Exhibition of Contemporary Art
ARTJOG: FROM JOGJA TO ARTWORLD

ARTJOG is an annual contemporary art exhibition in the city of Yogyakarta, which is usually held for one whole month in the period between May and July. ARTJOG is regarded as barometer of contemporary art in Indonesia as it always showcases both local and international artists from various circles and their works – from two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks to performance art and art installations.
Over the years, ARTJOG never ran short of visitors, on the contrary, with every year, more and more art enthusiasts came to either see or even participate in the exhibition. At the beginning, ARTJOG was a part of the annual Festival Kesenian Yogya (FKY), or Yogya Art Festival. Since 2010, it has been a stand-alone event under the name of ARTJOG. The success of ARTJOG even resulted in another art exhibition program, Jogja Art Week, which was a fringe event of ARTJOG itself. It is held to accommodate artworks that did not pass the initial selection of ARTJOG, and that are exhibited in selected showrooms in Yogyakarta.
Why ARTJOG?
The success of ARTJOG is rather astonishing when it comes to attracting visitors and presenting exhibition rooms and spaces that are unique, artistic, comfortable and visitor-friendly, leaving visitors amazed. But what makes ARTJOG stand out from other art events?
ARTJOG’s iconic trademark is its main venue, where commissioned artists showcase their thematic, commissioned works. Individuals and art collectives that have been commissioned by ARTJOG are expected to respond to the theme given to them accordingly and translate it into a stunning visual display, like in 2014, when the theme was “Legacies of Power” and Samsul Arifin prepared a row of puppets made of gunny in various sizes – some of them gigantic – on a big stage to greet the visitors coming to Taman Budaya Yogyakarta. In 2017, Wedhar Riyadi was appointed commissioned artist for ARTJOG10 with the theme “Changing Perspective”. He presented an art installation consisting of eyeballs in different shapes and colors as a response to today’s digital era. In addition to the unique display at the main venue, ARTJOG also embraces all kinds of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, crafts, graphics, photography, film, performance art and installations, from mainstream works to those who follow an out-of-the-box concept.

Another special feature of ARTJOG are the very well organized fringe events that include curatorial tours, meet-the-artist sessions, art performances and even a historical tour of ASRI when the event takes place at the Jogja National Museum, which used to be the art school ASRI – the predecessor of Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta (The Indonesian Institute of Art Yogyakarta). In addition, there is a special “viewing” for art collectors at the beginning of the event, so they can learn about the prize and the artworks in detail.
One Decade of ARTJOG

“Floating Eyes” was a sculpture made of resin that visualized big eyeballs at the ARTJOG10 main venue. Commissioned artist Wedhar Riyadi wanted to convey through his work that it is about time the people change their perspective in today’s digital era. Another novelty at this year’s event at the Jogja National Museum – which previously was the art school ASRI (Fine Arts Academy Indonesia), now named Faculty of Fine Arts ISI Yogyakarta – was the display of the statue of ASRI founder R.J. Katamsi, an artwork by sculptor Wahyu Santoso...