Indonesia has one of the most prolific film industries in Southeast Asia, yet, local filmmakers have to contend with different kinds of pressure and actions that impact their creative free expression. The real losers are the public, whose choice of what film, local or international, they might watch is decided by those in power
While Papuan cinema takes its place on the world stage, it is still viewed with distrust in Indonesia. Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu traces how and why Papua’s people continue to be excluded from the national narrative.
Theodora Agni remembers the artists and cultural workers Indonesia lost in 2022.
The tale of a pioneering woman Indonesian filmmaker converges with the mission of a group of women film researchers, as Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights how archives and historical records often render some stories invisible.
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights the inequalities faced by the arts in Indonesia which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu mombongkar masalah yang dihadapi oleh bidang seni pada masa pandemi.
Wilda Yanti Salam shares an insider’s view of the Makassar Biennale’s ongoing attempt to undo the conventions of biennale-making in eastern Indonesia’s first biennale. This article is published as part of the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency 2021/2022.
Wilda Yanti Salam berbagi pandangan orang dalam tentang upaya berkelanjutan Makassar Biennale untuk membongkar konvensi penyelenggaraan biennale pada biennale pertama di Indonesia bagian timur. Artikel ini diterbitkan sebagai bagian dari program perdana AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency 2021/2022.
A series of four seminars was presented by researchers behind Being and Becoming: Of Femininities in the Malay World Through 50 Images.
In the next segment of our 10 Things You Should Know series, researchers Faisal Nordin and Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib compile a string of riveting facts about the Southeast Asian cultural form, Silat. This series on Malay cultural forms and traditions is commissioned by Wisma Geylang Serai. 10 Things You Should Know comprises short animated …
Some advertisements are works of art. These contain well-told stories, interesting characters, and meaningful insights, while making a marketing message go down that much more smoothly. Mira Sharon recommends 5 advertisements you can watch to learn more about what makes us Southeast Asians tick. To tell stories is a beautiful act, and advertisements are an …
In March 2020, we spoke to 10 arts and culture workers from across Southeast Asia, in a bid to capture the sentiments on the ground as it shifted during the early days of the pandemic. Now two years later, we revisit the same artists to see what has changed, and what has stayed the same. …
COVID-19 and the Arts in Southeast Asia – 2 years on Read More »
These pioneers and rule breakers will change the way you view the regional arts scene. Throughout history and up to the present day, it has been a challenge to define contemporary Southeast Asian art. One such roadblock comes in the form of a lack of proper archives and documentation. Another issue is that Southeast Asia’s …
5 Artists Who Influenced Contemporary Southeast Asian Art Read More »
There is no denying the spectacle that modern Hollywood blockbusters are capable of producing. However, I believe the action displayed in Asian cinema has consistently been a step above those we typically see in Hollywood, despite these movies more limited budgets. The shaky-cam technique and multiple quick cuts prevalent in many Hollywood action films, like …
4 Movies That Showcase The Amazing Action Talent In Indonesia Read More »
Updated 27 January 2022 ArtsEquator Lobang is a list of available open calls, job postings and other opportunities open to people from Singapore and Southeast Asia. “Lobang”, a Malay word for “hole”, is used in Singlish as a shorthand for an opportunity, valuable contact or a tip. Scroll down or click for easier access. Info …
Open Calls and Opportunities: Jan 2022 (Singapore/SEA) Read More »
Below is a list of the top 10 ArtsEquator articles in 2021, in random order: The Substation: How many more canaries in the coal mine? by Hoe Su Fern Published on: 20 Feb 2021 “Although the current situation facing The Substation is not new or unique, its impending fate is emblematic of, and raises …
In this edition of See What See, we review three films made by Southeast Asian directors and featuring Southeast Asia currently showing at the Singapore International Film Festival 2021 (SGIFF). SGIFF runs from 25 November to 5 December 2021 with over 100 films from more than 40 countries. Also check out Fiona Lee’s review of …
By Nabilah Said (1,800 words, 6-minute read) I’ve never actually attended the Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM). This year, the pandemic allowed me to, as BIPAM offered a five-day digital programme full of showcases, talks and other activities. It brought me, a Singaporean, a world of imagination – colourful and joyous in parts, provoking …
