ICA kyoto TALK 061

Sound and Media Art as the Foundation for Curatorial Practice

Speaker： Bob Edrian (Curator / Jakarta, Indonesia)
Moderator： Takuya Tsutsumi (Program Director of ICA Kyoto)
Simultaneous Interpreter： Miho Tsujii

This talk will feature Bob Edrian, an independent curator based in Jakarta, tracing his curatorial career and research in media, sound, and contemporary art in Indonesia. The first half of the talk will look back at his practices since studying art history and theory at the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). Focusing his research on sound art and media art, he will introduce several exhibitions and projects he has worked on, as well as his path as a curator. In the second half, we will delve into the development of sound and media art history in Indonesia and the cultural context behind them, featuring both representative figures of Indonesian contemporary art—such as Heri Dono, Jompet Kuswidananto, Duto Hardono, and Bagus Pandega—and emerging young artists.

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Event Details

Date： November 26 (Wed.), 2025, 18:00-19:30
Venue： U21 2F Uryu-kan, Kyoto University of the Arts
Capacity： Approx. 40 persons / Advance booking is not required
Admission： Free
Organized by： ICA Kyoto, Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School
Cooperation： Higashiyama Artists Placement Service (HAPS)

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Bob Edrian

Born in 1988 in Bandung, Indonesia. He studied printmaking and later earned his MA in Art Theory and History from the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB). Based in Jakarta, he continues to work internationally, exploring the evolving relationship between media art, sound practices, and social contexts. Through his curatorial, research, and writing practices, he investigates how art, technology, and community can intersect to create new forms of dialogue and experience. His curatorial projects include International Media Art Festival Instrumenta (2018–2019), Universal Iteration (2021–2023), and Festival Komunitas Seni Media (Media Art Community Festival) (2024-2025), among many others. Known for a poetic yet experimental approach, his work has opened new perspectives on contemporary media cultures in Asia. He has served as curator at Biennale Jogja 18 (2025) and NuArt Sculpture Park (2020–2022), as project director at IndoArtNow (2023–2024), and participated in international development programs such as Para Site (Hong Kong) and in-tangible institute (Bangkok).

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About ICA Kyoto TALK

ICA Kyoto was set up in 2020 as an adjunct to the Kyoto University of the Arts Graduate School, and since then has offered an ongoing program of talks with guest artists, curators, researchers, and gallerists working in Japan and elsewhere. ICA Kyoto TALK is part of this program, and has now merged with the previous Global Art Talk initiative in a platform designed to connect Kyoto with diverse art scenes worldwide, and encourage dialogue. The aim of ICA Kyoto TALK is to open up new perspectives by moving between local, on-the-ground activities and global trends to deliver authentic experiences of our multilayered world.

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Contact

info-icakyoto@office.kyoto-art.ac.jp

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