［Press Release]
15 Invitations for 15 Years
A special programme series featuring exhibitions, projects, written works, performances, a blog, and publication marking Asia Art Archive’s 15-year anniversary.
Responding to AAA’s invitation, ruangrupa stages a ‘quasi-shop’ with old and new archives: a transactional space where knowledge and ideas are exchanged through collaborations between Jakarta and Hong Kong-based artists, musicians, designers, and cultural initiatives. The name Toko Pura-Pura can be read as a pun on toko rupa-rupa or ‘assorted shop’, where many Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong meet most of their daily needs. The shop also serves as an experimental space to imagine what happens when ruangrupa’s sensibilities are applied to Hong Kong with AAA as an entry point.
ruangrupa is a contemporary art organisation founded in 2000 by a group of artists in Jakarta, Indonesia. As a nonprofit, it works to advance art ideas in an urban context and within the broad scope of culture through exhibitions, festivals, art laboratories, workshops, research, and publications.
Launch of Toko Pura-Pura
Fri, 26 Aug 2016 | 7–11pm | Love Da Records
Pop-up Shop and Video Screening | 7–9pm
Toko Pura-Pura features a range of goods by local Hong Kong creative practitioners and collaborative ‘products’ by Hong Kong bands paired with Indonesian artists: eli with Kemalreza Gibranos; The Interzone Collective with Adi ‘Dhigel’ Setiawan; and Merry Lamb Lamb with Natasha Gabriella Tontey.
A screening of 25 Inspiring Music Videos in Indonesia (2001–2011) will be held at the venue—a video compilation in the ruangrupa OK.Video collection focused on the development of video arts in Indonesia.
Participants: Astroosim, Come Inside, doing.hk, Moveon, onion peterman
Live Music | 9–11pm
In collaboration with Love Da Records, ruangrupa hosts a live event showcase of local Hong Kong bands The Interzone Collective, eli, and Merry Lamb Lamb to celebrate the opening of Toko Pura-Pura.
Venue: Unit A, 14/F, Chiap King Industrial Building, 114 King Fuk Street, San Po Kong
Toko Pura-Pura Presentation
Sat, 27 Aug 2016 | 1–5pm | A Space, Asia Art Archive
Pop-up Shop | 1–5pm
Toko Pura-Pura travels to AAA.
Special Performance: dj sniff
Conversations | 3–4:30pm
Artists, musicians, designers, and creative practitioners discuss their strategies in using merchandising as socio-political and economic tools.
Moderator: Farid Rakun, ruangrupa
Speakers: Ajeng Nurul Aini and Dila Martina Ayulia, ruangrupa; Come Inside; eli; Peter Leung, Love Da Records; nomad nomad
Venue: A Space, Asia Art Archive, 10/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan
Toko Pura-Pura Exhibition
Mon, 29 Aug–Sat, 17 Sep 2016 | AAA Library, Asia Art Archive
An exhibition of merchandise accumulated through Toko Pura-Pura, including materials from the AAA collection related to the notion of collectivity.
Participants
Eli (‘Everlasting Illusion’) is a band that combines British, alternative, and electronic rock. They recently performed at The Wall (Taipei), Emerge Live House (Taichung), and the 2014 Spring Scream Festival (Kenting).
Kemalreza Gibranos is an artist who works with illustration, murals, and mixed media artworks. He uses topographic lines that symbolise his intimacy with the city and often references pop and mass culture. He recently participated in Roppongi Art Night 2014, Tokyo.
Merry Lamb Lamb is a singer-songwriter whose name was inspired by the ballad ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’. Her music expresses her love of 8-bit music and is mostly influenced by her childhood experiences.
Adi ‘Dhigel’ Setiawan is a member of GRAFIS HURU-HARA printmaking community in Jakarta. He works with illustration, murals, and printmaking. His last group exhibition was ‘Harap Huru Hara’ at Suar Artspace, Jakarta.
The Interzone Collective is a band inspired by the musical instrument ‘handpan’. Their abstract music explores ideas of perception and the inner workings of the human subconscious.
Natasha Gabriella Tontey is an artist and graphic designer. She uses an interdisciplinary approach that questions how fear can be manifested to control public opinion through a mixture of fiction, dream, and memory. She recently participated in Koganecho Bazaar 2015, Yokohama and Next Wave Festival 2016, Melbourne.
