Danius Kesminas embodies some of the wilder energies of the Australian cultural scene. The tireless Melbourne artist is very much embedded in the art world – his exhibitions in a cutting edge commercial art gallery quote from modernist art history. Yet Kesminas’ work is far from pretentious: his many projects set about attacking art’s elitism [...]
Posts under ‘Indonesia’
Craft out of the cage – Wanda Gillespie’s marvellous discoveries
Wanda Gillespie is an Australian artist who discovered the Indonesian craft of bird cages during a residency with Asialink. While there she worked with the artisans to create a series of works based on the fictional scenario of an island that exists only in her imagination (and the now the art gallery). This island of [...]
Bali carves up the Glick International Foundation
You come up with a brilliant idea. You find someone with the skills to realise that idea perfectly. You work out a fair price. While the person is completing the job, others discover your idea and start copying it. Should you try to stop them, or risk your singular idea now just being one of [...]
Creative destruction in West Timor
Ruth Hadlow gave a very interesting talk about West Timorese textiles at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop last Wednesday night. The images of textiles that she presented were absolutely stunning, with extraordinary melodies of colour, intricate handiwork and animated designs. Ruth talked about how integral textiles were to life in West Timor. She mentioned that it [...]
Craft in Opera Jawa
Opera Jawa is an Indonesian film commissioned by Peter Sellars for Mozart’s 250th birthday. Directed by Garin Nugroho, the film claims to be the world’s first gamelan musical. Besides stunning music and ravishing scenes, Opera Jawa is a particularly interesting setting for world craft. The plot, based on the Ramayana, involves conflict between two families. [...]
