We Discuss #6: We Are What We Eat

There are only seven days until the last We Discuss meeting of 2013. This month, we are going to relax and talk about something everyone loves: food. But where, how, and the people with whom we share (or don’t share) our meals also define us. Because food is essential to our survival, we rarely take the time to think about eating as an activity that is loaded with cultural codes and traditions. Let’s use this opportunity to take a step back and look into our eating patterns. - What is your favourite food? Do you think that the combination of flavours, smells, and memories determine what you would consider to be your favourite food? How so? - Instant food vs. fresh produce. Are we willing to sacrifice convenience at the expense of our health? - With regards to “organic food,” are we really becoming more health conscious or are we just participating in a fleeting culinary trend? - How do we decide what is food or what it isn’t? Why do we think that some dishes are “bizarre” while others aren’t? - We associate certain foods with specific cultural or religious celebrations and vice versa. To what extent do the two depend on each other? - The plates and cutlery that we use for our food are also an integral part of our eating habits. Some use chopsticks, while others use spoons or even their bare hands. Do you think the survival of a culture depends on the continued practice of using specific tools? - There is a growing appreciation towards “food” as opposed to food. This increased interest in food is not only limited to cooking shows on television. But there are magazines such as Kinfolk and Cereal – just to name a few – that portray food and the process of making it, as an art form. The question that arises from this: is this sort of “food appreciation” applicable to all cultures? What does it say about social classes? - What are the major differences between eating at home and eating out? - The popular philosopher, Alain de Botton, once tweeted: “Cooks: make the food others too busy to prepare.” But sometimes we eat for reasons other than the food itself. We also consider the ambience of restaurants and cafes. How big or small is the place? How far is one table placed from the other? How is the lighting? - Do the concepts of “take away” food or food carts reflect the pace of our society?   Tuesday, December 17, 2013 7—9 pm Kinokuniya Plaza Senayan (near the language section) Jl. Asia Afrika 8 Sogo Plaza Senayan Lt. 5 Jakarta 10270 Please look out for more #WeDiscuss updates on our Facebook page and Twitter account! If you’d like to share your opinions, or if you have friends who’d like to share theirs, sign up via e-mail with the subject title “We Discuss” at ! If you have comments or questions, tweet us .

The Opening of EXI(s)T #2 “Instruksi”

officially started on December 6, 2013 at Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace Kemang. The exhibition kicked off with opening statements by Mitha Budhyarto and FX Harsono, as well as a brief introduction of the eight participating artists. “Our lives are filled with instructions that act as directions, orders, and cues as to how we must behave,” goes a line in Mitha’s introductory text in the guidebook. It is difficult to take a step back and analyze the very instructions that have shaped our behaviour and perspectives. Instructions – both written and unwritten – interlock with the way we lead our lives. This year’s EXI(s)T focuses on the attempt to reevaluate and reinterpret society’s many instructions through artistic means. While some think that instructions are a form of repression, others see them as rules that can be manipulated. The 2013 batch explored the theme using different mediums – from drawings, videos to performances. From the diversity of the methods alone, one can see that despite the seemingly absolute nature of instructions, they are actually quite relative. Below is the list of displayed artworks and their respective creators: by Dhanny Sanjaya by Hendra Permana by Ratu R. Saraswati , , and by Nady Azhry by Sarita Ibnoe by Angga Cipta by Kara Andarini by Bey Shouqi The field of art is expanding in ways that may have not been possible centuries, or even a few decades earlier. Art’s boundaries are becoming more fluid; therefore offering endless opportunities for aspiring and professional artists to experiment. FX Harsono emphasized that as an educational program, EXI(s)T has no templates. It does not aim to produce artists who is like this person or that person, or whose works are like painting or that sculpture. Both FX Harsono and Mitha Budhyarto, as two experienced individuals in Indonesia’s art scene and the official mentors of he program, encourage new types of artists and new types of creations. EXI(s)T #2: Instruksi will be open to public until , so do stop by before it ends! For more information, please visit EXI(s)T’s blog.

