Presenting the visual practice of Milisifilem Collective and the work of Forum Lenteng’s young artists in residence, the Metasandi exhibition was held on 25 September – 3 October 2024 at Galerikertas, Studiohanafi. The curatorial theme of Metasandi is carried out as an effort to map out the technical method of visual learning, as well as to explore the political awareness it generates. The result of a six-month process of several batches extracts the blueprint of the visual practice and offers of its significance. Starting from lines in basic design (nirmana), collages, sketches to moving images, the works of 12 participants from various batches were selected together, guided by Dyah Nindyasari and Wildan Iltizam as curators, as well as Adi Osman as artistic director. In the selected works, the line that works as a basic visual unit is reinterpreted, as something that cannot be separated from the bodily experience and the accumulated knowledge of each participant. Then these two things are encoded in the line, which is also supported by Milisifilem Collective’s intensive ecosystem of criticism. The 12 participants are Adi Osman, Ali Satri Efendi, Ananta Wijayarana, Azhar Arrival, Dahlan Khatami, Dyah Nindyasari, Helmi Yusron, Panji Anggira, Rahmat Gunawan, Syarifa Amira Satriputri, Van Luber Parensen, and Wildan Iltizam. The presentation of paintings by four young artists from Batch of Teratai (VII), Ilham Natsir (Mamuju), Rahmania Nerva (Depok), Riyan Kelana (Solok), and Tuba Fallopi (Limo Puluah Koto), became a further development of the learning method. The residency programme lasted for a period of one month (5 September – 5 October 2024) at Forum Lenteng, where the artists were given a new challenge of brush and canvas to find the essence of painting in the contemporary situation. While grappling with the new medium, how a stroke of a line turns into a plane of a brush, each artist not only encodes what is outside, but also embarks on a journey of self-mapping, in practice and particularly artistically from authorship. As a method, the spatial (location) experience of going to the market and the performativity of togetherness from in-depth discussions, became the catalyst for the artists’ visual experimentation. The week-long exhibition did not stand by itself, but also featured a public programme around education that was free and involved the local community. Film screenings were part of the programme, which showed Bellissima (1952), Pather Panchali (1955) and Mahal (1949). Additionally, the theme of alternative education was raised in a panel discussion on 27 September. The discussion involved Adinda Luthfianti (Teater Anak Studiohanafi, Jakarta Arts Council) as a teacher, Rifki AP (Kunci Study Forum & Collective) as a practitioner, and Dyah Nindyasari (Milisifilem Collective) as a participant. Moderated by Wildan Iltizam (curator of Metasandi), each speaker shared their experiences, perspectives, obstacles and potentials of efforts to create spaces for alternative (art) education in Indonesia, followed by a question and answer session. A collage workshop open to the public and inviting children’s theatre communities was also held on 28 September, facilitated by Milisifilem Collective participants. On 29 September, Ilham Natsir and Rahmania Nerva discussed the book ‘S for Cinema’, which formed from film discussions of Batch Teratai, in relation to the collaborative writing process and the relevance of delving into the history of cinema. Revisiting the artist’s process, Hanafi opened a space for the public and participants to present their work to be discussed together on 2 October. The Metasandi exhibition, which includes method mapping, visual experimentation presentations from artists in residence, and a series of public programmes, summarizes the vision of Forum Lenteng and Milisifilem Collective in seeing accessibility and new approaches in education. Year Jakarta, Indonesia
2024
Metasandi: Milisifilem Collective and Forum Lenteng’s Artist-in-Residence Exhibition
