Yogyakarta Artists Seek to Inspire at Melbourne's Next Wave Festival

Well known artists from Yogyakarta’s House of Natural Fiber Irene Agrivine, Andreas Siagian and Venzha Christ are in Australia to present their work at the 2010 Next Wave Festival in Melbourne from 13-30 May 2010.

As part of the Next Wave Festival, these Indonesian artists will join other artists from 10 of the most progressive Australian and Asian Artist-Run Initiatives - non-profit organisations providing opportunities for artists outside the commercial and public gallery sector - in presenting their work at Structural Integrity at the Arts House Meat Market in North Melbourne.

Australian Ambassador Bill Farmer said that the festival would provide the Yogyakarta artists with an opportunity to showcase Indonesia’s artistic creativity and diversity.

“This is an exciting chance to celebrate the close cultural relationship between Indonesia and Australia at the Next Wave Festival’s biggest and most ambitious engagement with the Asia-Pacific region in its 25-year history”, the Ambassador said.

In the rich cultural diversity of Melbourne, the annual Next Wave Festival will, through its World’s Fair-styled exhibition and residency project, explore independent arts cultures from across Australia and Asia including Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines and China.

“We look forward to bringing to Australia our unique mobile art laboratory where we encourage cultural development and new media art. In Indonesia, through our work, we challenge cultural stagnation and social disadvantage and aim to bring some of these ideas to the festival”, said Irene.

Apart from performing at the festival, the artists will also present two public workshops as part of the Next Wave Risk Takers program.

The visit is funded by the Australian Government through the Australia-Indonesia Institute. More information on the Institute’s programs to support bilateral cooperation and collaboration in arts and culture is available at www.dfat.gov.au/aii. More information on the 2010 Next Wave Festival is available at www.nextwave.org.au.

Media Enquiries:
Sanchi Davis, Cultural Attaché tel. (021) 2550 5260 mob. 0811 936 302