Art Moments Jakarta 2020 Online: Art Moments 2020

THROUGH THE MARKET’S EYES

Why the need to look into the secondary market?

In our Art Moments booth, we are presenting a selection of artworks from established Asian artists, from the modern to the contemporary era. Most of the works being offered are sourced from the secondary market, acquired through the close relationship between ISA Art & Design and collectors. The progression from Modern to Contemporary art in Asia should not be thought of with the same progression in the Western art world. The stylistic uniqueness of Modern and Contemporary art in Asia could be attributed to the history of colonialism, existing local wisdom, Asian aesthetic conventions, and modern-contemporary art as an adopted culture.

The movements that happened in the West, Bauhaus, Structuralism, Formalism, Feminism, Pop Art, Hyper-realism, Impressionism, also exists in the Asian Art Scene, but with a twist. Works from first generation modern artists such as A.D Pirous applies styles and qualities of Formalism but emphasis on Indonesian Islamic traditions. The non-representational character of Islamic art is applied wonderfully in the abstract paintings of Pirous. Arahmaiani looks to the unique pluralism of religions and cultures in Indonesia with her Jawi series of paintings. While at first glance the characters in her paintings may appear Islamic, it is actually based on “pegon” the ancient Javanese script derived from Sanskrit and ancient Javanese writings; looking back through the history of openness and cultural fluidity in Indonesia. Takashi Murakami's prints play a tribute to not only the pop art of the west, but also the effect of Japan economic bubble crisis and the Japanese pop culture. Instances of thoughtful adaptation, innovation, and hybridisation between the west and east are strongly evident in the works of other artists in our collection: Natee Utrait, Arie Smit, Sinta Tantra, Agus Suwage, and Mariam Sofrina.

Not all artworks that came out of an artist's studio stay relevant once the fad at the time it was created fades. The artworks present in this booth, having been collected previously, means it is a pre-curated selection of the best of its era, tested through time. Artworks that come out fresh from an artist studio, while they encompass the zeitgeist of its contemporary, might not be of a particular narrative you are looking for. Collectors often have themes or stories behind the art that they collect. If your concern is an issue that happened in the past few decades, or a particular older series of an artist, high chance that you could find a much more accurate representation in the secondary market. If you have a specific narrative you are going to build through your artworks, why should you limit yourself with just the first-hand market?

Buying from both first and second-hand market could also be a form of longer-lasting support for an artist. The success of an artist in the second-hand market shows that their artworks have a long-lasting value much more than just a momentary trend or a fad. Here in ISA Art & Design, we aim to provide variation and flexibility in your collecting needs. We become the mediator between collector, dealer, artist, and audiences to, first and foremost, support the appreciation of art on the broader public and to offer collectors the flexibility to build a collection that meets their taste and visual aesthetic.