Valencia

Hi!

This time of the year, 3 years ago, I spent my day in Valencia. It was already that long since I’ve been there. Valencia is a warm city, after Castellon of course. It is the center of comunitat Valenciana. I spent my days here most of the time for the class that I took in the uni. It was Valencian Arts and Architecture. I was captivated by how interesting the lecture was.

I’ll try to remember places that you could visit in Valencia when you happen to be in Spain or you are planning to go there. Because Valencia is one of cities in Spain that you need to visit, period. Usually, I went to Valencia by train, it costs me around 4 to 6 euros which take 1 hour long. It is the same amount of time we need to go from Yogyakarta to Solo. I also spent some days here to watch finale of MotoGP 2015 in Valencia circuit Ricardo Tormo on November 2015. Anyway, let’s see what you can do and see in Valencia.

Here are the things that I find interesting in Valencia,

Plaza de la Virgen Maria
This plaza is located in the heart’s of Valencia historical sites. You will find a fountain in the middle of this plaza. Yes, like any other plaza in Spain, you will find it surrounded by a cathedral, basilica, as well as palace of generalitat. I find the plaza is the perfect place to hangout with friends while enjoying the ambiance. At the first time, I went to this plaza in the night and watched many street artist shows their skill. Other time I went here, there was exhibition and pre wedding photoshoot happened.

Personal Photo

Visiting Museum and Art Gallery
I know, some people finds it boring, but museum and art gallery is one of activities that I always do while visiting new places. Even though I haven’t got a chance to visit all museum and art gallery in Valencia, but I am glad that I visit these two places.

Museu de Belles Artes de Valencia
I went here several times! For lecturer and also for fun visits. I like how it shows period of fine art in Valencia and how religion influenced the arts.

One of art works displayed in the Museum

Museo de Taurino de Valencia
This is a museum that exhibit history of bullfighting. Here, you will see the famous bull and all the intricate costume that used in the arena. The costume is pretty darn amazing you know!

Personal Photo

Reduced ticket, I am using my student card

Here is the lists of Museum and Art Gallery in Valencia, I search the web for you. 😉

• The IVAM, L'Institut Valencia d'Art Modern
• The Museu Valencia de la Illustracio i la Modernitat
• Del Carmen Cultural Center
• Museo Nacional de Ceramica

Beach
South part of Spain is a place where you can find a good beaches to spend your day in. I went to one of the beach there but I forgot the name of the beach. It is a way to cure my home sick you know. I missed all the beaches in my hometown while I spent my exchange program.

Mercat Central
Traditional market is a place to go when you spend a quite long time in any city in Spain. You could find a fresh fruits and veggies. It is not only pleasing your stomach but your eyes indeed. I haven’t got a chance to go inside, since I went there when holiday. It is ashamed though, I will visit the market when I go to Spain someday.

City of Arts and Sciences
This one, is the one place that I want to visit. When I went there, I just hang around the place without actually go inside the building. Even when you walk in the area, you will find it amusing with that modern and sophisticated buildings.

Personal Photo

Someone in the photo

Other parts of the city
When you do not rush to find any attractions in Valencia, you can just wander around the town and find little piece that impressive. Like, a mural on the wall, the smallest bar, or just old buildings that you will find all around the city centre.

I guess, I may not cover all the beauty of Valencia, but you can get a grasp of what you can find there. I know for sure that I need to go back to Valencia in the future. I don’t know when, but someday I will. I hope you find it informative enough for you.

Have an amazing day people!

Cheers

*all photos taken by me

ArtJog 11: Enlightenment

Hi! It is such a long time since I wrote about a trip I make to exhibitions.

Last weekend, on Sunday morning 6th May to be exact, Me and Rangga went to Jogja National Museum to see ArtJog 11 Enlightenment. It was the third day of the event, it is open from 4th May to 4th June. So, spend some of your time and a little amount of pocket money to see this annual art event.

I woke up early and get ready while waiting for Rangga. We went to eat my favorite Sate Kambing Muda in Batas Kota near PASTY before heading out. I will create another post about this place, and you have to visit this restaurant. It is recommended!

First time I went to ArtJog was in 2015, so it is my third year. I always enjoy myself while going to this event, my inner child is tremendously happy. I love something pretty, beautiful, and extravagantly strange in a good way since I was a kid. I feel energized when I see artworks and understand how the artists put their time and mind into it. It is like having a child (I guess, not human child, but you know the feeling when you creating something and it is already alive?).

My favorite artwork will be the commision work for this year ArtJog by Mang Moel, Sea Remembers: About The Invisible Ones and The Ones That Escape From Our Sight.

