Heri Dono Animachines
Solo exhibition
Main hall, Färgfabriken
Curator Joachim Granit and Emilia Rosenqvist
Animachines produced and exhibited at Färgfabriken 28th of March to 28th of June 2015 is Heri Donos first solo exhibition in Scandinavia. During the fall 2015 our Animachines will be exhibited at Lat. 63 Art Arena in Östersund.
Like the jester in traditional Indonesian shadow puppet performances Heri Dono comments on the social and cultural life in Indoensia. Linking traditional Indonesian culture and animism with inspiration from cartoons and western art Heri Dono creates a unique imagery.
Heri Dono’s exhibition at Färgfabriken will be an extraordinary visual experience, his moving sculptures draws inspiration from both traditional Indonesian Shadow puppets and animated cartoons, combined with a humoristic tone. Dono’s art is made of countless layers connected to the Indonesian context. Indonesia has gone through many gruesome ordeals – particularly during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Heri Dono deals the aspects of these complex issues and his own experiences within his artworks. This is apparent in works like: ”Fermentation of Brain” and ”The Troops of Trojan Horse”. Here Dono has created installations that critique aspects of the school system and many of the military doctrines associated with Suharto’s regime.Through large portions of humour, Dono delivers sharp societal criticism.
About the artist
Heri Dono (b. 1960 in Jakarta) studied painting at STSRI ’ASRI’ in Yogykarta, today called ISI (Institut Seni Indonesia). After his graduation he studied traditional leather-puppet making, an expression that has come to characterize his art. In 1990 he was awarded with a Christoph Merian Foundation fellowship to join the Interantional Artist Exchange Programme in Basel, Schweiz. Since his recidense in Basel Heri Dono has had several exhibitions and recidenses around the world and is today one of Indonesias most renowned artists.
Activities
Färgfabriken arrange shadow puppet workshops and guided tours for school classes.
Further reading
Download a digital version of the exhibition handout.
Press
Kulturnyheterna SVT “Heri Dono går i terapi hos konsten” 26 mars 2015
Kulturnytt SR “Animerade maskiner av Heri Dono på Färgfabriken” 13 april 2015
Studio Ett SR “När fantasin får vingar” 15 mars 2015
Stockholms Fria “Fantasifulla kollisioner i egensinnigt universum” 3 april 2015
Omkonst “Den vuxne minns barnets drömmar” 13 maj 2015
Mostache Magazine “Global artist Heri Dono hits Stockholm” 18 maj 2015
Svenska Dagbladet “Allvar under uppsluppen yta” 28 maj 2015
Related
Färgfabriken has a long-term commitment and exchange with Indonesia. Since 2010 Färgfabriken has worked internationally with an ambulating urban project called New Urban Topologies (NUT). In 2012 Färgfabriken developed the NUT project in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bandung with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). In 2013 Färgfabriken had an exchange with the Indonesia Institut of the Arts (Institut Seni Indonesia) in Yogyakarta and artist collective Ruangrupa in Jakarta, supported by the Swedish Arts Council.
With support form
Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Stockholm Kingdom of Sweden