Surreal Photography by Christopher Ryan McKenney

It was a forest, a sheet, a chair, a frame and nobody but himself that led the Pennsylvania-based photographer, Christopher Ryan McKenney, to take the first picture of his series of surreal photography, which was taken in the remote woods of his Wilkes-barre neighborhood. His photographs are mostly faceless. The subjects are either covered by cloth over their heads, burned in fire, or just simply headless; a basic concept that is so scary and frightening yet somehow McKenney managed to make the results so beautifully haunting regardless of their scary concept. McKenney does not reveal the identity of the human subject in most of his pictures.  He explained that he likes “taking away identity when photographing and to leave people thinking.” In his photograph of a man whose head is covered by a lampshade and with the falling lampshades surrounding him, I interpreted it as a representation of a human's mind that is highly influenced by numerous external factors surrounding it. However, according to the photographer himself, it is actually a depiction of “people having ideas but covering them up in fear of failure or what other people will think." Surreal art works are indeed prone to multi-interpretation. However, that is actually one of its perks that makes people find them interesting. Given this fact, McKenney reacted to it with “I only make the photos I do to express myself and what other people see or think is up to them, as long as I make them feel anything, I’m ok with that” McKenney's works might as well remind us about the works of the famous Belgian surrealist artist Rene Magritte as both of them emphasize the paradoxical idea of unveiling what lies beneath the pictures by concealing it. Magritte, in his“The Son of Man” painting which depicts a man whose face is hidden by a green apple tried to show the viewers that everything we see hides another thing; so did McKenney in his photographs by, for example, hiding the identities of his human objects. Surrealism, as for myself, is the style of art that triggers what is in you; it crosses the boundaries of what normally belongs to social conformity and expresses what actually lies within, enabling the works of it to be distinctive and brutally honest.

Frisky Fridays With Red Light Radio Amsterdam

Void Watches

Please welcome . First launched in 2008 by the Swedish designer David Ericsson, VOID has been positively reviewed by Vague, Elle and Monocle. Its attractive Scandinavian design tradition has truly grabbed the hearts of many. Available in 7 different types, this watch is the perfect definition of classy and vintage mixed together. With the touch of a Stainless steel case, black leather strap, and a black dial, this watch will definitely induce you that classy look everytime people ask, “What time is it?” Who wouldn't want this visually stunning timepiece? With the combination of the contemporary digital feature and bold design, its outstanding aesthetic feature is inevitable and will perfectly fit your daily look. The unity of LED and the modern square-shaped design definitely sparks a hint of elegance and neat in this watch. Also waterproof until 30-m deep, this watch is undoubtedly astonishing in terms of design and quality. - Designing Time - Product Selection The Watch Co. Pop Up Shop

Ruang Rupa Records Festival 2013 (RRRec Fest)

After a brief hiatus, Ruang Rupa's weekend music festival returns and the line up is stronger than ever. Always focused on bringing new and talented music acts from Indonesia, this time RRRec Fest is working with Studiorama and YesNoWave, bringing their own set of musical selection into the mix. Everything from the sweetest kind of pop to mind-frying experimental musicians will take to the stage Saturday through Monday, so mark your calendars, folks! The information below will be updated as RRRec Fest releases more information. Ruang Rupa Presents: RRREC Fest #3 Music / Movie / Bazaar / Art Jakarta, 7 – 9 December 2013 Performances by: Napolleon Crayola Eyes Strange Fruit Clatter DJ sets: Moustapha Spliff Gerhan Ojon Tizanio Also, art installation by Yaya Sung Sun, 8 Dec: Kedai Tjikini, The Jaya Pub Mon, 9 Dec: Taman Ismail Marzuki -- There will also be the following special events: Moderated by: Cholil Mahmud & oomleo Sunday, 8 December 2013 | 16.00 at Kedai Tjikini Monday, 9 December 2013 | 17.00 and 19.00 at Kineforum TIM Featuring performances by: Arrington de Dyoniso from Malaikat & Singa (USA) - Barefood (Jakarta) - Belajar Membunuh (Jogjakarta) - Bin Idris (Bandung) - Clatter (Jakarta) - Crayola Eyes (Jakarta) - Jirapah (Jakarta) - Morfem (Jakarta) - Nada Fiksi (Bandung) - Nappoleon (Bandung) - Rabu (Jogjakarta) - Sangkakala (Jogjakarta) - Seaside (Jakarta) - Seek Six Sick (Jogjakarta) - Sigmun (Bandung) - Strange Fruit (Jakarta) - Theory of Discoustic (Makasar) - The Kuda (Bogor) - Zoo (Jogjakarta)