The Journal

Kinci, Roby’s Imagination of Dreams 5/20/2012 - Eka Wahyu “Saturnus”, pencil on paper. A young talented graphic designer Roby Dwi Antono recently displays his 20 artworks in Tirana House & Artspace at Jalan Suryodiningratan No. 55, Yogyakarta. Roby (b. 1990), Ambarawa-born artist which now live in Yogyakarta as an illustrator, exhibits his drawing and painting in a visual art exhibition titled  Imajinasi  (Imagination) until May 30, 2012. According to Roby, the theme Imagination has came out from his conversation with a friend about their childhood dreams. Within an imagination surely lies a strong ambition to make it come true. Such spirit obviously could be felt in this Roby’s debut solo exhibition. “We cannot limit whatever we will do in the future, we should never afraid to have dreams. If you can dream it, you can do it,” Roby said. By the exhibition, he wants to share the beauty of children’s imaginations through Kinci, the rabbit chara...

Ngayogjazz 2011, When Togetherness Expressed in Jazzy Style 1/14/2011 - Eka Wahyu The most awaited jazz performance event, the Ngayogjazz, is finally ready to roll after being postponed for about 2 months from the first schedule. Ngayogjazz 2011will be held on Saturday, January 15, raising a theme expressing the togetherness of the Javanese people,  “Mangan Ora Mangan….Ngejazz” . “Finally the fourth Ngayogjazz can be held after being postponed because of Mt. Merapi`s eruption. It should have been presented in November 30, 2010,” said the Event’s Director, Djaduk Ferianto, on Thursday (1/13). As always, according to him, the theme of the Ngayogjazz representing the Javanese old saying and characteristics of the people and twist it to suit the jazz spirit. This year the Ngayogjazz is holding the theme,  “Mangan Ora Mangan…Ngejazz” , a twist from a famous saying of the Javanese people,  “Mangan Ora Mangan Ngumpul”  (Whether we eat or not it doesn’t matter, ...

Jogja Broadway Show 2011 1/06/2011 - Eka Wahyu Entering the New Year, the Garasi Enterprise will present a new concept of performing art titled " Jogja Broadway Show ", on 6th to 16th January , 2011 starts at 4 PM of local time and take place at the Societet Building, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta (TBY), jalan Sriwedani No. 1 Yogyakarta. This musical theater performance brought together the performing arts with tourism in ‘Broadway’ style to popularize the performing arts and tourism in Yogyakarta. “Yogyakarta as a city of arts and tourism actually only have a few regular theatrical performances. For this reason, we had the idea to hold a new concept of performance in ‘Broadway’ style, which can be an alternative entertainment for the tourists visiting Yogyakarta. This could become a new tourism icon for the city," said Kusworo Bayu Aji, the Executive Producer of the Garasi Enterprise, to the press (4 / 1). Aji explained that Jogja Broadway show is planned to beco...

New Year’s Eve with Daniel Sahuleka at Sheraton Yogyakarta 12/31/2010 - Eka Wahyu (© Eka Wahyu) With his hits Don't Sleep Away This Night and You Make My World So Colourful, the world famous Indonesian-born Dutch singer Daniel Sahuleka will live up the New Years eve party in Jogjakarta. Titled Recovery of Merapi, the concert will be held in Mataram Grand Ballroom Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa tonight (31/12) starts at 8 PM of local time. About 10 songs and hits like I Adore You, If I Didn't, and Tiada Lagi Cinta will be performed to welcome the new year. Through this charity concert the Sheraton and Daniel's management will also try to gain fund to help the victims of Merapi eruption by selling merchands, DVDs from Daniel's Accoustic Live Concert at Holland album, and also an auction, an accoustic guitar signed by Daniel Sahuleka will be offered to public. According to Johnny William Maukar, Daniel's manager, at first the concept of th...

Art Exhibition Coloring a Century of Muhammadiyah 6/20/2010 - Eka Wahyu Commemorating ‘1 Abad Muktamar Muhammadiyah 2010 – A Century of Muhammadiyah Organization Congress’, a group of artists will held an Islamic visual art exhibition titled ‘Seni Rupa Islam – Islamic Visual Arts’. This exhibition will take place at two venues, the Student Center of Jogjakarta Muhammadiyah University (July 2 - 9) and at Posnya Seni Godod (July 1 - 16). According to Godod Sutejo, one of the artists, the exhibition will display paintings and sculptures from about 30 wellknown artists from Jogjakarta and surroundings such as Syaiful Adnan, Edy Sunarso, Amry Yahya, Nasirun, Syahrizal Koto, Tulus Warsito, and Agus Kamal. By the exhibition, the artists would like to express their gratitude to Muhammadiyah for supporting them all the time and for Islamic culture for being inspiration of their life and works. “Islam, especially Muhammadiyah as one of two biggest moslem organizations in Indonesia hav...

Kebon’s Hand-Painted Batik Revive after the Quake 6/17/2010 - Eka Wahyu (© Eka Wahyu) Kebon Village in Bayat, Klaten, Central Java, is one of the centers of traditional batik painters that use natural dye. Before the earthquake shook Jogjakarta and Central Java in 2006, some of this village’s batik painters were laborers in famous batik enterprises in Jogjakarta and Solo. However, after the earthquake, most of them returned to their village and worked only when there were orders from wholesalers. Recognizing the potential of Kebon Village, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of Java Reconstrustion Fund (JRF), currently extends assistances to the 5 groups in hand-painted batik sector, which consisted of 169 batik painters through a recovery for micro and small enterprises program that have been ran for 4 years since the earthquake. (© Eka Wahyu) Before the assistance program, the traditional batik painters from Kebon Village only...

Mexico and Indonesia Look at Each Other Through Lenses 6/15/2010 - Eka Wahyu This June, The Embassy of Mexico in Indonesia promotes third dialogue of Mexican and Indonesian artists. As part of the International Women's Day commemoration, the Embassy of Mexico and Ministry of Culture and Tourism join their efforts to display a dialogue between women photographers from both countries. Photographers Marcela Taboada from Mexico and Desiree Harahap from Indonesia gather in 'Saling Menatap [Looking at Each Other]' Photographs Exhibition held at Jogja Gallery, Jl. Pekapalan No 7, Alun-Alun Utara, Yogyakarta, from June 14 to June 27, 2010 and display about 70 photographs of their works. Marcela Taboada, from Mexico received a scholarship from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and for two months she traveled to Java, Sumatra and Bali, where, as she said, "began to photograph Indonesia with her soul". The people, their culture and traditions, th...