the tale of beton

(once upon a time, there was a spring surrounded by six villages. Everyone from those six villages lives a harmonious life. Everyday they walk to the spring to get fresh water supply as well as to meet and to greet. Back then, nobody mind the distance.. but time is a strange thing..  

one day, people start complaining about the distance from their village to the spring. They could not afford the distance anymore.. they need to save more time to do more things that could not be wasted on walking or talking. There was only one solution: a modern watering system. With that solution, comes a price to pay: a village. 

that village was the nearest to the spring. There were only few houses and a small street that connects that village to the five other villages. The people in this village are the sweetest of them all. The moment they learn that they need to sacrifice their village-- their houses, their territory; they agreed. From then on, the village become a small reservoir called Beton. 

yes, you can still see the street sign and the bridge connecting this old village to the other two. You can even walk on it, crossing the lake through the old street. On a dry season when the water level is a little bit lower, you can even see the roof of what used to be people's houses. When you wandering on a water bike around the reservoir, remember that you actually are wandering on top of a village-- above people's roof, and their houses are underwater.. how whimsical is that?)

//notes//

visit beton?  

-- please note that this place is a bit hidden. If you're planning a visit, make sure to ask around and bring companions. (click here)

another story  

-- have you read the tale of the sixth borough? It's a bedtime story for grownup.. one of the best! A magical story about a lost neighborhood of NYC. (click here)

thought // the breakfast club

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. 

// John Gunther //

(Breakfast time is one of my most favorite time  of the day. I love to wake up earlier and steal a bit of me-time before starting the day with my beloved one.. cooking something healthy that should also be pampering to be enjoyed in a quality leisure time.  I, wholeheartedly, believe that a leisurely breakfast is the beginning of a happy day ahead. No wonder that the white queen of Alice's Wonderland believe in as many as six impossible thing before breakfast. Morning is the time for light, hope, and pure joy.

When I'm eating out, breakfast is still one of my most favorite meal time. Have you ever try going to a chain restaurant that serve breakfast? Chances are, you will meet all types of people with their masks off. It is the time of the day when the nice-scented office worker mingle with sleepy-faced family or a group of friends still in their jogging pants or pajamas. It is socially acceptable not to dress up during the breakfast time: the day is still very exciting and too early for judgement.

That is how The Breakfast Club at Lir begin.  

The Breakfast Club, as some of you might be well aware of, is the title of a celebrated 80's movie about five students from different cliques gather in a Saturday morning detention and develop friendship despite the different stereotypes each of them carries. At Lir, I want that hopeful time of the day to be celebrated in a way that strangers and friends gather; letting the warm morning sunshine, indulging menu, and conversation to bring happiness for the rest of the day. 

Instead of handling the club myself, I invite other people to host The Breakfast Club. They call themselves: The Aunties. The Aunties are three bright young ladies who become the think-tank and hostess of The Breakfast Club. The Aunties prepares not only beautiful sight and various types of indulging breakfast for everyone; but also honest hospitality and warmth. Their motto is to serve 'a bowl of joy'. Their first day of hosting ~before the heavy volcanic ash rain hit the city, left me smiling ear to ear. People were actually gather in one long table and become friends with those who was once a stranger. Even when the milk is to be served cold, the breakfast time should always be heartwarming, right?) 

// care to join the club? //

ig: @auntiesbreakfastclub

t : @theaunties 

or just come to 

Jl.Anggrek 1/33 Baciro - Yogyakarta 

Every morning 6.30 am to 11.30 am (except Wednesday)

studio visit // heri dono

(It was a strange strange day when Dito and I went visiting Heri Dono's studio. There was no trace of bird's sound nor conversation in the air. It was as if the space is spelled with some kind of ancient magic~ so powerful and overwhelming. Maybe it was because the house used to belong to the royalty before it turned into a hospital, a school, and a police office before Heri Dono decided to use it as a studio. Or maybe, it was because of the almost-mythical figures he displayed here and there: from a lovely lady's statue looking at visitors from above, to human-head-swan statues in front of the house. The hanging upside down man-like plastic figure in all white and faerie-like troops hanging in the living room certainly builds up the atmosphere.

Heri Dono himself has this persona of someone who came straight out of Tim Burton's book. Living a solitary life in his strange fortress, creating magical troops of faeries and dinosaurs, combining the whimsical and the grim at the same time. This burtonesque feel gives me nightmares for a few days after the visit. This kind of effect is similar to that which I felt after going to Agus Suwage's retrospective few years ago~ with less sociopolitical issue and more fairytales. Before this visit, I wouldn't say that I'm much of a fans of Heri Dono. Yet, going through the whole buildings (three of them) full of his past works in a place so enchanted with old strange spell impressed me in so many ways. He is indeed, a story teller ahead of his time.)

//P.S.//
He is going to have a retrospective show this year in Jakarta. (Something to look forward to!) | Click here to find out more about him.

hop on every pages you paint

(my dear friend Ame was first to wish me happiness on my favorite day of the year.. she said: 'hop on every pages you paint'. So I did. The day was kind and full of love. I was relieved from the excruciating pain from the night before, having a nice breakfast with two of my beloved ones, went for a private getaway to my favorite seaside, had a warm dinner with mom, and blessed by all the wishes at the end of the day. There wasn't exactly a white cake with fresh flowers and a sparkler but I am lucky to be a happy birthday girl. Let's not break the spell and let the day stay magic!)

the memories of unidentified experience

(Dito Yuwono's solo exhibition is ongoing until the end of this month at KKF. I can't be happier! As our first collaboration, we shared a same energy level in preparing the exhibition and have been working on this project for awhile. It was almost like our conversation revolves around the ideas of it whenever we are going through the long drive home at night after spending a day finishing the reading supplements (me) or making the artwork (him). 

To read my curatorial note, click here | to read our conversation *around* the exhibition, click here)

ongoing project

-click here to read preliminary text for The Memories of Unidentified Experience-

(The Memories of Unidentified Experience is my first collaboration with Dito. We've been working on this for a year and a half with a book and an exhibition in mind as the result. It has been quite challenging for me. Wandering through his past, pain, fear, exorcising his foggy memories, and acknowledging his present state while being personally close yet at the same time should remain distance and try to avoid being sentimental have been an intense process. With his profound inferiority, I know how insecure he was about exhibiting this project. Yet, that is a step he is willing to take. I wish nothing but kindness.)

collecting flowers from the sky

Remember, remember, this is now, and now, and now. Live it, feel it, cling to it.

//Sylvia Plath//

(A friend once quote in his blog that new year eve is a time when people celebrate for no reason. Aside from my birthday and the night before Ied, this is one of my most favorite time of the year. Be it an intimate night spent with the beloved one over wine and dessert or a festive party with loud music and snacks with friends-- I love how people all around the world, on the street, everywhere.. seem to let things lose for that particular moment. In a world so easily lose faith, cheerfulness is indeed a serious achievement. It's hypnotizing when the sky shines so bright, people cheer and laugh, and everything seems so loud that you can't hear your own thought. It's like a void where you can just forget it all and be amazed by the twinkling flowers in the sky. 

This year, Dito and I decided to spend it intimately, just the two of us- in our new home. We joined my family for the 360 degree view of fireworks watching on my mom's rooftop only up to 11pm before going back home to enjoy it from our yard. There was a different sensation between watching the festivity of five-spots firework party from the height only to be completely overwhelmed by it and that more laid-back amazement of having surrounded by the fireworks while still staying on the ground. Both are amazing. Next year, I'm going to share that amazement with friends. Until then, have a happier days ahead, people!)