Uk/Aussie webmagazine ArtsHub has just published my highlights from the 56th Venice Biennale. With so much good work around and so many interesting shows it has been difficult to narrow down my selection to ten… but here we go!
Here’s the link to the article
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My article on Voyage Trokomod, Heri Dono’s work for the Venice Biennale, has just been published on Alias – the special edition of the Italian newspaper Il Manifesto – with the title “Between horse and Komodo dragon – the bestiary between east and west”. It is a great honour for me to contribute to Il Manifesto, which had such an important history! If you live in Italy I recommend you to grab a copy of Alias in the newsstands; this edition is all about the Biennale. I’ll be off to Venice next week and look forward to meet Heri and the curators from the Indonesian Pavilion in Venice.
Here’s the link to the online version of the article
For a thorough introduction to Indonesian contemporary art, have a look at my book (in Italian). Find more about it here.
Yesterday we presented my book “Arte Contemporanea in Indonesia, un’introduzione” in Naples at the PAN|Palazzo delle Arti Napoli. It has been great to hear how the curators and professors who partecipated analyzed my book from their own personal perspective and background. Their approaches made me reconsider my research from new angles. It was bit surreal too, I’ve to admit. Like, is it really the work of this Sorrentinean brat over here they are talking about?
Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm PAN | Palazzo delle Arti Napoli will host the presentation of the book “Arte Contemporanea in Indonesia, un’introduzione” by Naima Morelli. The presentation, supported of the Consulate General of Indonesia in Naples, will be introduced by curator Maria Savarese with the partecipation of Matteo Basilé, Antonia Soriente, Professor of Language and Literature at the University of Indonesia L’Orientale of Naples, Valentina Levy, curator and Asian art historian and Vincenzo Montella, director of the center of art and culture Il Ramo d’Oro.
The book is an introduction to Indonesian contemporary art, which now occupies a prominent place in the international art scene, from both a market and cultural standpoint. Placing itself in the dialectic between the global and the local, the book analyzes how in Indonesia the cultural, artistic, political and social context have influenced four generations of artists. The author guides the reader in the contemporary art places in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung and Bali, looking for the answer to the question: is there really something called Indonesian contemporary art?
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My review of the Art Paris Art Fair (in Italian) has just been published on the web magazine Art a Part of Culture with the title “South East Asia in Paris. If we are not going to Singapore, Singapore is coming to us”. In the article I go into the role of Singapore as a hub for South East Asia, as discussed in an interesting talk at the fair, and the other related events going on in France at the moment.
Here’s the link to the article
If you are new to that and want to start learning about contemporary art in South East Asia, I have a book (in Italian) who gives an introduction about Indonesian contemporary art. Find more about it here.
I have just came back from two weeks in Paris. It has been an incredible time. I was there for the Art Paris Art Fair and the exhibition Secret Archipelago at the Palais De Tokyo – yet again on a reporting mission for Art a Part of Cult(ure), the Italian magazine I write for. My boss at Art a Part is the M to my Bond, the Charlie to my Angels, the Xavier to my X-Men, well, you get my drift! In Paris I’ve met with a number of interesting people and had chats with artists I wanted to talk to from a long time, including Eddie Hara and Richard Streitmatter-Tran.
The first week has been a whirlwind of interviews. I already knew what it means to do three interviews in a day – I did it before, and it was crazy! But five interviews in a day? That’s don’t-try-this-at-home insane! Luckily enough, I generally feel energized by working under pressure. Plus, all the artists and gallerists I talked with have been super nice. I can’t wait to share their interviews with you! In this situation it also helped to have the most amazing sidekick a journalist can ever had, a gorgeous Sorrentinian gal called Marta, who also hosted me in Paris. We jumped from metro to metro chatting endlessly about everything from Catilina (ancient republican Rome anyone?) to haircuts, all that while chewing a pan au chocolat (aux amandes, aux pistaches…) and rushing to the next interview.
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My interview with Indonesian sculptor and artist Dolorosa Sinaga has just been published on the Italian magazine Art a Part of Cult(ure) with the title “Freedom is the foundation for everything”. In the interview we discuss political activism during the dictatorship, Jakarta vs London and the followers of… Doloism!
Here’s the link to the article
Dolorosa Sinaga’s interview has been my second in Jakarta for my infamous reportage about contemporary art in Indonesia which is now… guess what? A book! In Italian. Which you can purchase here.
I’m delighted to announce that my book “Arte Contemporanea in Indonesia” is finally out! You can buy it in all the major Italian online stores Amazon, Ibs, Feltrinelli, Rizzoli, you name it! You can also order it at your local bookshop! I’m beyond happy to finally hold in my hands the red-covered book and in these days I’m planning a few book presentations around Italy. I’ll keep you guys posted on that!
Buy book: Amazon – Ibs – Mondadori – Hoepli – Rizzoli – LaFeltrinelli – Ultima
More info on the book (in Italian)
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“Arte Contemporanea in Indonesia” finally makes his debut. During the event “Indonesia Update 2015” at the Embassy of Indonesia in Rome I introduced my book to the press. It was great to sign the copies and have a chat with the journalists – for once I was on the other side of the microphone! What came as a nice surprise was a plaque of merit from the Ambassador August Parengkuan, an honour I shared with Vanni Puccioni, who directed a project for reconstruction after the 2004 tsunami in the Indonesian island of Nias.
In a couple of weeks the book will be finally distributed to the public – I can’t wait! In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from the presentation!
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My interview with the amazing artist and Cemeti House co-founder Mella Jaarsma has just been published on the Aussie magazine Trouble with the title “Mella Jaarsma: Give me shelter” (a title who clearly echoes the Rolling Stones). This is the second interview from my reportage on contemporary art in Indonesia published on Trouble Magazine!
Here’s the link to the interview
Here’s the link to the online version of the magazine
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Here’s the second part of my photostory from the research for my book about contemporary art in Indonesia. If you miss the first part you can find it here.
Rome, Berlin, Sorrento, Melbourne, Naples, Venice. Since I came back from Indonesia I tried to look for Indonesian art, artists and exhibitions wherever I went – and I met wonderful people in the process. At the same time I faced the challenge to organize all the material from my research and integrate it with new information. For months the arts pages of the Jakarta Post, the Jakarta Globe and Asia Art Pacific became my morning reading. I didn’t know much about how to write a research-based book when I started and I learned so much in the process – in the photo above you can see me experimenting with post-its.
In a few weeks the book will finally be published (want to be updated? Drop a mail to contact[at]naimamorelli.com with the subject line Indonesia Book and I’ll keep you posted). In the meantime here are some pictures from the European and Australian part of my research:
Naima Morelli is an arts writer and journalist specialized in contemporary art from Asia-Pacific and the MENA region.
She has written for the Financial Times, Al-Jazeera, The Art Newspaper, ArtAsiaPacific, Internazionale and Il Manifesto, among others, and she is a regular contributor to Plural Art Mag, Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye as well as writing curatorial texts for galleries.
She is the author of three books on Southeast Asian contemporary art.
Reach out: contact [at] naimamorelli.com
Published! Interview with Eddy Susanto on Global Comment
My article “Why must the East continue to be objectified? An interview with Indonesian artist Eddy Susanto” has just been published on the webmagazine Global Comment. This interview is part part of my reportage about contemporary art in Indonesia.
Here’s the link to the article
You can have more Eddy Susanto in my newly released book (in Italian)
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