The work is made by 70 artisans who knits all the yarn and combine all the pieces into a giant underwater world. When you see this work, you will be fascinating by effort to create such world, mysterious and radiant at the same time. Underwater full of mystery and beauty, it is like what we are. The are deep riddle that lies within oneself. That is what I perceived from this artwork. Sea remembers, it does, like our memory of loved ones, like our memory of sad event, like our memory of happy day, sea was like our mind. There are a lot of things unseen, or hidden by purpose. No one knows.

intermezzo. jajaja

There are other artworks that have been my favorite for this past years, the one by Syagini Ratna Wulan. I knew about her when I saw her 100 white lockers in Biennale 2013. I saw her artworks as well on Artjog 10, and I love how she play with lights and colors. Like what she present on this year ArtJog, lights and colors. Lights and colors can be perceived by each person differently, it is the matter of our perspective. There is one room painted all green by Hiromi Tango called Healing Garden, this green room reminded me of Eko Nugroho works for Biennale 2013, you can see my post about it here.

One of artworks that drew my attention is Everlost by Fajar Abadi, a winner of Young Artist Award for ArtJog 11. It is a boxing sack filled with snacks. The competition of snacks industry in Indonesia is quite big, people try to develop the most innovated snacks, you can find a rainbow variant of snacks all over the country. I like the colors of this work and how it portrayed the highly competitive snack industries.

I suggest you to go to ArtJog on workdays, after lunch or in the morning, since the place will not be too pack with people. When there are too many people, you will get distracted a lot, and people will take sooooo many pictures in front of the artworks. Maybe, it is just me, because I do not feel comfortable when there are too many people around. Crowded places makes my head dizzy. People even will queue in certain artworks which considered popular on social media, so it will be hard for you to read the concept and enjoy it.

I am looking forward for next year ArtJog!

Ticket: Rp 50,000 (you get coupon that you can redeem in Potentiarte for a Winsor&Newton brush!)
Website: http://www.artjog.co.id
Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/9qbygDcqrKw

Travel Diary - Barcelona: 3 days 2 nights

Hola Todos!

I would like to share about my short trip in Barcelona. My flight back was on 31st January 2016. I went to barcelona on 27th January by train from Castellon de la Plana. I said goodbye to Ianthe, because she was also getting back to Belgium on that day. For anyone who wonder about Spain long distance and short distance train, I could make another post dedicated on how to commute from one place to another place in Spain.

The memorable part of the journey was our luggage. Like, seriously. We need to brought our luggage back and forth, get on and get off from one metro to another. I actually did not really bring too many stuff when I went to Spain, but when I got home, I filled my medium suitcase with gifts and souvenirs for my family and friends. My own belongings only in one cabin suitcase and one backpack! [check my packing adventure post here]

We stayed in an affordable airbnb accommodation. For a room of 3 people, we only paid around 60 euros for 3 days stay. The place is neat and clean and the owner is really friendly even though we went to the wrong floor when we first get there. I was glad that after an early morning train, jump from one metro to another one, grabbing our dear luggage, we could rest our body to a comfy bed. After took a rest and took a shower in a communal bathroom, we headed to the city center! Yeaah!

It was right the time of Rebajas! So, we went shopping! I bought several souvenirs from local shop, not to mention another postcards for me to collect and for people I knew. Rebajas is actually a time when discount held in almost every stores all around Spain for approximately three months. You will get super cheap Pull and Bear tees [I bought some for my family, cost around 1 euro for 1 tee! Can’t you imagine!]. Most of the items that is on sale is the last season items. But it is okay since in Indonesia, we only had two seasons, wet and dry, all the clothes fit all year round.

There is two things that stand out the most during my trip in Barcelona. First, Kebab Alhamdulillah, it is a MUST TRY. I said, a must try! I am so in love with foods from this restaurant. The places is always packed and the food is in huge portion. It is another restaurant that makes me wants to go back to Barcelona. The price is affordable and the service is quite good. If you are super hangry, you will find this place a safe haven. Second one is the city. Barcelona is known for super blocks, where city divided into bigger blocks where it allows more priority to people and pedestrian within the super blocks. Because the blocks, it is easy to getting to know the city, you know it is hard or I don’t know maybe it does not exist in Indonesia [correct me if you know more about city planning in Indonesia]. The atmosphere is nice, like Castellon but more crowded.

I should definitely going to back to Spain someday, and I could go to any other stores and places I wish to see when I am there for example such as Montjuic, La Playa, and Gothic Quarter, also going back to Park Guell and Sagrada Familia. There are several things I need to reconsider everytime I travel, less stuff to brings is way better. You can explore more when you less worry about the things you bring with you. See you in another post about my old travel story!

