Post D: Uji Handoko Eko Saputro

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 ~ Jennifer ~ Leave a comment

Indonesia young artists favour wit and parody over straightforward critique of the government and the socio-political landscape of Indonesia and they draw on urban and popular culture. According to curator, Asmudjo Jono Irianto, ‘One of the post‑Reformation young artists’ greatest influences is the industry of popular culture. Low‑brow tendencies in the form of comics, illustrations, graffiti and advertising are quite ‘fashionable’ with young artists now.’

Uji Handbook Eko Saputro (aka Hahan) who is young artist in Indonesia and graduated with a major in printmaking from the Indonesia Institute of the Arts, although he now works in several media including painting, ink drawing and sculpture. His work is influenced by youth culture and he is closely involved with the graffiti and comic-book scene in Yogyakarta. Hahan uses satire and exaggerated characters to make commentaries on contemporary culture.

According to his interview, he said ‘I always start brainstorming from my personal perspective. There is this tendency of mine to view issues from the “black joke” point of view. I think it is brilliant to criticize someone in a subtle way. It’s like you cuddle that person, but they realize that they are being criticized. For me, art is interesting. It enables me to deliver my thought in a different way.’

In his work The Journey Hahan focuses on the art industry, highlighting how difficult it can be for young Indonesian artists to make it in the international art world, in spite of the Indonesian art market boom. He interrogates stereotypes in the art world, such as the revolutionary artists, gallery artists, innovators and a hard-working artist, and sets them within an apocalyptic scene.

Indonesia contemporary arts address a changing Indonesia as a “post-boom, democratic, multi-ethic and globalised consumer society.”

References

Art Radar, 2016, Indo pop: Indonesian art from APT7: a new generation of Indonesian artists, Art Radar, viewed on 16th February 2017, <http://artradarjournal.com/2016/02/29/indo-pop-indonesian-art-from-apt7-a-new-generation-of-indonesian-artists/>.

Uji Handoko Eko SAPUTRO (aka Hahan),  The Journey, 2011,  synthetic polymer paint on canvas. Purchased 2011. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation, collection: QAGOMA.

http://artradarjournal.com/2016/02/29/indo-pop-indonesian-art-from-apt7-a-new-generation-of-indonesian-artists/

Post C: Interview with Ismail, AKA Reggae Lover

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 ~ Jennifer ~ Leave a comment

I raised in South Korea and studying design in Australia who never had experienced any suppression of religion, lost freedom of expression and unfair discrimination. In my point of view about Indonesia based on different cultural background, I thought that people are living their life in boundary of Muslim and admitted their condition by themselves without any conflict about narrowing the huge gap between the rich and poverty. So, I was wondering how young artist express themselves and their life style.

Ismail Hasanesta is 22 years old guy who manages his own Reggae shop, ‘Djate’ which sells apparels and accessories all related with Reggae. I visited his shop to browse all the goods which is placed in front of our hotel, Istana Batik Ratna and became a friend incidentally. As he is an artist, he was interested in K-POP (Korean Pop) and this makes we can have little conversation by overcoming language barriers. Even Ismail, all his friends and many young Indonesian are interested in music, art, fashion etc. Mass media has enabled youth culture and its associated jargon to spread and develop swiftly across the whole Indonesian archipelago, ignoring geographic, ethnic and class boundaries.

Also, especially, there are many kinds of community and connection between artists in Jogja and he is also involved into Reggae music band. Many artists in Indonesia have freedom of expression and keep creating their own community spontaneously that are happening differently than I expected.

I was wondering how he became to be a Reggae artist and one of lover in Reggae. When he was in high school, he played drum in Indonesia traditional music band and dance. Naturally he was interested in ‘Jimbe’ as one of member of percussion and made connection with Reggae artists. Not only field of music but also he was ‘multi’ artists who loves fashion, Java culture and people.

From the interview, it was good opportunity to make new friend in other country with overcoming language barriers and different backgrounds.

Post B: Artificial Intelligence designs are not called as ‘tool’ anymore

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 ~ Jennifer ~ Leave a comment

A lonely guy, Joaquin Phoenix who was in the final stages of his divorce ultimately lost his interest in humans because of dissatisfaction companion and all other relationship. An OS, artificial intelligence operation system, Samantha became an impressive conversationalist to him with natural language understanding, a grasp of the broader context, a grounding in common sense, and a mastery of the emotional realm. The film Her represents our current situation of humans lack of communication and gives question mark for the future scenario what we can build real relationship with artificial intelligence technology.

