Instead of an Introduction

Contemporary Art is not what comes to mind usually when people think about Indonesia. Most of us think of Bali, Borobudur, the incredible variety of the Indonesian fauna and flora, and maybe the excellent cuisine. But art?

Therefore it came as a surprise to me that when I moved to Indonesia (due to my work) I discovered that this country of the many thousand islands has a rich and vibrant art scene that is hardly known abroad.

I have been an art lover almost all my life, but I am an amateur (or diletant) in this field. Nevertheless I have been excessively reading about art and visiting museums and exhibitions. And in Indonesia, I became also a collector, since the prices for good art are still affordable.

To collect art has an addictive potential as every collector will confirm. Especially when you not primarily collect because art is just an investment for you, but out of enthusiasm and curiosity.

Additionally it gives you the opportunity to learn more about a country, a culture. Artists reflect in their work the history and cultural roots, but also the actual social and political developments of the society in which they are living. This is of course true also for Indonesia that has been going through exciting and sometimes difficult times in the past.

I will publish in this blog examples from my small but growing private Indonesian art collection, will provide some information on the artists, maybe also interesting exhibitions. But I will also from time to time say a few words about how you can build your own collection, where to find good art, etc.

Any feed-back from interested readers is welcome. I will be glad when my small collection finds the interest of others and when I can make a few people curious about Indonesian art.