Hotwave5: A Kind of an Extraordinary ‘Undongable’ Discussion

It’s a nice experience when we as an outsider people come to specific event that we haven’t ever joined before. It was Hotwave5, the name of a Residency Talk held by Cemeti Art House, one of art gallery in Jogjakarta, for its residency artist. It quite hard to explain what is residency, but in my simple word, it’s like a research for art artist to get a higher level of recognition. In academic, it’s like thesis for a post graduate student, and Residency Talk is like a proposal seminar that attended by anyone who will.

There were 3 residency artist came from other country; Agnes Christina from Singapore, Alex Cuffe from Australia, and Ellert Haitjema from Netherland.  Each artist has their own art style. Christina interested to explore theatrical art, Ellert prefer to make ordinary stuff to be another meaningful thing, then Alex also used ordinary property to make some artistic installation.

The event was just like an art discussion, mostly. The artist began with shared their interest of making art work, and then discussed it with the audience. Actually I confused when the artist explained their work. I just could enjoy the image in the projector. Initially, I thought that it was my listening problem, so I couldn’t catch what the artist said. In my point of view, only Christina, Singapore artist, who could deliver her point clearly. But, when the discussion opened, I started to catch that actually most of the audience, that mostly come from art academic and community, don’t really understand the explanation too. When audience asked to the artist, they looked confused with their own question. So the artist answered with different way, which’s not in the audience mind. It was so crowded, but this is the interesting point. One noticeable question was when the audience asked about one of artist’s artwork that seems to be so sensitive. How can’t? The art work was the poster of the ex king of Jogjakarta, and he put the shoe above it. Wonderful art work to be debated. It spent a half of the event to discuss this art work.

It’s quite interesting. Actually the case was so clear, but one thing that makes that discussion so long was art artist has their own idealism. It’s not only for the last topic I tell here, but for the overall discussion. It’s almost similar. Let say, ‘whatever u say, I have my own point of view, and I as long I think it’s fine, it will be fine’.  Artists have their own style in delivering something, so unique. But for common people like me, it’s quite hard to understand. And another artist it’s getting harder to understand because no one could open their mind to accept another. For me, take from javanesse word, I just can say it’s a kind of a extraordinary ‘undongable’ event. But for sure, I will come to this kind event again.