ALTERNATIVE ASIA

This is the second day in Jakarta. Taking a taxi, I am heading to another art space, Serrum. As I get there I am relieved to see they have a signboard.

Without more ado, let’s go in.

Mr. Angga Wijaya （on the left）, the co-founder, and Mr. Mochamad Hasrul （right） shares their story with me. They are so young～.

Serrum started its activities in 2006, founded by six art university students majoring in education.The focus of their work as Serrum is also based around education drawing upon the background of the members who now number 23 persons.The space has a working space, gallery, and residency space.The gallery offers the opportunity for young artists to show their work and also organizes lectures and talk events.Sometimes, they invite guest artists to give comments on the works shown.      

This is the gallery.

This is the working space with drums too.

This is the garage. It seems like they organize talk events and so on here.There is a DIY bar counter, too.

Energetically working on art projects outside the space, they continue their engagements always being aware of the relationship with the public.They have also been working on involving students in a lot of their projects too.It seems that their driving principle is that everyone can develop their own potentiality through the art.They run workshops for the general public and I am strongly impressed that they’ve applied art as an educational tool not just doing art for art’s sake.  

As they say they don’t receive any grants at all, I ask them how they finance the operation costs including sustaining the space.They tell me that they’ve been commissioned to do the construction and technical work of art shows, art projects and international exhibitions as a company. 40 percent of such income is allocated towards Serrum’s activities and 60 percent is paid for personnel expenses. I am interested in their great capability to be committed in the construction of the major exhibitions one after another.The members are aged between 25 and 35, and listening to the stories of members like Angga and Mochamad, I realize they have gone through a lot at a young age and built up their strength of survival which makes for a very healthy, well balanced team.It’s amazing that such a group of young people can have such commitment to art and education.I take off my hat to them!!!

Here are all the staff.

Earning a living through art and education.
Serrum

Home

https://www.facebook.com/serrum.shareroom?fref=ts

In the evening, I have a reunion with Mr. Irwan Ahmett and Ms. Tita Sailina, the artists who previously took part in a residency program in Japan.I pay a visit the couple’s home-cum-studio.

I’m very glad to see both of them are all well.

This is their home-cum-studio,

I take a picture together with them.That’s quite a luxurious house～.Try your best everybody in Japan!!

Ok, Jakarta, the next destination is a place of living legends. See you soon!