Art Notes:
I decided that my last post before the year ends would be something I'd seen recently and had to be something I quite enjoyed.
Taking up one of the two spaces of the Feelium Gallery and Studios in London, were four artists performing ‘hello, who’s there? What’s your name?’ I found myself standing at the hallway upon my first attempt into the space. I wasn’t entirely sure where I could stand to watch the actions unfold. The presence of the performers and the paraphernalia in every part of the white room instantly delivered the unspoken message that the entire space was occupied. I certainly didn’t take this realisation for granted, as I quickly sieved through in my head the possible options of getting a good view from the periphery.
I left the space, closing the heavy door behind me and stood on the pavement outside the gallery. I looked through the gridded window; it was like watching a silent movie, except that it wasn’t in black and white. After a while, I re-entered the hallway, feeling a little more settled than my first attempt. This experience reminded me about giving myself time to sense the space, to be aware not only of my surroundings, but also my intentions, and expectations.
Rhythms and repetitions, contemplative, organic gestures, intersecting spaces .. four inhabitants in the room, they sometimes sat and kneeled on the floor, at times they squatted, or stood in a corner, looking at themselves, and at each other. There I saw, something playful, something red, and nostalgic. I like how the room was spotted with red … small circles of red that became streaks of elastic dividers - something expandable as they gradually took different forms and stretched outwards, as they entangled and disentangled. Some red bands were only inches from where I stood, and I'd almost wanted to reach for it. I didn’t. I remembered playing with them, not quite perfectly. I was never an expert at rope game, especially those involving rubber bands; it was nonetheless a much fond memory.
There is no easy way to describe the myriad of activities in this tight space, its changing characteristics became more pronounced with every passing hour. Four inhabitants shaping the interior space through movements and object manipulations - shapes evolving, lights deflecting, weights shifting, eyes meeting, hearts beating. I discovered my partiality towards the spatial projections from the video feeds and audio experimentations. Occasionally, I caught glimpses of disoriented angles, layered visuals that showed the encompassing perspectives of the spaces within and beyond. There was never stillness whichever way you looked, everything breathed, even the shadows.
A durational performance by Putri Wartawati, Kelvin Atmadibrata, Destian A. Kurniawan, and Puri Puti Raie. 14 -15 December 2023