue notes should be informative and comprehensible. In other words, the presentation of a show can have just as much impact as the work being presented. Currently, at Gaya Fusion of Senses in Ubud, a Collective Exhibition is being staged that meets all of these criteria, and proves again that Gaya Gallery is the leading contemporary art space in Bali.
Art, during the 20th Century, evolved in precise blocks or movements. Starting with Post-Impressionism and concluding with Semiotic Deconstruction, every 10 years or so a school emerged that dictated the new direction art would take. What is interesting about 21st Century art is that no dominant movement has yet emerged. Instead, we are passing through an eclectic period where any style is valid and all art is regarded equally. Thus, the Gaya Gallery has put together a show that can be viewed as a survey of contemporary trends. This show incorporates International artists resident in Bali and local Indonesian artists. Included are: Filippo Sciascia (Italian), Pablo Gentile (American), Peter Dittmar (German), Wolfgang (Austrian), Alfi (Indonesian), Murni (Indonesian), Made Wianta (Indonesian), Wayan Karja (Indonesian), Stephan Spicher (Swiss) and Andrew Wellman (Australian). All of these artists are working in very different styles and are all outstanding in their genres. This exhibition is totally “up-to-date” and is an excellent example of what is currently happening in art today world wide.
In a previous article I criticized a group exhibition because of the disparity in their show. In this Collective Exhibition there is much disparity, but this show comes together well due to the strength of the concept imbedded in the exhibition. The Gaya Gallery has always preferred to exhibit artwork that has concept, and to paraphrase from the gallery notes, “the idea of this show is to help people understand the artwork. The artists will display some of their best works and the “concept” (written artists’ statements) will be displayed next to the paintings. This combination of artwork and “concept” will help the viewers understand the ideas in the works presented, and when the public has a better understanding the outcome is a higher appreciation of the art”. As a result, the works in this show are displayed accompanied by a brief yet informative artist’s statement and these statements assist by making the work that much more accessible.
Often, when attending an exhibition, if you are not really familiar with the artist’s work all you can go on is the work itself. You can appreciate the genre of the work, and the skill of the artist, but without prior knowledge of the artist’s “history” this appreciation can only be limited. Gaya Gallery’s concept of “concept” goes a long way towards opening up the perception of the presented work, and is an extremely inventive gimmick which enhances the comprehension and cohesion of the works on display.
For example: I had never before encountered the work of Made Wianta. I was much taken by his very large painting “Red Triangles”. Initially, I took the work to be in the stylish mode of decorative paintings derived from primitive or indigenous textile fabrics. (Textile fabric paintings currently being all the rage in Europe!). “Red Triangles” is a most agreeable work in bold primary colors where large red triangles form a pattern over the canvas, while these red triangles are juxtaposed with bright yellow, green, turquoise and white thick lines. Given as such it is a pleasing and successful painting, however, after reading the “concept”, I was surprised to learn that the dominant red triangles are representations of the cosmological order in Hindu religion. Suddenly this painting takes on a new deeper perspective, and can be regarded as a modern mantra inducing peace and unity. Without the accompanying “concept” I would have been none the wiser, and this demonstrates, for me, the complete success of Gaya Gallery’s “concept” group exhibition. This show is highly recommended and not to be missed.
