Socially-engaged art and pedagogy
By Ian Tee

Midpoint is a monthly series that invites established Southeast Asian contemporary artists to take stock of their career thus far, reflect upon generational shifts and consider the advantages and challenges of working in the present day. It is part of A&M Dialogues and builds upon the popular Fresh Faces series.

Tisna Sanjaya speaks out about injustice and environmental concerns through his visceral works. Born in 1958 in Bandung, Indonesia, the artist’s formative period was shaped by the social turmoils of the country’s nation-building years. He was a founding member of the 1980s Bandung-based art and protest movement jeprut. Tisna Sanjaya is also a lecturer at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).

Tisna Sanjaya, ‘Vienna Prayer’, 2016, performance art piece with public participation in downtown Vienna, Austria.

Looking back, could you share a decision or event that marked a significant turn/moment in your path as an artist?

Aside from my childhood passion for drawing, which my family supported, my decision to become an artist was further solidified during my art education at ITB, Hochshule fur Bildende Kunste (HBK) Braunschweig in Germany, and Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta. Art became more serious, thought-provoking, and increasingly enjoyable. My works during my undergraduate and Master's studies at ITB were primarily in the graphic arts.

When have been milestone achievements for you as artists, and why have they been particularly memorable?

Some of my artistic methods have received local and international appreciation. These include my etching and body printing works, as well as environmental art such as Imah Budaya (Ibu) Cigondewah, and projects advocating for the preservation of Babakan Siliwangi urban forest, and the abandoned Dian Cinema building.

Other milestones include presenting my work at the Venice Biennale (2003), Gwangju Biennale (2004), and Singapore Biennale (2013), as well as institutions such as NUS Museum in Singapore and Dark Mofo in Tasmania, among others.

Could you walk us through a typical work day, or a typical week? What routine do you follow to nourish yourself or your artistic practice?

Art has become an integral part of my daily life, blending aesthetics, pedagogy, and ethics. Teaching at the Faculty of Fine Arts at ITB, where students come from diverse backgrounds, has sharpened my artistic practice. I continually contemplate how art can benefit students and serve as a meaningful path in life, especially when it steps out of academia and confronts real-world problems.

The key question is: What kind of creative process can effectively provide solutions and alternative ways of living within society’s daily struggles?

Could you describe your studio/workspace? How has it evolved over the years? What do you enjoy about it, and what do you wish to improve?

I find joy and comfort in two primary studios: Imah Budaya (Ibu) Cigondewah in Bandung, and directly working within everyday life, immersing myself in social realities. This approach allows me to explore a vast range of natural materials: soil, charcoal, spices, water, industrial waste, organic materials, and more. These mediums have enriched my practice and expanded the field of social art.

Art is not limited to rigid, conventional practices. Creativity thrives because my mindset is constantly trained to adapt to an ever-changing flow of materials, shaped by science, technology, and social media. If I do not continuously practice and stay mindful, I risk being swept away by the rapid changes in today’s world. Thus, having a dedicated studio space is crucial. It is an oasis for contemplation, a refuge from the absurdity of unethical political conditions, and a sanctuary for creative work.

After 14 years, I am thinking about how to enhance Ibu Cigondewah, making it safer, more comfortable, and more beneficial for both the local community and the broader environment. It should be a place where exhibitions, artistic activities, and intellectual discussions flourish, fostering progressive and meaningful works.

What has become easier or more difficult to do as time has gone by?

One of the biggest challenges is making my art understandable to both the art community and the general public. This is not easy.

Therefore, I constantly evaluate my work before presenting it to the public. This requires experimentation, training, and exploring various media, materials, tools, methods, and formats. As a result, my artistic practice is diverse, spanning performance, theatre, and my television programme Si Kabayan Nyintreuk.

Tisna Sanjaya, ‘Ganjel’, 2024, installation view at Art Jakarta 2024. Image courtesy of the artist. — Tisna Sanjaya, *Ganjel*, 2024, installation view at Art Jakarta 2024. Image courtesy of the artist.

Recently, you presented Ganjel (2024) at Art Jakarta 2024. Ganjel is an installation comprising paintings, sound, woodcut and found objects. Could you say more about the message behind this work?

In Javanese, Ganjel is an object placed as a stopper to prevent movement or descent.

The Ganjel installation was exhibited at Art Jakarta 2024 as a multimedia installation that expresses critical concerns about unethical political culture. It responds to the 2024 Indonesian elections, where collusion and nepotism allowed the president’s son to become vice president by manipulating the Constitutional Court. This unethical political behavior has long-term consequences across various aspects of life, including academic culture in universities.

There are a few key elements that make up the installation. They include personal artifacts related to Indonesia’s higher education bureaucracy and university life. These are displayed on a dining table, in a format that references a football strategy diagram. A speaker plays recordings of the Surit Uncuing bird, a symbol of death in Indonesian tradition, representing the death of democracy. There are 11 paintings mounted on poles supported by books on art and culture. Lastly, I used the weighing scale as a metaphor for education being reduced to a commodity, measured in quantitative terms and traded.

Tisna Sanjaya’s sketch for a future project. Image courtesy of the artist.

Are there any upcoming exhibitions or projects you wish to share?

I received invitations to present projects in Indonesia and abroad, such as ARTJOG 2025, NUS Museum in Singapore, Soemardja Gallery in ITB and Labyrinth Gallery in Bali. I also have upcoming residencies in Malaysia and Taiwan.

And finally, what would be a key piece of advice to young art practitioners? What has been a way of working, a certain kind of attitude etc. they can learn from to apply to their own careers?

Keep learning, and creating art with dedication, focus, consistency, and power. Never give up on your artistic journey.

To stay fresh and updated in artistic practice, we must maintain a disciplined routine, training the body, soul, emotions, and artistic expression. We must continuously create and share our work with the public so that our art remains critically engaged with real life, becoming an aesthetic and ethical practice that benefits society.