UOB Indonesia cultivating the next generation of Indonesian artists through its Art Programme

Jakarta, 17 May 2019 – PT Bank UOB Indonesia (UOB Indonesia) today launched the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (POY) Competition with a sharing session to encourage emerging Indonesian artists in their pursuit of a career in art. Held at the National Museum of Indonesia, the event was attended by members of the art community and university art students.

At the sharing session, 2019 UOB POY chief judge Mr Agung Hujatnikajennong, 2018 UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year winner, Mr Suvi Wahyudianto; contemporary artist, Ms Arahmaiani; and art curator, Ms Alia Swastika, shared their insights into the country’s art scene. They also provided views on how art competitions offer opportunities for artists to showcase their talent and to further their careers.

Mr Enrico Tanuwidjaja, UOB Indonesia’s economist, and Mr Joshua Simanjutak, Deputy Marketing from the Indonesian Agency for Creative Economy (BEKRAF), also shared their perspectives on how the art industry contributes to Indonesia’s economic growth.

Kevin Lam, President Director of UOB Indonesia, said that the Bank hopes that young, aspiring artists will be moved by the stories shared by those committed to the development of Indonesia’s art community.

“With the help of award-winning artists and industry experts sharing their knowledge and experience, we hope young artists will be inspired to let their creativity flow and flourish. Through the UOB POY programme, we aim to cultivate the next generation of Indonesian artists by giving them a platform to express their fresh perspectives and to play a vital role in the progress of the Indonesian art. This in turn enriches lives and strengthens societal bonds which are core to the Bank’s long-term commitment to support the communities in which we operate,”  Lam said.

Call for entries for the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year competition
The 2019 UOB Painting of the Year competition is now open for entry. Submissions for both the Established and Emerging artist categories will be accepted until 31 August 2019.

The winners of the UOB POY Indonesia will be announced at an award ceremony on 17 October 2019. Artworks of the top 50 finalists will be exhibited at the National Museum of Indonesia from 17 October to 31 October 2019.

The Indonesia winner will receive a cash prize of IDR250 million and compete with other winners from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand for the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year award and a cash prize of US$35,000.

In addition, the country winners from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand will be considered for a month-long residency programme at the renowned Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan.

This year’s judges are:

1. Agung Hujatnikajennong, Chief Judge
   Agung Hujatnikajennong obtained a doctoral degree from the Faculty of Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB, 2012) in Bandung, Indonesia Since 1999, he has written articles on art in various media, journal, exhibition catalogues and spoken at national and international seminars. He was a curator at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space, Bandung, West Java (2001 – 2012) and undertook several curatorial residencies in Australia, Japan and Vietnam. He curated several exhibitions in Indonesia and overseas, including Shanghai Biennale (2012), Jogja Biennale Equator #2 (2013), Passion/ Possession in Hong Kong Art Centre (2014) and solo exhibitions by Indonesian contemporary artists. In 2014, he was nominated for the Independent Vision Curatorial Award by Independent Curator International in New York, USA. He has been nominated as the curator for ArtJog 2019.
2. Nirwan Dewanto
   Nirwan Dewanto is an Indonesian poet, art curator and cultural critic, and has launched a series of literary and visual art works. Known for his poetry, Mr Dewanto’s poetry anthology, titled Jantung Ratu Lebah (The Queen Bee’s Heart), was awarded the Khatulistiwa Award in 2008. He has presented at many seminars and conferences, such as the National Cultural Conference. He is on the panel of judges to select the artistic team for the Indonesia Pavilion at the Venice Art Biennale 2019.
3. Arahmaiani
   Arahmaiani is considered one of the most respected and iconic contemporary artists, specifically for her pioneering poetry and dance performances in Southeast Asia on women’s rights. She also paints, draws, sculpts and produces video and installation works. Her artworks have been exhibited internationally in cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, New York and Amsterdam. She also participated in several art biennale events such as the 50th Venice Biennale.

UOB Indonesia has conducted the UOB POY competition since 2011. To date, Indonesian artists have won the UOB Southeast Asian Painting of the Year five times: Mr Suvi Wahyudianto (2018), Mr Gatot Indrajati (2016), Mr Anggar Prasetyo (2015), Mr Anton Subiyanto (2014) and Mr Y.Indra Wahyu (2012).