BIPAM 2021: Delight, despair, dialogue and the despot Read More »
<Deadline extended to 15 October 2021> ArtsEquator invites applications for the position of Researcher for a regional arts censorship documentation and publication project it is piloting. The programme runs from Jan 2022 – Dec 2023. There are six positions available, one each based in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam respectively. Women candidates are …
OPEN CALL: Southeast Asian Arts Censorship Documentation Read More »
By Wennie Yang (1,400 words, 6-minute read) Let’s face it. Leisure travel feels like a distant memory at the moment. I’ve been trying to envision what a collective future means for destination hotspots in Southeast Asia, whose economies used to be propelled by foreign tourism. These thoughts were further spurred after attending a one-day online …
Dialogues with Mountains: Preserving indigenous culture in Taromak and Kelecung Read More »
Can the creative society in Southeast Asia support each other in finding solutions to problems in our communities, powered by compassion and empathy? That’s one of the questions at the heart of the existence of Project SEA*5. The group comprises five creative practitioners working across different local community contexts: community architect-urbanist Joanne Mun advocates for …
Can the arts solve community issues in the region? The SEA*5 think so. Read More »
Critics Ben Valentine (US), Kathy Rowland (SG), Michael HB Raditya (ID), Sharmilla Ganesan (MY) chat about The Journey by UK-based illusionist and mentalist, Scott Silven. The performance took place from 18-30 May 2021 as part of the Singapore International Festival of Arts. Critics Live! is a critics-led programme series created by ArtsEquator to give arts …
Podcast 88: Critics Live: The Journey by Scott Silven at SIFA 2021 Read More »
It was a laid-back day at the end of April, when I got the email from ArtsEquator informing me that I had gotten into the Asian Arts Media Roundtable (AAMR) at the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2021. This was to be the start of my career as an international arts writer and researcher, so …
By Wennie Yang (2,000 words, 8-minute read) Laptop fully charged, professional Zoom background selected – Meeting Point 2021 organised by Mekong Cultural Hub and its partners took place virtually between 20 to 22 May 2021. Artists, cultural intermediaries, academics, and other interested parties from around the region gathered to discuss their experiences melding arts with …
Meeting Point 2021: The cultural worker in a time of social change Read More »
We recently announced our selected resident writers for the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency, focusing on the development and promotion of critical writing about arts and culture in Southeast Asia. They are: Nhuan Dong from Saigon; Dwiki Aprinaldi from Yogyakarta; Eddie Wong from Petaling Jaya; Wilda Yanti Salam from Makassar; Mariah Reodica from …
AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency: Meet the Writers (Part 2) Read More »
By Joel Tan To borrow and distort the title of David Shield’s lyrical manifesto against fiction: I’ve been HUNGRY for reality in the month of May. And so for this month’s edition of SEE WHAT SEE, I’m training my sights on documentaries from Southeast Asia or about Southeast Asian subjects that you can stream right …
SEE WHAT SEE (May 2021): SOUTHEAST ASIAN DOCUMENTARIES Read More »
We recently announced our selected resident writers for the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency, focusing on the development and promotion of critical writing about arts and culture in Southeast Asia. They are: Nhuan Dong from Saigon; Dwiki Aprinaldi from Yogyakarta; Eddie Wong from Petaling Jaya; Wilda Yanti Salam from Makassar; Mariah Reodica from Las …
AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency: Meet the Writers (Part 1) Read More »
What is producing within the context of the arts? It is a question whose answer might vary depending on who you ask. Producers SG is a community of independent producers, arts managers and self-producing artists interested in nurturing support systems amongst producers and conversations around the practice of producing. Producers SG recently launched the Producers …
Hitting up the Producers SG Directory: Taufik Darwis, Racy Lim and Khor Seng Chew Read More »
Every first Wednesday of the month, ArtsEquator releases our editor’s picks of shows/events/programmes that our readers can look out for in that month. This list in published in no particular order. 1. Little Mournings Physical show: 4-7 March, various timings / Delayed livestream: 11-17 March [SINGAPORE/In-venue & Online] Little Mournings is a puppetry show …
ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have …
Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Protest art in Thailand; The productive pandemic Read More »
