Ahead of the upcoming long weekend, Museum MACAN, together with their education partner UOB Indonesia, has recently opened its Children’s Art Space featuring an interactive exhibition titled Kembara Biru (Traveling Blues) by senior Indonesian printmaking artist Theresia Agustina Sitompul.
Theresia is known for her highly personal ideas and observations of Indonesian society and community, which reflects through her exploration of printmaking, drawing, and installations. The exhibition was inspired by Theresia’s reflection on her experience staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the past couple of years, there was a shift towards activities taking place in our homes, in that they now serve multiple functions, namely as domestic spaces, offices, and also schools — which, in turn, also reflect Theresia’s roles: as a mother, educator, and artist.
Kembara Biru invites visitors to explore the meaning of “home” — where children are encouraged to take pause and step away from their digital screens, finding joy in creating things with their hands using materials such as carbon paper, buttons, and bandages.
The exhibition will feature a physical installation and activities at the museum, as well as a set of online activities. If you’re visiting the children’s art space at Museum MACAN, you will find a large-sized cloud-like sculptural installation made of a mix of light fabric materials, which is said to be inspired by a shirt with multiple arms and sleeves — much like the multiple roles and possibilities you can achieve with manual creations.
Inside the space, there are a number of paper clouds with transparent pockets, and visitors are invited to attach the artworks they create on-site or elsewhere. As a recurring theme throughout the installation, the clouds symbolize “endless imagination, happy days, and well wishes.”
“Children’s imaginations are like the blue sky – they are bright, cheerful, and boundless. So why focus on the limitations when we can explore the possibilities? We have two hands that can create a million amazing things. We may be stuck in our own homes, but we can always make good art from the simplest materials,” Theresia said in a statement.
The exhibition will also connect students and classrooms from 12 schools in 10 provinces in Indonesia, during which they will receive materials and kits so that they can take part in a series of online workshops, though the tutorials and workshops will also be made publicly accessible on Museum MACAN’s YouTube and social media platforms.
“There are a number of exciting innovations with this edition of the Museum MACAN UOB Children’s Art Space Commission, we are working with schools across the country who will help Theresia create and complete a major installation in the museum, and through workshops, she will be helping children to create mini exhibitions within their classrooms and homes,” Fenessa Adikoesoemo, chairwoman of Museum MACAN Foundation, said in a statement.
Kembara Biru will run until Oct. 30. At the moment, you can also enjoy an immersive digital installation at the Children’s Art Space titled Tromarama: The Lost Jungle, which runs until May 15.
Meanwhile, Museum MACAN has also reopened Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room — Brilliance of the Souls (2014) installation to the public in late March after having temporarily closed it for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can purchase your tickets ahead of your visit through Museum MACAN’s official website or ticket partners such as GoTix, Klook, Tiket.com, and Traveloka. Do not forget to observe strict health protocols and precautionary measures throughout your visit!
