Language of Space and Time is a solo exhibition by Jakarta-based artist Andy Dewantoro, presenting a quiet yet incisive meditation on how space transforms under the pressure of time in the modern world. Moving fluidly across painting, photography, prints, and three-dimensional, model-like forms, Dewantoro invites viewers into a reflective landscape where observation replaces declaration, and contemplation takes precedence over spectacle.
At the core of the exhibition lies a subtle sense of religiosity—not bound to any formal belief system, but felt through presence, silence, and restraint. Dewantoro’s works resist being read as religious statements; instead, they unfold as personal reflections. His landscapes are rendered with meticulous attention, yet beneath their surface emerges a tension between continuity and change, between what endures and what inevitably disappears.
For Andy, space and time become the language through which these ideas are articulated. Space stands for nature, architecture, and the environments we inhabit, while time signifies transformation—often abrupt, often irreversible. The two exist in constant negotiation, colliding rather than coexisting peacefully, each shaping and redefining the other.
The exhibition also engages with questions of history and social structure, particularly the notion of private space and its roots in tradition. Andy examines how these inherited spatial concepts survive—or fail to survive—within contemporary society. In doing so, his works open a broader dialogue about the relationship between space, memory, and the collective experience of modern life.
As time accelerates, he observes, space begins to lose its distinct character. The dynamic subcultures once embedded in urban downtowns and the calm expressions of suburban life are gradually erased, flattened by the speed of modern development. Through Language of Space and Time, he searches for spaces that remain—spaces that resist change and retain meaning amid relentless transformation.
The exhibition Language of Space and Time runs from 30 September to 22 October 2023 at Galeri Ruang Dini. Further information is available via Instagram @galeriruangdini.