Cheers

M

Performing Arts Workshop at Ruang Kreatif Seni Pertunjukan

Several days ago, I took three days off from work to join workshop in Jakarta. My group, Flying Balloons Puppet, submitted proposal for Ruang Kreatif Seni Pertunjukan Galeri Indonesia Kaya sponsored by Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation with Garin Workshop. Actually we did not expect we will be accepted to be top 25 from all over Indonesia. We would join the workshop and pitched our ideas in front of the committee. This is how universe made scenario for us.

As an observant, I will quite reserved and taken back a little while before joining a conversation. I do not know, but that is my nature on starting a social relations. I am quite eager learning new things and I think that this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about performing arts (especially the management). I do not have any background on performing arts or arts in general and guess what, most of the people joining the workshop studied or studying in art institution. There are a lot of things going on in my mind and I am pretty sure that I am super nervous.

25 delegations from all over Indonesia!

The intense workshop from day to night not only giving me a lot of insights about how to be a producer. Every time the speaker talked about how they handle a project or how their experience in the field, my mind is buzzing about how my group works and how could we improve and develop it. By the end of the workshop, on the last day to be exact, each of us will presented our ideas to the panelist.

After a hectic night submitting the presentation for pitching on the last day of workshop. I woke up early to read cue card I made for the presentation. I was super nervous but it turns out that I could do it. I am able to talk about our group and ideas that we have. It was really nice to prove that what my mind tells me all the time is not right (You know how it feels when you are an anxious human being 😂😂)

Me, pitching about NATUH by Flying Balloons Puppet

It was awesome experience. I met many young talented artists from all over Indonesia. During the workshop we listened and discussed with experts about their journey and how they positioned themselves on the map. It was great to learn so many things right from the person itself. It was also my first time pitching concept that @flyingballoons.puppet develop in front of panelists.

Let’s hope for the best and thank you for the opportunity and experience. See you again! 👋🙌

After Teater Koma performance, Sie Jin Kwie Melawan Siluman Barat

These are my conclusions from the workshop,

• You do not need to have an art degree to be in an art project, all you need is passion and of course commitment.
• No road is easy, not only for performers but for the rest of people.
• We need to challenge ourselves every day to be a best version we could be.
• I know, nobody is perfect, but no efforts is less worth it, right?
• Everything you do with heart will be delivered with heart as well

Cheers!

Little Walk to the Unknown Faces

Hi!

It is quite a while, I guess 2013 was the last time when I write my visits to Jogja Biennale and joined the blog competition.

On 22nd August 2017, one of my friend, Ruth Marbun or I called mba Utay opened her exhibition in Jogja Contemporary. Prologue: Image not Found by Ruth Marbun, is her second exhibition. It will be open until 5th September 2017. If you are in Jogja now, I suggest you to take a look and enjoy little journey with new faces you will see at the venue.

The poster

As you walk to the exhibition room, you will see many faces. It could be someone you know or someone you made the story about in your head. As mba Utay said, she does not give the exact narration to her works, but rather she let the audience to see and make their own story about it. I like the ideas when we have to imagine the story behind each of the faces. Most of the painting mediums are watercolor, but for bigger paintings, it was painted in canvas with acrylic.

Rangga thinking out loud. My favorite faces is the one on the top, number 3 from the left

When you entered the venue, there will be a wall with small frames hanged on it. There are faces of people, with sentence written on top of it ‘Nama - nama yang terlupakan di doa Senin pagi” or the forgotten names in monday morning prayer. This is one of my favorite section of the exhibition. I could relate the faces I saw with famous and familiar people I knew. The exciting part is you will definitely has different ideas about those faces with your friends.

Don't mind my facial expression. Rangga said something funny while taking this picture

Another favorite part is the big painting with words written under it “Pada petang hari aib menyewa pembunuh bayaran yang belum makan siang”, you can translate it by yourself. Rangga attention focus on the little sardine on the paintings. Maybe because, sometimes I will cook sardine for him on the weekend. (Haha!)

That is all from me, you could go and check this cool exhibition this weekend. (a good place to spend your weekend with your bestfriend or significant other ;))

The venue maps: Jogja Contemporary Maps. It is located within the area of Jogja National Museum (JNM)

Happy Weekend a tous!

