In Between

Residency by Miranda Tengs Brun & Josefine Gilbert 
01.03 - 10.05 2016 
Exhibition in Studio Kalahan 
27.04 - 10.05 2016 
Curated by M. Dwi Marianto

“Our work is about patterns, contrasts, tactility and the balance between the controlled and the intuitive in interaction with each other. We work with textiles in a broad perspective, where  we mix materials and use patterns and tactility, as a tool for asking questions. Opposites attract us because they strengthen each other, and we often work with contrasts in different ways. Both in the visual expression as well as in the methods, material, and techniques”, Miranda Tengs Brun and Josefine Gilbert. 

The two persons mentioned above are designers from Denmark, who came to Yogyakarta at the beginning of March 2016, and are collaborating in the Artists in Residence program at Kersan Art Space. They call their place of work as “MIJO Studio” which stands for Miranda and Josefine Studio. The artworks collaboratively made will be shown in the exhibition entitled “In Between” at the Studio Kalahan, Patukan, Ambar Ketawang, Gamping Yogyakarta. The exhibition is officiated on 27 April 2016, and will last until 10 May 2016.

Their statement above is my basis of my thoughts on how their creative processes and designs are made up in their workspace (MIJO Studio) at Kersan Art Space (KAS) which is located in a village called Kersan. This village is around 6 km from the Keraton of Yogyakarta. The Keraton or the Sultan’s Palace is also the cultural center of the Special District of Yogyakarta. Opposite of KAS is an Islamic Boarding School. This school is actively holding out Koran recitation. This area is mostly occupied by artists and designers from outside Yogyakarta; also, there are a number of art spaces which actively carry out exhibitions, art performances, and art discussions within the area. Not far from KAS, there is a unique structure owned by Heri Pemad, a famous Indonesian art manager who is well-known for his yearly art event called Art/Jog. Unfortunately, contemporary art has not become the livelihood of the locals there.

Miranda and Josefine are active in making sketches, patterns, collages, and other spontaneous and experimental forms as their creative thinking mechanism. Their creative ideas and their thoughts are expressed through graphic languages, patterns, and colors. All of them are then collected into sketchbooks, which can be reopened at a later time to reminisce their journey so far or be used as a reference. Through this process they prepare their artwork using a variety of approaches so that the relations of the materials, techniques, and moods hopefully can be synchronized. The display of each work is also designed in such a way to fit with the mood intended come up from the artwork. In relation to this MIJO combine unrelated things from different contexs juxtaposed as a new thing.

This Residency is supported by

              
        Grosserer L. F. Foghts Fond     DANISH ART FOUNDATION

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