Rudi Mantofani

Born 1973 in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Rudi Mantofani is a sculptor and painter whose work takes ordinary objects and landscapes and transforms them into strange or absurd ‘visual parables’.  With a meticulous technique and a high level of finish, Mantofani’s works are associative and thought-provoking meditations on human experience and behaviour.  The ordering of disparate forms within his work introduces seemingly unimportant objects and vistas as significant. His landscape paintings depict imagery removed from reality – duplications and mutations. Such visual dialogues originate from his personal observations of the world ‚made up of things‘. Transcending ubiquitous traditional approaches to landscape painting, Mantofani hopes to transform and investigate the activity of seeing.

In 1993, Mantofani helped form the Jendela Art Group, a collective of five west Sumatran artists who studied together in Yogyakarta and continue to exhibit together today. The work of these artists is in contrast to the largely figurative and stridently political work of much Indonesian contemporary art that emerged during the 1990s. With a focus on the mundane and everyday, Mantofani and the Jendela artists avoid ideological positions, preferring a more ambivalent and metaphorical approach to art and politics.

CV
Rudi Mantofani graduated from the ISI – Indonesia Institute of the Arts, Yogyakarta in 1996. Since Mantofani staged numerous exhibitions. Solo Exhibitions include "The Culture of Things" at CP Artspace, Jakarta, Indonesia (2006), a Solo Exhibition at Chouinard Gallery, Hong Kong, China (2003) and "Cakrawala Ganda" at Nadi Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2002).
Selected Group Exhibitions are: "Indonesian Eye: Fantasies & Realities" at Ciputra Artpreneur Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Saatchi Gallery, London, UK (both 2011), "Collectors Stage" at the Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2011), "Contemporaneity: Contemporary Art in Indonesia" at the MOCA Shanghai, Museum of Contemporary Art, China (2010), "Pleasures of Chaos. Inside New Indonesian Art" at the Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy (2010), "Bakaba" at the Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia (2010), "Rainbow Asia" at the Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea (2010), "Jendela. A Play of the Ordinary" at the NUS Museum, Singapore (2009), "Manifesto" at the Indonesia National Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2008) and "Equatorial Heat" at the Sichuan Museum, China (2004).
He also participated in several Art Fairs such as Art Stage Singapore (2011), The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT6), Brisbane, Australia (2009) and Jakarta Biennale XII, Indonesia (2006) as well as at the 7th Shanghai Art Fair International Contemporary, Beijing, China (2006).

 

Rudi Mantofani, Hijau (Lucio Fontana series No 8)  , 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, 250 × 170 cm, MANT0003 Rudi Mantofani, Hijau (Lucio Fontana series No 8) , 2014, Acrylic on Canvas, 250 × 170 cm, MANT0003

Exhibitions

"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 | Click on image to see more "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 | Click on image to see more
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013
"Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013 "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" - Exhibition View at ARNDT Berlin, April - June 2013

SIP! INDONESIAN ART TODAY / SENI RUPA INDONESIA KINI

The past three generations of Indonesian Contemporary Art

Group show by ARNDT Berlin

27 April to 01 June 2013
Tue – Sat, 11am – 6pm

Please click here to watch a video of the "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" show in Berlin.

The exhibition "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" and the accompanying publication results from ARNDT’s recent focus on Southeast Asian art and the new Asian and Pacific art markets. Over the past four years Matthias Arndt has worked in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. His research, the past shows of Southeast Asian artists and the opening of ARNDT Singapore, the Asian showroom and office of ARNDT, makes Matthias Arndt one of the leading experts for contemporary Indonesian and Southeast Asian Art in Germany and Europe.

The exhibition "Sip! Indonesian Art Today", curated by Enin Supriyanto, is the 10th show dedicated to Southeast Asian art ARNDT is hosting in Singapore, Australia, Great Britain and Berlin. The 150 page publication "Sip! Indonesian Art Today" edited by Matthias Arndt and published at DISTANZ Verlag (ISBN 978-3-95476-007-7) is available in all bookstores.

