Kedai Kebun Forum
Kedai Kebun Forum is an alternative art space in Yogyakarta, managed independently by artists and consisting of a gallery, performance space, ‘HALTE’ – a text learning media in art, bookstore and restaurant.
Kedai Kebun Forum is a small community established with the purpose of providing an arena of learning and studying, in the context of developing sensibilities to all phenomena of social transformation through art.
All activities of Kedai Kebun Forum are supported by its extraordinary restaurant.
History
Kedai Kebun Forum was established in September 1996 as a restaurant, which fortunately had an empty space behind the kitchen that was then used for regular visual arts exhibitions, theatre, music and dance performances, poetry and story readings, and cultural discussions.
Although to begin with, the activities in the restaurant and this space out the back did not clash, the goings on in these two spaces eventually began to get in the way of each other. So, the idea emerged to build a new, completely separate space.
The renovations began In December 2001 and were completed in May 2003. The biggest challenge was how to build an alternative performance space that meets acoustic standards on a limited budget. So, we went on the hunt for less expensive materials to build our dream performance space. Finally, we discovered batagama bricks, innovative invention by Ir. Kardiyono from Civil Engineering Department of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta. Batagama are produced by the people of Bawuran village, Pleret Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. The main building was designed by Ir. Natalia Retno Yuliani -at that time she was a fresh graduate architect from the faculty of Architecture of Atmajaya University, Yogyakarta. The latest renovation is the restaurant. It had been done in March 2008 and was designed by Ir. Eko Prawoto, M. Arch. from Duta Wacana Christian University, Yogyakarta.
What is the Vision of Kedai Kebun Forum?
For the artists, Kedai Kebun Forum is “alternative playing space”, in the sense of having the courage to test or challenge established, strong-rooted values in art today. Seriously, while retaining a low profile, Kedai Kebun Forum tries to be a melting pot of all these ideas and the creativity that is born and develops in the arts by eliminating the partition or boundary between high art and low art, between good art and bad art.
Kedai Kebun Forum believes that art is the result of social reflection and not autonomous so that all kinds of art—good or bad it may be—can be seen as the manifestation of social developments
What is the Mission of Kedai Kebun Forum?
– To create an area of interaction with critical attitude to social phenomena through art.
– To support smart and playful artists so that they can have opportunity to present their artworks without troubling themselves with the categorisation of good or bad art.
– To provoke art communities that have similar commitment to that of Kedai Kebun Forum in order to collaboratively bring about the art climate that is fresh, energetic, and constructive.
– To provide alternative shows to the public.
– To offer inspiration to the existing art communities so that they are capable of raising alternative income and live independently and, subsequently, they are able to support other art communities and encourage the creation of an “original” and efficient art management method.
Activities
- Besides our own initiative, Kedai Kebun Forum also receives proposal of curatorial from any discipline, both individual and group. We emphasize the primacy of this interdisciplinary interaction.
- Managing its restaurant in a professional way as a source of income
The interior of Kedai Kebun Restaurant is designed as an intermediary space and at the same time an intersection of events take place in the gallery and in the performance room. The air flowing gently from the open space would create a breezy and relaxed ambience and gives this room a cozy atmosphere for you to have a chat while gratifying your taste in the paradise of salad and Javanese dishes. We offer more than 150 menus, ranging over a variety of Indonesian, Chinese, and European menus as well as vegetarian ones. All are palatable, healthy, in reasonable price. If you are bored with running a meeting or seminar in luxurious hotels, our room offers you homeliness and congeniality. - Publishing HALTE – a text learning media in art
HALTE, a text learning media in art, is a quarterly viewers’ journal. Articles are not edited. - Managing a Bookstore
Kedai Kebun Forum bookstore is an outlet for books, journals on art, literature and culture, T – shirt, and souvenir. - Organizing artists residency
Sustainability Strategy
Kedai Kebun is managed independently by artists. In running the business and a number of activities, it applies consistently a mode of effective, efficient, and contextual management regarding its necessity and resource (with all advantages and shortages) in its living. As a consequence, the management is in dynamic, erratic, and unstable motion.
Kedai Kebun performs itself as an alternative choice considering that the role of the state to provide services to public through its (art) spaces does not function appropriately. This fact has given such an embedded identity t Kedai Kebun Forum as a public space.
Consequently, it should equalize this emerging social standpoint with strategically steps to stay alive as well as drives to form (art) public awareness of its right to access (art) spaces owned by the state. The taken steps are:
• Applying crossed subsidy.
• Functioning as a supporting system to other institutions and encouraging unfortunate artists who have appealing ideas to perform.
• Join forces.
• Building entrepreneurship.
Management:
Director : Yustina Neni
Artistic Director : Agung Kurniawan
Contact:
Kedai Kebun Forum
Jl. Tirtodipuran No. 3, Yogyakarta
Java, Indonesia, 55143
Phone/ fax: + 62 (0274) 376 114
Email: forumkedaikebun@gmail.com
Website: www.kedaikebun.com