It was a rather gloomy start for this year’s Art Jakarta Gardens 2023, which kicked off on Tuesday, 7 February, on the grounds of Hutan Kota by Plataran. But this didn’t dampen the mood; somehow, the sight of the trickling rain, the wet pathways, and people taking in the sculptures and installations under the umbrella brought the art-viewing experience a certain charm.

For Art Jakarta Gardens’ second edition following its debut last year, the purpose is still the same: “To revive the dynamics of the art industry in Indonesia,” said artistic director, Enin Supriyanto, during the press conference. “We want to answer the pandemic situation by providing a space where artists can create in the open and not just in closed spaces.”

Spread across the Sculpture Garden, the scene revealed just that. Over 20 sculptures and installations from well-known galleries like Ruci Art Space, Linda Gallery and CAN’s Gallery framed the pathways of Hutan Kota’s outdoor area, flaunting local and international names like Fandi Angga Saputra from Yogyakarta who created a boy character figurine donning a coconut shell (“Between Coconut Tree”), to Beijing contemporary artist Zhu Wei with his faceless bronze statues (“China China No. 2”). Some of the artworks even looked like they had always been there, blending in naturally with the establishment’s lush settings against the Senayan skyline.

But there is no set rule in navigating the art fair. Some visitors began by exploring the two indoor tents first, where a spread of art pieces from 22 galleries are exhibited. At the booth of Yogyakarta-based STEM Projects, a painting by Palito Perak “The Scream (Munch)” distracts with his fresh spin on the iconic agonised face artwork by Edvard Munch. Amidst rows of canvases, there’s also the intriguing “Witnessing Pentang” by Bagus Pandega from ROH, which takes on a Balinese musical instrument of penting that is powered through electrical currents from an orchid flower.