Eko Nugroho: A Green Room Effect

Eko Nugroho is one of the artists that involved in Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2. His art work displayed in Jogja National Museum (For those who haven’t see it, it’s located in first floor of the venue, the green room). My friend told me that he is one of the famous fine art artist in Indonesia. Honestly, at first I don’t know who he is (whether I am not really follow the recent news about art or I am not really aware of it - no offense) But, when I saw his work in JNM. I know that I will love this person art work. After a while, I just realize that I have read one of an article about his work that collaborated with famous fashion brand Louis Vuitton to create a scarf with his design. So, I know that he is a person with distinguished art work. Since I went to Biennale Jogja and saw his work. I browse the internet to find more about him. He is such a brilliant artist from Indonesia, be proud!

Not all of the art work I saw in Biennale Jogja I could easily understand. There is one when I should think really hard to find out what the artist wanted to deliver to its audience, even I spend a lot of time thinking I couldn't understand the essence of that art work. While on the other hand there is one when we could understand what exactly the art work is all about. I saw one of the room in JNM, a very distinctive green room. For your information I went to this room about three times at my first visit to the JNM. The artist of the green room is Eko Nugroho. The thing that I saw is that he criticize how this country works and how people connect to one another with his art. I love all about the room, there is my favorite quote in that room “Kita memiliki kesamaan namun sayang kita dibutakan kepercayaan kita masing-masing”. There is something right about the quote. We often think that we are better than other. We often differentiate our self, because we believe that our faith is the only source of truth.

He criticized about our worker in Middle East that still facing a lot of trouble. And how the mechanism in our country that not really helping our worker there. Ohh~ Art is always the best way to criticize the government, people and everything. You don't need to be outside talking with megaphone, sweating, took all your time just wanted to be heard. But the truth is you are not always be heard. Art is a smooth way to criticize. :D You just need to be there, in the moment when you creating that art piece. I talked like I am the expert, but I am not. I just use my rights to say my opinion. This is democratic country, right? ;)

Do you wear a mask?

See the picture above, "DIJUAL TOPENG". Life is about wearing the right mask to face different people. But, have you guys think that it means that you're not being true to your self. You are pretending so that people respect you, admit your existence. I don't know whether I have wear a mask or not. But, If I did I am sorry for my self. From his art work we could see how art could show us what happened in our daily life. What life is all about. This is how he sees his world. I agree with him that most of the people wearing those masks to cover their flaws. If you are true to yourself you will isolate, people will think that you are different, and we know that in our society sometimes different mean bad thing.

Hypocrite

I talked a lot about life like I am a master of life or something. About people wearing a mask and pretending, become hypocrite. I think that it's the effect after seeing the green room. Actually the art installation is named Taman Berbulan Kembar not the "Green Room" like I said in the whole post. So, see for your own self this green room by Eko Nugroho in Jogja National Museum. You might have different interpretation about this art work. Go check for yourself! :D Night people!

p.s.
If I met him in person, I would love to take a picture with him and share it in my blog. :D
And (this is a dream though) If I have a my own house in the future, I would love to let him paint and draw at my house. (It would be expensive though :p) Haha. 

Immortal

Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2 Part 3: Langgeng Art Foundation (LAF) and HonFabLab

Hello everyone! The weather today is a bit unstable or "galau", it was very hot around 12 then suddenly the cumulonimbus appeared. I just laying around my room this Sunday, I don't know what to do. But, then I remember that I have some draft to be finished in my blog. And here I am writing while enjoying the sound of the thunder and the rain falling. What a perfect scene to start this post.

Have you visit Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2? If you live or apparently study here in Jogja or maybe want to have a short trip here, one of the event that you need to write on your agenda is Biennale Jogja art exhibition. Why you should put it on your agenda? Because first is the event held once in a two year. You have to wait until 2015 to see this event. Second, you will presented with a lot of magnificent art works that make you amazed. And last, it will become one of reason to take your closest person for a romantic date (this works for me ;)) I have visited three from five venues of Biennale Jogja. The main venues areTaman Budaya Yogyakarta, Jogja National Museum, SaRang BUILDING, Langgeng Art Foundation and HonFabLab. And for me, only LAF and HonFabLab left to be visited. Here is the post about two last venues of Biennale Jogja XII. Enjoy!

To fulfill my ambition to finish all of venues, I persuade him to took me to Langgeng Art Foundation for another Biennale Jogja hunts! I do not know why I was so eager to finish all the venue of Biennale Jogja, even that the event will last until january next year. I wanted to see all of them immediately, it some kind of addiction I think. It could happen to the fifth semester student like me who kind of bored with the routine, assignments and classes. 