From all the reviews, description of film reported as like ‘science fiction romance film’, but it can never justify the future oriented film. Now it is happening. The world we are living now that are having the mental health illness from consequences of war, displacement, gender-based violence, natural disasters and other traumas etc. One of the mental illness, panic attacks draw people to feel anxiety and could be cause of suicide unfortunately. According to the NHS, at least one in 10 British people experiences occasional panic attack. So that, technology already offers ways to prevent from various episodes of panic attack via mobile applications, such as the CBT-via-iPhone Mood Gym, and Flowy, a game which regulates your breathing.

calmingstone-design-products-technology_dezeen_2364_col_0-852x570.jpg

A user-friendly portable device, Calming Stone, by Ramon Telfer is based on relaxation techniques like breathing exercise which can help user to manage anxiety and feel calmer. Not even breathing ideas, it lights up should an attack start in the night, features its own headphone jack that will play meditation exercises and an internal fan blows scented air out of its front. The ‘stone’ even vibrates presumably to mimic a resting heart beat.

Contemporary technology is yet a higher level of reasoning, and huge challenges remain to truly understand between social relationships, emotional ties, and humour which are all parts of everyday knowledge. As Calming stone, all the designers and scientists need to start up with health technology.

References

Williams, A. 2015, Panic button : How wearable tech and VR are tacking the problem of panic attacks, Wearable, viewed on 16th February 2017, < https://www.wareable.com/health-and-wellbeing/wearable-tech-vr-panic-attack-sufferers >.

Morby, A. 2016, Panic attack prevention device Calmingstone launches, Dezeen, viewed on 16th February 2017, <https://www.dezeen.com/2016/11/17/calmingstone-panic-attack-prevention-device-ramon-telfer-alex-johnson-health-design-technology/>.

Bruner, J. 2016, Artificial intelligence and the future of design, Oreilly, viewed on 16th February 2017, <https://www.oreilly.com/ideas/artificial-intelligence-and-the-future-of-design>.

Sejnoha, V. n.d., Can we build ‘Her’?: What Samantha tells us about the future of AI, Wired, viewed on 16th February 2017, <https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/02/can-build-samantha-tells-us-future-ai/>.

Ford, R. 2013, Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ release date shifts one month, Hollywoodreporter, viewed on 16th February 2017, <http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/spike-jonzes-her-release-date-605055>.

Post A: Informal employment in Indonesia

February 17, 2017February 19, 2017 ~ Jennifer ~ 1 Comment

The country where I am living has a well-developed employment system that provides a set of national standards of employment for all employees, occupational health and safety regulations, and superannuation payments, etc designed to be flexible and certain work environment to both employers and their employees. However, according to report of Indonesia’s National Labor Force Survey, informal employment was estimated at the minimum to be at 29.1% of total employment in Indonesia. Informal employment is also highly concentrated is also highly concentrated in rural areas and is prevalent in agriculture and construction sectors. Moreover, women are likely to be informally employed than men, and women generally receive lower pay and are mostly unpaid family workers (Informal Employment in Indonesia, 2009).

Particularly, from tobacco industry in Indonesia, their behaviour brings economic hardship to its own workers, carried out breaking the law of the country and exploits vulnerable people. Females in all areas of Indonesia’s industrial sector are subject to appalling working conditions with extremely detrimental health effects for minimal payment. Most of them work as traditional hand-rolled workers and should produce “at least 325 cigarettes an hour — one every ten second

s on average”. Moreover, not only intensive workforce but also their work environment considers poor and includes exposure to chemicals and particulate matter that could have negative effects on reproductive and respiratory health. Also, around 2.5 million Indonesian children are working when they should be in school and more half of them are employed in the tobacco industry.

The tobacco industry in Indonesia effects on loss to their economically, socially with disease and deaths, and keeping local people poor. They are misleading information and negative influence must be considered regulating in industry strictly to protect the public.

References

Barber, S. 2008, Tobacco economics in Indonesia, Tobacco Free Kids, pp. 46-55, viewed on 16th Feb 2017, http://global.tobaccofreekids.org/files/pdfs/en/Indonesia_tobacco_taxes_report_en.pdf

BPS Statistics Indonesia. 2011, The informal sector and informal employment in Indonesia, Asian Development Bank and BPS-Statistic Indonesia, viewed on 16th Feb 2017, https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/28438/informal-sector-indonesia.pdf

SEATCA, n.d., Tobacco industry expanding in Indonesia, SEATCA, viewed on 16th Feb 2017, http://seatca.org/dmdocuments/TOBACCO%20INDUSTRY%20EXPANDING%20IN%20INDONESIA_Nov%2021%20Nov%202014_rev2_Layout.pdf