Thoughts from Jakarta on navigating uncertain times
By Santy Saptari

'My Own Words' is a monthly series which features personal essays by practitioners in the Southeast Asian art community. They deliberate on their locality's present circumstances, articulating observations and challenges in their respective roles.

As the world ground to a halt at the beginning of 2020, I packed up my home in Melbourne to fly back to Jakarta to care for my elderly parents. With this sudden relocation, and for an indefinite period, my immediate concern was how my art consultancy would survive the shift (made during a raging pandemic, no less).

It has long been my goal to connect the art world of Australia with those of Singapore and Indonesia. These three countries are especially important to me – I hail from Jakarta, Indonesia, but also lived a large part of my adult life studying and working in Australia and Singapore. After thirteen years in the art world, starting out in an auction house before moving on to gallery work, I established Santy Saptari Art Consulting (SSAC) in 2017 in Melbourne in hopes of furthering my aim to bridge the Australian and Southeast Asian art worlds.

Yaya Sung, ‘Who Knew Motherhood Rhymes with Loneliness’, 2020, digital prints on hahnemuhle paper, 50 x 40cm (unframed); 57 x 47cm (framed). Image courtesy of Santy Saptari.

I am often asked what my job as an art consultant entails. While it is perhaps easier to understand how an art gallery occupying a brick-and-mortar space might be responsible for the representation of artists and development of their careers, the role of the art consultant continues to be veiled in mystery, especially in Southeast Asia. The art consultant is not limited to any number of descriptions as we curate exhibitions, collaborate on projects, publish writings, but most importantly, the art consultant acts as the collector's right-hand person in securing top-quality artworks to enhance their collections. Beyond a strong network of collectors in the region, the art consultant must be aware of the market conditions at any point and must strive to know everything about the artwork, from its place in the artist's extensive oeuvre to its exhibition records and provenance, to essays and articles related to the work. These are just some of the things that the consultant ought to know. Above all, the consultant must have the trust of the collector. This relationship can only flourish when the collector is eager and willing to grow his collection and invest in high-quality pieces while having full confidence that the consultant will maintain absolute confidentiality and have his/her best interests at heart.

The last three years living in Melbourne have made it abundantly clear to me how the art consultant is perceived differently in Southeast Asia. While Australia, much like the Western world, is familiar and comfortable with the concept of a consultant as a trusted advisor to a growing collection, it remains more common in Southeast Asia for clients to go straight to the artist or the gallery, and piece together a collection in parts. That said, a substantial portion of my collector base comes from Southeast Asia even as I have been focused on developing my Australian clientele in recent years. That then leads me to my present predicament following my move: how will I maintain my presence in Australia as I relocate across the ocean, albeit temporarily?

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my role as an art consultant and dealer naturally involved regular travel. Sourcing for artworks and visiting art fairs or biennales took me across the globe several times a year. My frequent travel work life has changed given the travel restrictions imposed and closure of borders in many parts of the world, but these restrictions have also brought with them new opportunities.

As with most other businesses out there, regardless of the industry, I had to adapt to my new circumstances and seriously explore the use of online platforms to continue engaging my client base, many of whom were already part of my modest social media following. I think COVID-19 and the varying degrees of lockdown we have experienced worldwide have brought about unprecedented changes in the way we go about our daily lives and how we interact with others. Yet, while most of the world quickly had both feet firmly planted in the digital realm, the art world lagged behind, hesitant to take the leap. The irony does not escape me that we purport to be a progressive, liberal lot, but are one of the last to meld our real-life existence with our online presence. Websites are one thing, but to have full-fledged programmes running online is somehow not something most galleries and institutions have been exploring until now. If anything, this major pandemic has further exposed the rigidity of the art world as many struggle to adapt to the demands of this supposed "new normal".

‘Tomorrow is Tomorrow’ virtual exhibition, installation view. Image courtesy of Santy Saptari.

This "digital lag" is even more pronounced in Indonesia than in Singapore and Australia. Likely one of the first virtual exhibitions presented on this side of the world, my recent virtual exhibition 'Tomorrow is Tomorrow' garnered quite a bit of attention online. I subsequently received numerous queries from several gallerists and dealers based in Indonesia, curious about the software used to create the virtual viewing space and the response I received from the local market.

