Hey Sooji!
Same here like Marishka, missing every single bit of our Melbourne trip already. So much!
Now, speaking about WANITA Project. I guessed one of the most meaningful experience about this trip is how I can see my art with a different view due to a different kind of public that attend the show, join the workshop and talk to us during Focus Group Discussion. I rarely experience that many comments and questions over an exhibition opening, apart of just a congratulations, includes all the people around the gallery who just passed by and many more other wonderful strangers that we have never meet and thought that they would instantly love and get our art. It's like what I have been trying to talk to people through my art being heard and understood like never before. All those comments obviously raise new questions to myself about what I called 'making art'. Apart from that, I have also learned about different way of doing an exhibition, not only from the displaying but also making the catalogue, etc, that I really love to know due my experience as an exhibition manager once. Footscray itself as a community art center has such an interesting form of art to be showcase and shared to the public. Not only that, but also during my trip outside of Foostcray I have been really lucky to be able to explore places like small galleries, limited print shop with a way of displaying art print and other art stuff like I have never see before, a lithograph exhibition at the library, big exhibition like David Bowie Is Here at ACMI, and so many other opportunities to see art in a way that I have never thought I will experience this much during my stay in Melbourne.
I have never showcase my works in so many medium before includes my first video and documentary project for this exhibition. So I am really grateful for this opportunity that also help me to grow as an artist. To experience Melbourne with my own eyes, talk to the people, admire the old houses, plants and birds is such a mind blowing experience to a Jakartan like me. I learn a bit Melbourne and Australia in my own way for the first time during this trip. Not from books, magazines, films or other people's photos on Instagram. So from now on, I have my own story about Melbourne and Australia although only a really short one.
I met several other Australian artists and a few Indonesian artists with different way of seeing art and making a living as an artist. I learned that being an artist in Jakarta and in Melbourne has similarities and also differences. Though I haven't get the chance to be really understand and learn about them but it's nice obviously to be instantly understood with a fellow artists. Especially being a female artist in Melbourne, is still one of the question that I wished I had ask them more since we are there to showcase 13 female artists work from Jakarta.
What could have been better? If only I could stay longer, of course! Haha! But at the same time this first trip should never been the last since now I can see so many opportunities and ideas could come to live by being part of this kind of network and project. So in the future, I would definitely love to see more collaborations between Indonesian and Australian artists, in so many different ways since the ideas are endless!
Again, thank you so much Sooji and Rani for being super awesome hosts and Footscray for the abundance of support.
There you go, Sooji. I hope it answers your questions.
Look foward to meet you soon!
HUGS,
Ika
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