For the The Great Indonesia Exhibition that will open 21 October at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam (NL) I didn’t have any influence on the selection of Batiks. There will be some interesting pieces on display that I did do research on, however that will not be included in the exhibition. But I did make an audiotour recording to accompany one of the Batiks on display, to share my point of view, or better another way to view this Batik than how it was presented in the past (and maybe still is)
Next to the audiotour, I was invited to wrote about Batik for the publication ‘Atlas van Indonesië‘ by Wbooks. The books is not an official catalog of the exhibition, it stands on its own as you will, but it will be available from 19 October.
Sabine Bolk is a Dutch batik artist-researcher who has been exploring Batik since 2009. On her blog ’The journey to Batik’, she writes about her discoveries, journeys and research, including her works on Retelling the History of the (Indo-)European Influence on Batik. With her experience as a Research Associate at the Research Center for Material Culture in Leiden (NL) to research the batik collections in Dutch museums & archives, Sabine’s current research focus not only on the makers, but also the wearers.
Bolk (Oh, Yes, That Batik Bolk!) will be here in Singapore for a weekend to share her journey as an advocate promoting, preserving and protecting Batik. Here are the event line-ups, all happening in-person at aNERDgallery (29 Perak Road).
Pasar Batik 10-11 Nov (12 – 7PM), 12 Nov (12 – 4PM), FREE (Walk-in, no registration required) Sabine will showcase the collection from ateliers that she has been directly working in preparation of her latest exhibition, Masa Depan Batik. Listen to the makers’ stories and have a conversation with Sabine about the future of batik from the lens of these batik makers and you can purchase batik to support them too!
Workshop: Searching Batik in Dutch Archives 11 Nov, 3 – 5 PM, $20 During her stint as a Research Associate at the Research Center for Material Culture in Leiden (NL), Sabine discovered the wealth of batik information from collections in Dutch museums & archive. In this hands-on workshop, Sabine will share resources and tips on how you can access these information to further enhance your batik appreciation.
Storytelling: Tales of Batik 11 Nov, 7 – 8 PM, $10* Batik is a wildly creative art form and medium that holds deep cultural, philosophical, aesthetic and spiritual significance in societies it originates from. Colours and motifs create a visual narrative and communicate social meanings. Join Sabine, together with storyteller and batik enthusiast Hafiz Rashid, as they treat us to makers’ stories and tales behind the batik cloths on display.
Future of Batik, An Introduction 12 Nov, 2 – 3 PM, $10* Take a sneak peek into Sabine’s latest exhibition, Masa Depan Batik at Erasmushuis Jakarta. Join us in this light-hearted session as she shares her travels and fun anecdotes during the preparation of the exhibition.
