Biennale Jogja 18: KAWRUH – Land of Rooted Practices

Opening: 5 October 2025, 15:00–21:00 WIB at Kampoeng Mataraman
On view: 5 October – 20 November 2025
Curators: Bob Edrian (Jakarta), Eva Lin (Taiwan), and ketjilbergerak (Yogyakarta)

The 18th Biennale Jogja continues its journey through the overarching themes of Translocality and Transhistoricity as part of the Second Round of the Equator (Khatulistiwa) Series. This edition, curated by Bob Edrian, Eva Lin, and the collective ketjilbergerak, unfolds under the title KAWRUH: Land of Rooted Practices, introducing a framework that explores knowledge as lived experience, collective consciousness, and artistic inquiry.

The Javanese word kawruh signifies knowledge as an accumulation of experiences critically processed through reason and conscience. Within the scope of Biennale Jogja 18, it becomes a philosophical and artistic axis, a constellation of diverse practices grounded in the effort to deeply explore the complexities of the act of knowing.

“Kawruh” emphasizes knowledge as a living practice embedded in local wisdom, manifesting through artistic processes that exist in harmony with nature and surrounding communities. The curatorial approach foregrounds local cosmologies, oral histories, and embodied learning as vital counterpoints to global narratives of progress and development.

Through this lens, Jogja Biennale deploys art as a form of collective knowledge-making, one that not only engages with but also regenerates local traditions, landscapes, and social fabrics.

Artists and Collaborations

Biennale Jogja 18 brings together approximately 60 artists from Indonesia and across the Global South, each contributing to an expansive dialogue on rootedness, solidarity, and imagination. Participating artists include:

Abdi Karya, Agnes Hansella, Ali Umar, Anga Art Collective, Arahmaiani, BIYA Project, Bukhi Prima Putri, Dicky Takndare and Kevin van Braak, Djoko Pekik, Dolorosa Sinaga, Egga Jaya, Entang Wiharso, Fadriah Syuaib, Faisal Kamandobat, Faris Wibisono, Fioretti Vera, Gata Mahardika, Gilang Anom Manapu Manik, Hashel Al Lamki, Herjaka H.S, Imal Malabar, Inter-Asia Woodcut Mapping, Irene Agrivina, Ismu Ismoyo, Iwan Yusuf, Jessica Soekidi and Nurohmad, Karen Hardini and Jagad Cilik, Kawayan de Guia, Kelly Jin Mei, Ki Warno Waskito/Warsono with Ali Azca, Kolektif Arungkala, Kukuh Ramadhan, KV Duong, Laboratorium Sedusun, Li-Tzu Hsu, Liu Yu, Marten Bayu Aji, Mia Bustam with Astrid Reza, Sylvie Tanaga, Alfian Widi, Awanda B. Destia, Kemala Hayati, Nadya Hatta, Nessa Theo, Chandra Rosselinni, Mila Turajlić, Nathalie Muchamad, Novi Kristinawati, Perupa Kulonprogo, Posak Jodian, Rani Jambak, Reetu Sattar, Riyan Kresnandi and MIVUBI, Shooshie Sulaiman and Ayaka Yoshida, Situationist Under Record, Syaura Qotrunadha, Takahiro Iwasaki, Thao Nguyen Phan, Val Lee, Vina Puspita, Yuma Taru & Studio Lihan, Yuta Niwa, and Zhang Xu Zhan.

The participating artists, collectives, and researchers together trace narratives of locality and transformation, reaffirming the Biennale’s role as a meeting point for shared knowledge and transnational collaboration.

Phase II of Biennale Jogja 18 will unfold across three key sites — Yogyakarta City, Panggungharjo Village, and Bangunjiwo Village — each resonating with the Biennale’s emphasis on local environments and living traditions.

• Yogyakarta City: Vredeburg Fort Museum, Main Post Office

• Bangunjiwo Village: Bibis Monument, Plataran Djokopekik, Purnama Store

• Panggungharjo Village: The Ratan, Gubuk Putih, Karangkitri Cultural Area, Pendhapa Art Space, Kampoeng Mataraman, and Ndalem Brotoasmaran

These venues serve as both exhibition spaces and community nodes, highlighting how artistic practice can exist in tandem with social life, everyday environments, and collective memory.

The opening program on 5 October 2025 will feature a series of performances, including Jathilan Panggung Perwira, Kudho Prawesti (Sanggar Pramesti), Rani Jambak, and Wayang Purwa Padat “Janur Anjartaka” with Dhalang Ki Gibran Kawipuja Permadi and Karawitan Bajra Gangsa.

Beyond the exhibitions, the Biennale will host an extensive program of discussions, film screenings, community festivals, and performances, creating opportunities to engage with local histories, belief systems, and contemporary social realities.

As part of its commitment to fostering future generations of artists and curators, Biennale Jogja 18 collaborates with Manajemen Talenta Nasional (MTN) Seni Budaya, a national priority program under the Ministry of Culture.

This year’s MTN Lab: A Fine Arts Residency is hosted in Yogyakarta in partnership with Yayasan Biennale Yogyakarta, running from 24 September to 7 October 2025. The residency brings together 20 artists and 6 curators from across Indonesia for an intensive program of workshops, studio visits, and collaborative exhibition-making.

The residency culminates in a group exhibition at Ning Art Space and Sangkasa Gallery in Bantul, presented as part of Biennale Jogja 18: KAWRUH. Through this initiative, the MTN Lab strengthens connections between young practitioners and wider professional networks, advancing both creative experimentation and capacity-building within the Indonesian arts ecosystem.

By situating art within living communities, Biennale Jogja 18: KAWRUH – Land of Rooted Practices deepens the dialogue between knowledge, locality, and transformation. It reflects on how artistic practice can serve as both witness and catalyst in moments of ecological, historical, and social change, affirming Yogyakarta’s position as one of the most vital meeting points for art in the Global South.