Two Exhibitions at ara contemporary Invite Visitors to Discover Meaning in the Things Closest to Them
Until September 13, ara contemporary is presenting two exhibitions simultaneously at the Main Gallery and Focus Gallery. First, at the Main Gallery, Indonesian artist Enggar Rhomadioni presents Pāṭha, a solo exhibition featuring an exhibition text by Putu Sridiniari. Meanwhile, the Focus Gallery hosts Trinket Philosophy, which brings together Thai artists Kanokwan Sutthang, MM. Kosum, and Tuna Dunn with Indonesian artist Miranda Mazuki in a group exhibition curated by Thai curator Pearamon Tulavardhana. Both exhibitions explore how meaning does not simply appear but is accumulated through the acts of seeing, reading, remembering, and returning.
Pāṭha by Enggar Rhomadioni
In Pāṭha, Enggar Rhomadioni presents a new series of paintings that marks a shift from her previous exploration of Javanese idealism regarding the Ksatria Jawa Paripurna. Inspired by the loss of her mother and a growing curiosity about femininity, this exhibition evolves as an ongoing effort to understand what lies behind inherited notions of masculinity.
In Enggar’s works, surreal imagery and recurring feminine forms are prominent. The artist reexamines the values and expectations that have long shaped her understanding of masculinity. The exhibition’s title is derived from the word “pāṭha,” which carries dual meanings: reading or pronunciation and path. Rather than promising a final destination, Pāṭha embraces an ongoing process of reading, questioning, and remaining open to things that are not yet fully understood.
Trinket Philosophy
Curated by Pearamon Tulavardhana, Trinket Philosophy draws inspiration from the Lipstick Index, a term created by economists to describe the rise in purchases of small luxury items during periods of economic uncertainty. As global inflation continues to reshape daily life, this phenomenon manifests in new forms through collectibles, bag charms, prints, and various other simple objects that offer a moment of pleasure and escape.
However, this exhibition demonstrates that viewing these small objects solely as economic indicators means overlooking the lived experiences of the people who collect, create, and cherish them as something of value.
Bringing together works by Kanokwan Sutthang, Miranda Mazuki, MM. Kosum, and Tuna Dunn, this exhibition explores the intimate worlds contained within seemingly simple forms. From the small lives that sustain ecosystems in Kanokwan Sutthang’s paintings, to MM. Kosum’s reflective mapping of growth and curiosity, Tuna Dunn’s focus on passing rhythms and interconnected moments, and Miranda Mazuki’s cherished mementos that continue to shine over time, each artist demonstrates how seemingly mundane details can hold such vast emotional and imaginative worlds.
