How to Pin Down Smoke: ruangrupa since 2000
Table of contents
Introduction: Happy Birthday
– Wing Chan, Charles Esche, Arianna Mercado and David Morris
I. Introducing ruangrupa
Political Economy and Aesthetics of Space: Genealogy of ruangrupa’s lumbung Practice
– Melani Budianta
Apa Kabar: Conversations with ruangrupa
– chitarum
ruangrupa’s Jakarta
– Abidin Kusno
ii. ruangrupa since 2000: an archive
with voices from JJ Adibrata, Riksa Afiaty, Reza Afisina, Doni Ahmad, Indra Ameng, Mirwan Andan, Simon Danang Anggoro, Leonhard Bartolomeus, Melani Budianta, Che Kyongfa, Binna Choi, Ade Darmawan, Charles Esche, Gertrude Flentge, Patrick Flores, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Frederikke Hansen, Iswanto Hartono, Hou Hanru, Ken Jenie, Agung Jenong, Agung Kurniawan, Abidin Kusno, Veronika Kusumaryati, Eka Putra Nggalu, Ajeng Nurul Aini, Nozomu Ogawa, Philippe Pirotte, Daniella F. Praptono, farid rakun, ruangrupa, Grace Samboh, Julia Sarisetiati, Ary Sendy, Nina Siegal, Gesyada Siregar, Samanth Subramanian, Syafiatudina, Ade Tanesia, Alia Swastika, reinaart vanhoe, Farah Wardani, Tintin Wulia and Ardi Yunanto
Big Kiss from Ade Darmawan
– Ade Darmawan, 2002
A Cold Beer Conversation and 3 Years After
– Ronny Agustinus, 2001
Archives on Space, People and Idea in the Process
– Ugeng T. Moetidjo, 2010
Who Cares a Lot? ruangrupa as Curatorship
– David Teh, 2012
How little I know about you
– farid rakun, 2018
iii. ruangrupa since 2000: case studies
A Decade at Karbon
– Ardi Yunanto (in conversation with Ibrahim Soetomo)
Tasty Meal Without Paying
– Arianna Mercado
Between Art and Media Technologies in Indonesia: Genealogy of OK.Video
– Umi Lestari and Mahardika Yudha
What I Wish I Had Told My Aunt and Sibling about My ‘Job’
– Gesyada Siregar
My Partners in Crime: On Different Institutional Styles
– Leonhard Bartolomeus
iv. How to pin down smoke?
How to Pin Down Smoke: Reading ruangrupa
– Wing Chan and Arianna Mercado
Hard Disk Party, Continued – or, How to Be All Ears
– Özge Ersoy
Forces of Socio-political Change in Indonesia
– Enin Supriyanto (in conversation with Wing Chan)
Pedagogical Moments in Jamming
– Nuraini Juliastuti
Contributors’ Biographies
an archive: credits and captions
hidden track: ruangrupa 25 Years Playlist, The Secret Agents
Content
How to Pin Down Smoke: ruangrupa since 2000
How to Pin Down Smoke is an expansive guide to ruangrupa and their singular and multifaceted practice. Formed in Jakarta in 2000 against a background of authoritarianism, economic crisis and youth movements, ruangrupa is an art initiative whose work playfully subverts traditional art- and exhibition-making, offering a living model of collective organisation, sustainable institution-building and ways of relating to one another. Through new commissions, interviews and extensive archival documentation, this publication explores how ruangrupa’s 25-year history expands understandings of ‘art’, ‘exhibition’ and ‘publics’, integrating elements of popular culture, media technology and contemporary urban life. Contributors include Ronny Agustinus, Leonhard Bartolomeus, Melani Budianta, Wing Chan, chitarum, Ade Darmawan, Özge Ersoy, Charles Esche, Nuraini Juliastuti, Abidin Kusno, Umi Lestari, Arianna Mercado, Ugeng T. Moetidjo, David Morris, farid rakun, Gesyada Siregar, Ibrahim Soetomo, Enin Supriyanto, David Teh, The Secret Agents, Mahardika Yudha and Ardi Yunanto.
Purchase
Published by Afterall in 2025 in association with Asia Art Archive; the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College; documenta Institut; and the Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts, University of Gothenburg. Distributed by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, Cornerhouse Publications and ARTBOOK | D.A.P.
This is a 508-page publication. It is available to purchase here.