So, we arrived at LAF around noon. LAF is located in Suryodiningratan street 37, it’s near Post-Graduate Campus of ISI Yogyakarta. It’s not that hard to find LAF, because the building is unique and different than any other buildings around it. Actually, we wanted to go there way before there is Biennale Jogja but haven’t got time for that. Finally, I was there! LAF is the fourth venue of Biennale Jogja that I already visited. There are three area of exhibition in LAF, first floor near the cafetaria, the first gallery at the second floor, and the second gallery at the basement. 

R at the first gallery

The backdrop where R posing is one of the art displayed in the first gallery

In the first gallery there are three artist artworks displayed here. You will find a black box here, the box itself really drove our attention. You need to bend a little to get inside this box. I am afraid to enter because all of the box is painted black (honestly, I am afraid of the dark :p) So, He entered the box by himself. 

Nah, for you a locker hunters. In this venue there are some lockers also and the last locker (locker #100) is located in the basement. In the second gallery on the basement, you will find a simulation called "IMMORTAL-The Mind Beyond Self". It is really interesting simulation to try on, but I was afraid to enter the room, because it's all black and there is such kind of machine located in the center of the room. I still want to try it on my next visit to this venue though. Again, he tried the simulation by himself. He said that after he tried the simulation, he felt something strange with his head. We don't know why, but maybe because the simulation itself is about our mind. So, it might be a normal response. You need to try the simulation when you visit LAF.

After I went to LAF, I asked him one more favor. To took me to HonFabLab. HonFabLab is located in Taman Siswa street. There are some lockers here about three or four lockers located in this venue. I think that this lab is cool, and full equipped for people who wants to create their projects using a laser cut or other machine available in this place. I wish I could do my own project in HonFabLab someday. I'm not taking any picture here because, he needed to go to his campus immediately (maybe I will take some photos on my next visit). My visit to HonFabLab completed my Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2 hunts. :) Yay! I think, it's so amazing to complete all the main venue of the exhibition within 3 days only! Bravo for me! :D

This is what I love being in Jogjakarta, there's a lot of exhibitions and events held all year long. Especially Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2, it fulfill my needs. :) I love drawing and painting since I was a kid. I love looking at the great and fascinating display and painting. I may not an expert when it comes to give a review about someone's artwork especially when they are a great artist. But, I always try to appreciate and give my honest opinion. To conclude my hunts in Biennale Jogja XII I want to say "See you on the next Biennale Jogja!" Au Revoir! :)

p.s.
More information, click on Langgeng Art Foundation and HonFabLab
Check on my next post for photos from Biennale Jogja XII main exhibition venue. :)

Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2 Part 2: Morning at the Museum, Afternoon at SaRang BUILDING

Hello everyone! How is your day? How is your life?

Mine is wonderful. I may say it because I feel so blessed and excited those days when I went to an art exhibition. It feels like it fulfill my inner ambition to become an artist (laugh at my self). I love drawing and painting so much, but I love to see someone's art work even more! So, here is the second part of my post about Biennale Jogja event. Enjoy!

Sunday is just another holiday for me as a university student who studies far away from my hometown. At Sunday morning, I need an amusement and an entertainment. After getting some food to eat, I went to Jogja National Museum to visit another venue of Biennale Jogja with my friend. Here, in this second venue that I visited, there are more art work than in TBY. There are three floors of the exhibition in this venue and about 21 artist displayed their art works here.

This is one of the rooms in the first floor. I called it "The green room", is an art work by Eko Nugroho,

an artist from Indonesia. I love the concept of this room, it really describes about our worker in Middle East and how this country works. It such a superb critics. I think "art is always the best way to criticize the government or even our self"

Are you wearing a mask?

Look! Great Quotes!

It takes an hour or more to look around this venue. This is the biggest venue from Biennale Jogja XII. I will shares more photos of this venue on my other post (wait for it :)) Here are some picture I took in JNM.

still figure out what the video try to tell

see how the making of this work in TBY

After we went to Jogja National Museum, we decided to go home. On our way home, my friend May, she accidentally saw the direction to SaRang BUILDING. We never thought that SaRang is really near to my boarding house. We decided to find it and follow the direction. At first we could not find the building, we passed it once. After going around for couple of minutes, we finally found it! The place is AMAZING! I really love it, May also love the place. Green everywhere, it's quite and calm. Perfect place for relaxation I think. :D I want to spend all my afternoon here. Such a wonderful place. You need to visit it, really recommended place, especially when there is an art exhibition held here.

Inside a locker number 089 in SaRang BUILDING

That's all about my Sunday at Jogja National Museum and SaRang BUILDING. I will post more photos about both venues later. See you on another Biennale Jogja XII venues! Au revoir!