Art Subs is a major Indonesian contemporary art exhibition involving more than 140 Indonesian artists, held in Surabaya. In 2024, Art Subs presents its inaugural edition with a hybrid concept that combines an Artist Fair, a biennale, and a Kunsthalle-style contemporary art presentation.
The exhibition showcases outstanding works by leading Indonesian artists such as Agus Suwage, Entang Wiharso, Eko Nugroho, Arin Dwihartanto, and many others, under the theme “WAYS OF DREAMING.” The theme reflects the idea that there are many ways of dreaming—dreams that move, inspire, and bring change.
Art Subs is curated by Nirwan Dewanto, with Asmujo J. Irianto as Artistic Director. The exhibition takes place at Posbloc Surabaya, an iconic cultural venue in the city.
The exhibition runs from 26 October 2024 to 24 November 2024.
Among the hundreds of exceptional works presented at Art Subs 2024, the following are some of Chapter’s favorite selections:
Jatiwangi Art Factory
Founded in 2005, Jatiwangi Art Factory (JaF) is a community that embraces contemporary art and cultural practices as part of rural life discourse. JaF seeks to process clay with dignity, fostering collective happiness through programs that actively involve community participation. Its current agenda, “Terracotta City,” aims to encourage Jatiwangi to develop a new cultural identity—not merely as a producer of roof tiles and pottery. Terracotta City represents Jatiwangi’s ground zero toward a new clay-based civilization, a city shaped by collective desire and communal agreement.
JaF has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including Everything Worthwhile Is Done With Other People at the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands (2023); Documenta 15 in Kassel, Germany (2022); Present Continuous / Sekarang dan Seterusnya at Museum MACAN, Jakarta (2021); Looking for Another Family at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul (2020); Dhaka Art Summit: Seismic Movement in Dhaka, Bangladesh (2020); the 5th Indonesia Contemporary Ceramics Biennale in Jatiwangi (2019); and many others.
Jatiwangi Art Factory received the Indonesian Cultural Award in 2022 and the IdeaFest Award in 2021.
(Source: Art Subs 2024 Catalogue)
Relief JaF x Mulyono, 2024
Ceramic, acrylic paint
3 × 2 m (each panel 20 × 20 cm)
Mangku Muriati
Mangku Muriati’s paintings are rooted in the Kamasan style, a traditional Balinese painting tradition that dates back to the 16th century. Her works depict visual narratives from the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and other Balinese traditional stories. Muriati inherited this painting skill from her father, Mangku Mura, and adapts the Kamasan style to address contemporary issues in Bali. She also completed her formal art education at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Denpasar.
“For me, painting is not for making a living,” Muriati once said, “but for preserving ancestral culture.”
Since 2000, Muriati has participated in numerous exhibitions, including Bali Kandarupa at Museum Puri Lukisan (2021–2023); Omah-Omah-Waruna at Griya Perempuan Art Event, ISI Denpasar (2023); Pepunden at Biasa Gallery, Ubud (2022); Esok at Jakarta Biennale (2021); and Mega Rupa Bali at ARMA Museum, Ubud (2019). Her works are collected by the Australian Museum in Sydney and the IBSEN Museum & Theatre in Oslo, Norway.
(Source: Art Subs 2024 Catalogue)
Reincarnation #1, 2023
Natural pigments on Kamasan canvas
95 × 143 cm
Cecil Mariani
At Art Subs 2024, Cecil Mariani presents a combination of gumoil prints and film-based working sheets displayed in light boxes (neon boxes). This approach reflects a reproduction model in graphic art. The film-based working sheets technically represent the initial stage of printmaking, much like sketches function as preliminary ideas before becoming paintings.
By placing these film sheets inside light boxes, Mariani not only introduces a different visual presentation but also highlights the notion of the negative image. This approach preserves the traces of the artistic process, allowing the early stages to stand independently while reinforcing the final work. Both are presented as equal artworks, though they emerge from different conceptual and visual decision paths.
(Source: Art Subs 2024 Catalogue)
Dragons Praying to Be Dove: A Splitting Self-Portrait as the Great Grandmother, 2024
Gumoil technique on cotton paper
120 × 80 cm
Davy Linggar
Davy Linggar works across photography and painting. He is known for his meticulous exploration of image-making and its relationship to perception, memory, form, emotion, and human experience. His artistic sensitivity is translated into various media, including moving images, photography, painting, and drawing. To achieve diverse aesthetics, Davy incorporates elements of architecture, popular culture, fashion, and nature.
His works have received several accolades, including the Indonesian Photography Award from the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in 2014.
(Source: Art Subs 2024 Catalogue)
Radiant, 2022
Single-channel video, 8 seconds, loop
20 × 20 cm
Photography and graphic print
Atmosphere of visitors on the opening day of Art Subs 2024
