Contemporary Jakarta: A Tale of Two Art Events

In 2024 the city of Jakarta contemplated the imminent loss of its national capital status as the new capital city, Nusantara, emerges in distant East Kalimantan. The city also weathered a controversial election process at the national level. A key orchestrator of the New Order’s military “disappearances” was elected as the new president and the city went back to the polls to elect the Jakarta city governor at the end of November.1 In amongst this dynamic social and political landscape, Jakarta’s two premiere art events opened their doors in the first week of October 2024, marking important milestones in the city’s cultural landscape. This article traces the history of Jakarta's major art events and their impact on contemporary art and the socio-political scene in Indonesia since 1974.