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M+, Hong Kong. Gift of Hallam Chow, 2016, © Eko Nugroho
Eko Nugroho 埃科．努格羅霍
Untitled 無題
2010
This untitled scene appears to depict an alien world: at the centre stands a human figure wearing a spacesuit, and bizarre, robot-like creatures and tentacled forms buzz around him. In creating this scene, Nugroho was inspired by the landscape of democracy in Indonesia. The central figure, shown standing on a surface that could either be on land or underwater, is meant to represent the post-reform generation, while the mix of elements around him suggests an air of uncertainty that is characteristic of Nugroho’s idiosyncratic visual vocabulary. At first glance, the monochromatic tone, thick outlines, and comic sensibilities of the work may remind viewers of graffiti and street art. These styles are quite common in Nugroho’s home city of Yogyakarta, where they sit alongside the rich traditions of woodblock printing, shadow puppetry, and wax-dyed batik cloth of central Java. Nugroho skilfully interweaves these disparate sources, borrowing patterns and motifs reminiscent of Indonesian folk culture and crafts and mixing them with a bold street aesthetic and a characteristically offbeat, playful sensibility.
In Search of Southeast Asia through the M+ Collections. M+ Pavilion, Hong Kong, 22 June–30 September 2018
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