Art, space, and everyday life in Menuju/Dari.
EDSU House Exhibition Space.
Art can transport you into worlds rich with color and meaning. At the same time, this aesthetic diversity can emerge from something much simpler: the ordinary experiences we encounter every day. The parts of our bodies we use most often, memories from different moments in our lives, or even small objects—sometimes barely noticed—that quietly help us go about our daily activities at home, wherever we may be.
If you are interested in exploring contemporary art that, in retrospect, brings together conversations, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Menuju/Dari, an exhibition presented by EDSU House, might be worth adding to your next visit to Yogyakarta. Curated by Mega Nur, the exhibition brings together recent works by Ayurika, Mutiara Riswani, and Rizki Tilarso, revisiting the interconnected relationship between the self and the spaces we inhabit through different perspectives. Running from June 18 to August 2, 2026, the evolving practices of the three artists can be experienced within the warm atmosphere that has become characteristic of this art gallery.
Ayurika, Menuju Dari, 2026, Oil on Canvas 50 x 280 CM (set of 4)
Known for her paintings of scarred, uncovered bodies, Ayurika turns her attention this time to the part of the body that makes first contact with the ground. She presents the feet as the body's frontline between itself and the surface beneath it—a point of support in everyday life. The firm lines visible across the soles and joints of the legs seem to recall the marks left behind by the paths we have traveled through life.
Mutiara Riswari, Lenggah, Charcoal on Canvas 240 x 200 CM
The concept of jagad alit, which emphasizes the relationship between humans and the universe, emerges in Mutiara Riswari's work through memories drawn from archival photographs. She brings the past into the present through figurative-distorted forms without losing its underlying meaning. The use of charcoal as the primary medium heightens the dramatic black-and-white effect, creating an aesthetic that is striking to the eye.
Continuing her exploration of everyday objects, Rizki Tilarso presents a series of works composed of chairs, pencils, clips, spanram, rusted iron, as well as automotive and electrical components. Through the encounter between these materials, he creates various tensions between the solid and the fragile. The dimensions that emerge seem to reveal the many contradictions we encounter in everyday life.
Opening of the Menuju/Dari exhibition.
The presence of works by young artists in galleries such as EDSU seems to further affirm Yogyakarta's position as one of the key centers of contemporary art in Indonesia, while the diversity of works on display reflects the richness of the Nusantara's cultural heritage. Taking place during the city's annual mid-year celebration of art gives the exhibition its own rhythm, particularly for artists who are able to read and respond to their times. The presence of approachable spaces for contemplation also helps sustain the regeneration of both art audiences and artists themselves.
