Indonesia presents 'Printing the Unprinted' at the Venice Biennale

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, hosted at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia in Italy, showcases the works of seven Indonesian artists under the theme "Printing the Unprinted."Open to the public since May 7, 2026, the pavilion was inaugurated by Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon and features the works of Agus Suwage, Syahrizal Pahlevi, Nurdian Ichsan, R.E. Hartanto, Theresia Agustina Sitompul, Mariam Sofrina, and Rusyan Yasin.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday, Fadli noted that Indonesia's participation at the Venice Biennale reflects the state's commitment to placing culture as a key pillar of development, diplomacy, and the economy, and contributing to global civilization.

He also highlighted Indonesia’s identity as a maritime nation, and also home to more than 17,000 islands, 1,340 ethnic groups, and 718 regional languages.

“This historical depth provides us with both a sense of responsibility and the inspiration to continue our civilizational narrative for the world,” he said.

Beyond the main exhibition, the Indonesian Pavilion features a collaboration between seven senior artists and seven young Indonesian talents who participated in an art and healing residency program in Florence, Italy.

The collaboration was facilitated by the Negeri Elok Creative Community through a mentorship and co-creation program, with the resulting works also on display at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia.

The “Printing the Unprinted” exhibition at the Indonesian Pavilion will run until November 22, 2026.

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Exhibition curator Aminudin TH Siregar stated that the theme is the Indonesian Pavilion’s way of offering a distinct perspective on understanding the world and engaging in global conversations.

“It is not found through a single quest, but rather through interconnected journeys, reciprocal exchanges, and overlapping narratives that consistently exist beyond the boundaries of recognized official records,” he said.

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Siregar explained that the exhibition stems from a fictional manuscript titled “Mentjap jang Tiada Bertjap: Plajeran Agoeng,” which serves as the narrative point of departure for the artists' works.

This narrative, he added, is used to question how history is constructed, who holds the power to record knowledge, and whose experiences remain undocumented. For this exhibition, the artists produced their works on-site in Venice following a four-week residency at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia.