Rethinking of Mooi Indie

Krisna Murti between his two paintings.

[Photo: Ferintus Karbon]

“I am very proud to be here, in the exhibition of one of the greatest video artist we have,” said Dr Oei Hong Djien, “Though I was very busy, but I force myself to attend this important event.” He was at Rumah Seni Yaitu and scheduled to officiated Krisna Murti’s solo exhibition Forbidden Zone, Friday, March 14.

Dr Oei, an Indonesia leading art collector with excellent reputation, then telling his witness about Semarang’s art scene. He acclaimed that art scene here has been sleeping for a along time. Eight years ago when he inaugurated a gallery Dr Oei had said the condition. But last year for his surprise he watched Entang Wiharso, a well reputable artist based in Yogyakarta, showed his solo exhibition in Semarang, precisely at Rumah Seni Yaitu. Surely now Dr Oei would change his statement to know a vigorous art practices in the city right now.

Standing before audiences, nearly one hundred art lovers, Dr Oei then spoke with cheers telling his valuable acknowledges. It was great time to have Dr Oei in a small art space I run. And I thought that was also an honor for our local art scene.

Dr Oei Hong Djien is inspecting the works.
[Photo: Ferintus Karbon]

Before Dr Oei, the artist Krisna Murti, who was growing and finishing his high school in Semarang, shared his ideas on Forbidden Zone to the attendants. Shortly he explained the idea of his works, in general he is rethinking the practices of landscape painting particularly relating to the Mooi Indie style of the Dutch East Indies school.

Krisna Murti is showing twenty paintings, five digital prints in “Glare Series” and three videos. The videos are “Airplane” (video stills, sequences, dvd loop), “Mirrorscape” (dvd loop), and “Kala-scape” (dvd loop). Airplane and Mirrorscape are showed with different views, the images were projected behind a (oneway) screen with delighted frames. People then will see as if those videos are paintings. But they are truly moving-paintings.

"Collosseum" by Krisna Murti

The very subject matters of Krina’s paintings are landscape, seascape and skyscape. Almost of all his canvasses the sky is dominant. He just want to show different perspective on landscape paradigm.

"Do not Over Take!" by Krisna Murti

According to Amanda Katherine Rath, at first glance, Krisna’s foray into the concept of landscape and images of landscape (moving and still) perhaps seems to participate in the ubiquitous eye candy that comprises much of the contemporary art in the glutted market of the international art exhibition, or Biennale-ism. But indeed the artist is questioning the bounderies between the discourses of high and low art, fine art and advertising, between high and low art. Such a supposed transgression is not in the theme or images but in the manner or way they are presented.

Discussion with the artist.

[Photo: Ferintus Karbon]

“Forbidden Zone, made this year, moves well beyond the documentary and may well be Murti’s most conceptually mixed and topically wide-ranging multi-media installation to date,” stated Iola Lenzi a curator based in Singapore.***