Biennale Jogja X-2009 will be held during December 10, 2009 – January 10, 2010 spread in some relevance venues. The venue would be The Yogyakarta Arts Centre, Jogja Nasional Museum, Sangkring Art Space, Indonesian Bank of Yogyakarta, and public spaces—alun-alun, wall of cities, etc.

Why Biennale Jogja?

In 1983 with The Association of Yogyakarta’s Artists fully support, the embryo for this event was conceived. Then since 1988 Biennale Jogja always held with many innovative ideas, focused on painting, and in 1994 the coverage became more varied, including sculpture and installation. Even in 2003 Biennale VII adopted a new format that Biennale became the parameter of the very latest development in the visual art , not only offered a ‘space’ for exhibition but also opened a platform for discussing the artists’ works and contributions to society.

After nine times this event held for more or less 21 years, Biennale Jogja has became a visual art tradition which enable society appreciate the aesthetic development and artistic achievement of the artist in this town. After the ninth edition, this is the time to look back not only for the significancy of Biennale Jogja but also value any things happened during those times. In another word, Biennale Jogja this time become the “moment of aesthetic” to discover, read and write whatever happens in Biennale Jogja and in creative world.

Biennale Jogja X-2009

Biennale Jogja X-2009 intend not only to collect visual art archive and document but also to show to public about “The way of understanding”, “The way of connecting”, “The way of interpreting”, and “The way of recreating” visual art archive and document. Or we could say, Biennale Jogja X tends to write the past, scratch the approaching, and reveal the hidden.

At this point, Biennale Jogja X-2009 has relevance with the discourse and practice of national visual art, even international – especially in the part that we called postcolonialism visual art which is art pratice that value previous creations as existential sign for the latest visual art development which means asking society participation in each activities of Biennale Jogja X-2009.

In this case Biennale Jogja X-2009 became a platform among visual art generation in Yogyakarta where public could watch and take a role in a history passage, discourse, and practice of aesthetic and artistic development in various exhibitions. With those considerations we took the theme JOGJA JAMMING: the movement of visual art archive as the conceptual framing for every program in Biennale Jogja X-2009.

ARCHIVES EXHIBITION:

Some artefacts and (reproduction) of historical pieces from maestro visual artist such Affandi, S. Sudjojono, Hendra Gunawan would be presented. Beside the legends vary from struggle era (1940s), hurly-burly ideologic-political era (1950-1960s), era of determining identity in international stage (1970s – 1990s) and contemporary era (2000s). This exhibition would be held in Jogja National Museum.

ARTISTS INTERPRETATION:

The latest pieces from outstanding artists of contemporary visual art discourse and mart would be shown here. Those are selected ones to interpret the passion of epoch from the previous creations pratice into varied forms. The profile pieces could be shape in two dimension, three dimension, inside or outside. Those are plan to be displayed in The Yogyakarta Arts Centre (Taman Budaya Yogyakarta) and Indonesian Bank of Yogyakarta (Gedung Bank Indonesia Yogyakarta).

(source: Biennale Jogya X - 2009)