To celebrate the opening of Ghosts from the Past: Ipeh Nur & Enka Komariah, 16albermarle Project Space held an artists talk, hosted by Malcom Smith, artist and co-founder of Krack! Studios in Yogjakarta. In Malcolm’s introduction of the artists, he spoke about Ipeh and Enka’s work from the perspective of contemporary art in Yogjakarta and it’s connections to Indonesian society and politcs. The artists then provided a very insightful talk on their works and the historical and cultural context in which the work are situated.

Following the talk, Mr Veti Kurnia Buana, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney came to officially welcome and open the exhibition to 16albermarle followers and members of the Indonesian community.

Ghosts from the Past is a joint exhibition by Ipeh Nur (b 1993) and Enka Komariah (b 1993). On display are artworks rooted in research-based projects concerned with historical narratives and memories. The centrepiece is Rumah Yang Yahud (A Cool House), a collaborative installation including drawings, paintings and building scaffolding measuring 300 x 400 x 400 cm. The installation reflects the process of rethinking and rebuilding Indonesia as a national identity, in the context of the post-Pacific War and the country’s independence. The artists explore the persistence of violent histories through speculative narratives, as responses to their absence in the official historiography. 

Ghosts from the Past reveals how a younger generation of Indonesian artists articulates their perspectives on the path of their country’s history. The linking of speculative history with artistic research has not only contributed to the current debates on contemporary artistic practices and their possibilities, but it can also be an alternate way of looking at the past in our complex present.

More information about the artists and artworks can be found here