Agung Kurniawan, Very Very Happy Victim, 1996. Courtesy the artist.

In 1996, Agung Kurniawan and his wife, Yustina Neni, founded Kedai Kebun Forum, an art space, shop, and restaurant in Yogyakarta. Their vision was to provide a financially self-sustaining platform where artists could tackle taboo and sensitive issues. I met the couple at the open, two-story building overgrown with tropical plants for the first time about ten years ago, when Kurniawan was also co-organizing the Biennale Jogja and overseeing the Indonesian Visual Art Archive, which he cofounded, all while developing his own artistic practice. As I listened to him talk about his multifarious activities, I was impressed by his abundant creative energy, intelligence, and considerate nature. It was also clear that he is not afraid of putting the cat among the pigeons, so to speak.

Continue reading in Art Asia Pacific, 123, May/Jun 2021. [pdf]