ruangrupa is a Jakarta-based collective established in 2000. It is a non-profit organization that strives to support the idea of art within urban and cultural context by involving artists and other disciplines such as social sciences, politics, technol- ogy, media, etc, to give critical observation and views towards Indonesian urban contemporary issues. ruangrupa also produce collaborative works in the form of art projects such as exhibition, festival, art lab, workshop, research, as well as book, magazine and online-journal publication.
As an artists’ collective, ruangrupa has been involved in many collaborative and exchange projects, including participating in big exhibitions such as Gwangju Biennale (2002 & 2018), Istanbul Biennial (2005), Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (Brisbane, 2012), Singapore Biennale (2011), São Paulo Biennial (2014), Aichi Triennale (Nagoya, 2016) and Cosmopolis at Centre Pompidou (Paris, 2017). In 2016, ruangrupa curated TRANSaction: Sonsbeek 2016 in Arnhem, NL.
From 2015-18, ruangrupa co-developed a cultural platform Gudang Sarinah Ekosistem together with several artists’ collectives in Jakarta, located at Gudang Sarinah warehouse, Pancoran, South Jakarta. It is a cross-disciplinary space that aims to maintain, cultivate and establish an integrated support system for creative talents, diverse communities, and various institutions. It also aspires to be able to make connections and collaborate, to share knowledge and ideas, as well as to encourage critical thinking, creativity, and innovations. The results of these joint collaborations are open for public access—and presented with various exhibitions, festivals, workshops, discussions, film screenings, music concerts, and publications of journals.
In 2018, learning from their experience establishing Gudang Sarinah Ekosistem and together with Serrum and Grafis Huru Hara, ruangrupa co-initiated GUDSKUL: contemporary art collective and ecosystem studies (or Gudskul, in short, pronounced similarly like “good school” in English). It is a public learning space established to practice an expanded understanding of collective values, such as equality, sharing, solidarity, friendship and togetherness.
Trained as an architect (B.Arch from Universitas Indonesia and M.Arch from Cranbrook Academy of Art), farid rakun wears different hats dependent on who is asking. He is a part of the artists’ collective ruangrupa with whom he co-curated TRANSaction: Sonsbeek 2016 in Arnhem NL and provided a collective Artistic Direction for documenta fifteen (Kassel, 2022).
Generation 2024
Learning from lumbung… so far
The session(s) with farid rakun will give a glimpse of howGudskul (a collective of collectives established by Jakarta-based initiativesruangrupa, Serrum, and Grafis Huru Hara) runs its educational programs. Throughdirect experiences and sharing sessions, Gudskul focuses on collectivity andecosystem buildings, especially in Indonesia, but also beyond.
Session 1
Through a module called Pasar Ilmu (knowledge market),participants will have a taste of how Gudskul started its program. The simplemodule has been staged numerous times in different contexts, making visible thedifferent knowledge we all hold individually. Through the module, participantswill be paired and play the role of teachers and students, consecutively.
Session 2
farid will share the journey of lumbung, from hisperspective. From knowing ruangrupa, to Gudang Sarinah Ekosistem, and lastly,the establishment of Gudskul. Through a short and open presentation, theimportance of living room, locally rooted, generosity, and practices in Jakartaand other contexts—incl. documenta fifteen in Germany (2022)—will be used toillustrate the values Gudskul has learned to hold dearly.