Project:About
About us
Ratna Mufida, Pitra Hutomo, and Grace Samboh co-initiated Hyphen— in 2011 as a sustainable conversational space regarding aesthetic practices. Not long after, that space expanded through engagement in various artistic activities, including exhibition-making, various forms of publishing, archiving, research, open-ended conversations, karaoke, barbecue nights, feasts, etcetera. Hyphen— aims to put forward curiosity and people’s common wellbeing as the estuary of artistic practices. They were joined by Akmalia Rizqita “Chita” and Rachel K. Surijata (in 2020); as well as Ruhaeni Intan and Andri Setiawan (in 2023).
They currently play with explorations on the practices of Indonesia New Art Movement (1975-1989), Kustiyah (1935-2012), and Danarto (1940-2018); exhibition histories surrounding Kesenian Indonesia (Indonesian Art, 1955), BINAL Experimental Arts (1992), Contemporary Art Exhibition of the Non-Aligned Countries (1995); while attempting to unravel Indonesia’s so-called national history through its official visual representations.
We are
Ratna Mufida
RATNA MUFIDA (b. 1979, Kediri) enjoys working and playing around with her close friends at Hyphen— while doing research, curatorial, managerial, and administrative work all at once. With them, she takes a round-trip journey through the knowledge that are rooted in practices and works of a number of artists in Indonesia from the past. Through this journey, she explores the potential of reading and practicing this knowledge in the context of today’s art practice. Sometimes, she also thinks about the issue of the welfare of art workers in Indonesia.
Pitra Hutomo
PITRA HUTOMO (b. 1984, Jakarta, they/them) works as a knowledge management facilitator for civil society groups. They use art and technology to open conversations about ecological crises, human rights enforcement, group well-being and growth, as well as the security and safety of human rights defenders. Pitra is involved in art collectives and feminist activism such as Hyphen—Peretas, TaskForce KBGO, Biyung Indonesia. Until January 2024 they is a member of the Advisory Council of the Creative Industries and Media Workers Union Organization (SINDIKASI).
Grace Samboh
GRACE SAMBOH (b. 1984, Jakarta) believes that everyone needs at least three copies of themselves. Through research, writing, and curatorial work, she jigs within the existing elements of the arts scene around her for she considers the claim that Indonesia is lacking art infrastructure, especially the state-owned or state run as something outdated. She believes that curating is about understanding and making at the same time. She is attached to Hyphen— and affiliated to RUBANAH Underground Hub. She’s logs her writings at gracesamboh.net
Akmalia Rizqita “Chita”
AKMALIA RIZQITA (b. 1996, Jakarta) or better known as ‘Chita’, channels her interests in art organization through working in art spaces and organizing various art programs. She worked as a gallery manager at RUBANAH Underground Hub, Jakarta from 2018 to 2023, and was a member of the curatorial team of “Jakarta Biennale 2021: ESOK”. Currently she explores her curiosity about various visual forms with the research group Hyphen—.
Rachel K. Surijata
RACHEL K. SURIJATA (b. 1997, Jakarta) believes that liking cute things doesn’t make her shallow. She is currently learning to write whilst doing managerial, coordination, and curatorial work. Having the nose for navigating various archival sources, she enjoys cataloging archives and doing research with her friends at Hyphen—, especially through karaoke as well as barbecue. She completed her BA in Anthropology and Media from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2019 and currently lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Ruhaeni Intan
RUHAENI INTAN (b. 1995, Pati) made her debut as a novelist when her first novel, Arapaima, was published by Buku Mojok in 2019. Apart from writing fiction, she also works as a freelance writer in various media and currently writes for Tirto.id. Her enthusiasm in literature got her involved in Perkawanan Perempuan Menulis, which is known as a feminist-based literature collective. Now, she is preparing her third novel while continuing to juggling between fiction and non-fiction text that already owns her soul.
Andri Setiawan
ANDRI SETIAWAN (b. 1996, Salatiga) strives to convey that histories, therefore politics, are public and private at the same time. He began writing for his university press and later on became invested in political histories, literature, and arts. Andri doesn't believe in the horoscope but he is a Gemini. He studied journalism at Satya Wacana Christian University and previously worked at Historia, a popular history magazine. Andri is now living in Yogyakarta and learning about archival work and how to brew good coffee at Hyphen—.
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