Exhibition
Through concentrated, repetitive actions performed over a long time, Melati Suryodarmo sharply brings to light contemporary relationships between society and the body. Suryodarmo regards the body as a vessel for memories and emotions. Her work is always based on her own experiences, including her roots in Indonesia and the education she received there as well as the twenty years she spent in Germany where she began her career as an artist. The unique and pertinent work of this performance artist is presented through both a performance and exhibition.
The exhibition “TIDAK APA-APA” meaning “It doesn’t matter. It’s OK. Don’t worry.” in Indonesian consists of two video works. Her most representative work, Exergie – Butter Dance, has been performed in countless venues since 2000. Dressed in a tight dress and high heels, Suryodarmo dances on a block of butter set up like a podium. Her feet slip in the melting butter, forcing her repeatedly to stop and start again. In this exhibition, archive video recordings of the performance from different times are arranged as a single installation.
Timoribus means “fear” in Latin. Referencing performance art practices of the 1960s and ’70s, this video installation features young people performing a number of violent sequences that gradually begin to overlap and influence each other. In an age of social media content overload, what desires are revealed by these videos?
10.5 (Sat)-10.27 (Sun) 10:00-20:00
☞ Artist Talk: Melati Suryodarmo
Date: 10.6 (Sun) 20:00
Venue: Meeting Point BnA Alter Museum
One drink order required
Language: English
Reserve through the form.
Free admission
Melati Suryodarmo
Surakarta, Indonesia
Born in 1969, Suryodarmo is an Indonesian performance artist. She was mentored by Butoh dancer and choreographer Anzu Furukawa and studied under performance artist Marina Abramović at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig. Suryodarmo’s work deals with the relationships between the body and the cultures and environments to which it belongs and lives, as well as themes such as time, identity and politics. She has presented her work at international festivals and exhibitions including the Kiasma Helsinki (2007), HKW Berlin (2009), Singapore Biennale (2016) and held solo exhibitions at Museum MACAN Jakarta (2020-21), Bonnefanten Museum, Maastricht (2022) and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2023). She also organizes the annual performance art event Undisclosed Territory since 2007 and founded the art space Studio Plesungan in 2021 both in Solo, Indonesia. She was the Artistic Director of the Jakarta Biennale 2017 and is the artistic director of Indonesia Bertutur Festival since 2022.
Exergie – butter dance (2000)
Artist: Melati Suryodarmo
Timoribus (2018)
Artist: Melati Suryodarmo
Presented by Kyoto Experiment
