The Ninth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

147 ARTISTS Menahan bentukan (holding formature) 2015 Fibre resin, acrylic sheet, foam ink, polyurethane paint / 54 x 24 x 180cm; 140 x 25 x 145cm; 86 x 25 x 83cm / Courtesy: The artist Born 1975, Bukittinggi, Sumatra, Indonesia Lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia Maybe I think back to front. I mean, I see it from a different angle. To know the external shape of something, for example, I choose to observe the inner form first . . . I really like looking at the interior, what it’s like, why it’s different. 1 A relentless maker and investigator of material and form, Handiwirman Saputra interrogates the qualities and possibilities of shape, texture and flexibility in the objects around him. His sculptures are curiously alluring in their interplay between the banal or ubiquitous and the unfamiliar or otherworldly. Materials not commonly seen together are repurposed, re-scaled or recreated to interact with each other — plastics, resins, polyurethane, silicone rubber, foam inks, paper and fabrics, as well as highly polished industrial synthetics and collections of scraps, clothing and organic substances. At times, his works are made on a commanding, architectural scale, while at others, they hang from ceilings or walls, or are activated through kinetic devices. The exploration and variation of the inner and outer shapes of structures, materials and organic forms are central to Saputra’s work. He has created several series inspired by concepts from the linguistic and cultural roots of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, such as ‘dalam tampak luar — luar tampak dalam’ (‘inside looking out — outside looking in’) — sculptures that simulate both the interior and exterior at the same time. Series such as ‘Tak berakar tak berpucuk’ (‘No roots, no shoots’) — which incorporate a collection of sculptural arrangements made from rock-like objects wrapped in brightly coloured resin cords, monumental bulbous forms, and reimaginings of the mundane, such as sticks, garbage bags and trunk-like armatures — create unique spatial and material encounters. Periodically, Saputra turns his attention to a particular shape or material, teasing out the variable nature of everyday objects and their idiosyncrasies. For example, he probes the ductility of an object, such as an elastic band, drawing out its enormous capacity for changing shape and interacting with other objects. He transforms its elastic design, and simulates how, over time, its buoyancy changes, gradually leaving it loose and wrapped in on itself. He does this while scrutinising how such a unique form can change in scale and texture, while maintaining its original make-up. Saputra is a co-founder and member of Jendela Art Group, a collective of five graduates from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, who each migrated to Java from parts of West Sumatra. The group first exhibited together in 1997, on the cusp of the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998 and the Reformasi transition that followed — a situation that had a defining sociopolitical influence on many Indonesian artists working today. 2 However, the Jendela Art Group began producing works noticeably different to the dominant modes of practice in Indonesia at the time, particularly eschewing the figurative and political themes that have had a palpable presence in the contemporary movement. Like Saputra, the collective developed its own distinct and dynamic output, while simultaneously eluding the reductive interpretations of a collective style. Handiwirman Saputra’s practice is unique in both approach and execution. It bears little connection to any distinct formal or aesthetic conventions, and remains unencumbered by narrative or purpose. The exact intent behind his explorations is ambiguous, and interpretations are varied; he simply continues an honest investigation of objects and form, constructing new paths from which to observe, manipulate, and reveal the everyday. Tarun Nagesh Endnotes 1 Handiwirman Saputra, quoted in ‘Enin Supriyanto Handiwirman Saputra: Sets and unions’, in Grace Samboh (ed.), Handiwirman Saputra: Material Matters [exhibition catalogue], Nadi Gallery, Jakarta, 2015, p.116. 2 The post-Suharto era is known in Indonesia as Reformasi (reform), which identifies the transition to a more liberal sociopolitical context following the authoritarian rule of President Suharto (1968–98). Handiwirman Saputra