The public talk "The last three decades of artistic production in Indonesia: 25 years of Cemeti Art House and the status of curating. with Enin Supriyanto (curator) and Mella Jaarsma (artist), moderated by Katerina Valdivia Bruch (curator / critic) will take place at ARNDT Berlin on 27 April 2013 at 4 pm.


The exhibition presents over 40 works from all artistic mediums, painting, sculpture, installation, photography and film, by 16 contemporary artists from Indonesia. They belong to a larger community of artists who are actively shaping Indonesia’s dynamic developing contemporary art scene. If we consider their age and career development, the artists here represent 3 generations of contemporary art practice dating back from the late 1970s: beginning first with FX Harsono, one of the proponents of the Indonesian New Art Movement (Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru) founded in 1975 followed by a group of artists who emerged at a time when Indonesia was undergoing major socio-political transformations in its strive towards democracy during the late 1990s (Agung Kurniawan, Agus Suwage, Mella Jaarsma), the post-Reformasi (Reformation) generation of artists (Christine Ay Tjoe, Entang Wiharso, Rudi Mantofani, Handiwirman Saputra, Eko Nugroho, Syagini Ratna Wulan and Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo), and finally a generation of artists who have been active in the past decade, sophisticated operators of their own careers in a more or less stable and democratic Indonesia (Wedhar Riyadi, J. Ariadithya Pramuhendra, Wiyoga Muhardanto, Indieguerillas and Tromarama).

The generational differences do not only represent differing socio-political experiences in connection with the development of Indonesia’s society in the past three decades but also illustrates the differing socio-political contexts of the artists observations and artistic approaches that have changed and altered over the years.

The word “Sip” in Bahasa Indonesia may be a simple and modest one but it is full of meaning. While the origin of this word is unknown, it is a word that is used by nearly everyone every day. “Sip” is the briefest way to state that something – whether an art work, an event, an experience or anything – is good, of good quality, super or outstanding even. Like this word, and like the process of our ongoing global culture, we do not question the origin of an idea, but we consider how this idea can continue to grow and contribute to the interaction and civilization of the world. In a way, we can say that ‘Sip’ has no such thing as exotic cultural background, neither stereotypical cultural baggage. Whatever the case, the meaning is clear: good, great, outstanding.

FX Harsono | Mella Jaarsma | Agung Kurniawan | Agus Suwage
Wedhar Riyadi | Christine Ay Tjoe | Eko Nugroho | Entang Wiharso
Handiwirman Saputra | Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo | Syagini Ratna Wulan | Rudi Mantofani
J. Ariadhitya Pramuhendra | Wiyoga Muhardanto | Indieguerrilas | Tromarama

For more information and images, please contact info@arndtberlin.com or +49 30 206 13870.

Please click here to download the press release as PDF file (English)

Please click here to download the press release as PDF file (German)
 

ART BASEL HONG KONG 2015 - March 15 - 17, 2015

ARNDT is pleased to announce its participation at Art Basel Hong Kong 2015, taking place from March 15 - 17. We are looking forward to welcoming you at our BOOTH Hall 3 C30.

Participating Artists: Jumaldi Alfi, Stephan Balkenhol, Jigger Cruz, Wim Delvoye, Gilbert & George, Yang Jiechang, Heinz Mack, Rudi Mantofani, Vik Muniz, Eko Nugroho, Norberto Roldan, Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo, Rodel Tapaya and Qiu Zhijie.

Please click here to see a preliminary list of the exhibited artworks

Venue:
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Harbour Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

 

ARNDT Berlin
Potsdamer Strasse 96
10785 Berlin
info@arndtberlin.com

Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015 Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015
Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015 Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015
Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015 Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015
Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015 Installation View | Art Basel Hong Kong | March 15 - 17, 2015