On 30 June, Sotheby's presented their sale of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art in a hybrid format with a single auctioneer in London taking in seven-figure bids from livestream screens of their colleagues receiving phone bids in an adjoining saleroom, as well as in New York and Hong Kong. A few weeks later, on 10 July, Christie's held their inaugural ONE sale, which used "streaming technology" to connect clients from all over the world to consecutive sessions held in Hong Kong, Paris, London, and New York. Earlier this year, Art & Market also held its first online art conference that was well-attended.

The technology required to put up these virtual events has existed before the onset of the pandemic. It seems from my conversations that many people have had the idea to attempt projects of a similar nature. Many of my peers have been thinking of moving online but never really had the impetus to do so until COVID-19 necessitated the switch. While faced with numerous restrictions in the real world, the virtual realm frees us of these limitations – including money, space, and even time – and allows us to pursue our wildest ideas. Personal projects that would have never seen fruition in reality, for lack of space and issues with distance, now have a chance to see the light of day.

Online Curator’s Tour of ‘Tomorrow is Tomorrow’ via Zoom on 11 July 2020. Image courtesy of Santy Saptari.

'Tomorrow is Tomorrow' would probably not have materialised in real life either. Besides the fact that the exhibition concept was dealing with our experience with the pandemic at its core, pulling together a show within the short span of two months at such a low cost was just not something I would have conceived if not given the circumstances. Working with digital software and online platforms also meant that I could be quite independent in the creation of the show, taking into consideration the artists who contributed above and beyond their exhibited works, and friends who offered their assistance along the way. Most significantly, the virtual exhibition and the curator's tour reached a sizeable audience with over 50 people attending the curator's tour alone, from Asia, Australia, and even Europe. Save the differences in time zones, there was barely anything keeping people from attending an event streamed live online. New collectors got in touch to introduce themselves, while older clients that I perhaps had not spoken to in a while were prompted to reconnect after viewing the exhibition and participating in the programmes I organised.

However, that's not to say going virtual has been a bed of roses. Sculptures and installations are tricky to display, given that most virtual exhibition platforms do not support 3D rendering yet. While we may not have to contend with painting walls, drilling holes and shifting heavy artworks around a physical space, we now have to spend those same hours battling technical difficulties that threaten to distort the presentation of the works. And while virtual exhibitions have become increasingly popular because of the safe distancing restrictions many countries are facing, it can never fully substitute the experience of art works in the flesh. Going forward, I think we certainly should not consider real-life exhibitions and virtual displays as an "either/or" situation, but should have them complement each other and strengthen the projects we present in the future.

Nabilah Nordin, ‘Dispassionate Trunk’, 2020, wood, cement, liquid nail, liquid gloss resin, rocks, bondcrete, sand, spray paint and house paint, 50 x 35 x 17cm (artwork); 166 x 50 x 52cm (with plinth). Image courtesy of Santy Saptari.

Reflecting on the roles I have had the opportunity to take on in the art world, it is truly the relationships forged with my clients that I treasure the most. I enjoy working closely with my clients one-to-one, developing a keen understanding of their lifestyles and tastes to better advise them on how to grow their collections. I pride myself in finding perfect "homes" for great artworks, matching the right pieces with collectors of different backgrounds, and that can only happen with solid rapport with my clients built over time.

What might seem contrary to my role as an advisor to these private collectors is my desire to share my passion for art and art collecting with a wider audience. Tapping on social media's infinite reach has enabled me to do so, especially with 'Tomorrow is Tomorrow'. People often have this misconception that one needs to have a wallet bursting at its seams to afford to collect art, but I believe that collecting could be everybody's game, not just the pursuit of the rich. As our virtual selves and our real lives begin to merge seamlessly, I now face the challenge of expanding my reach without losing the personal touch of running an art advisory.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything at all, it is to brave the uncertainties of the future as best as we can and to navigate these changes and challenges with an open mind. There is no better time to push our limits, to be free from the imaginary constraints we have imposed on ourselves, and to actively find and embrace new ways of working and engaging with the world.

’Tomorrow is Tomorrow’ is available for viewing from 8 July to 12 August 2020 at https://www.santysaptari.com/tmr-vr.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of A&M.
Read all My Own Words essays here.

About the Author
Santy Saptari established Santy Saptari Art Consulting in 2017, with the aim to help clients in their collecting journeys. Formally trained in art and museological studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Reinwardt Academy, the Netherlands, Santy offers her clients her extensive experience and professional connections in the art market across Europe and Asia.