AMBANG / THRESHOLD

BAIK Jakarta is pleased to present Ambang / Threshold, a solo exhibition by FX Harsono. Focusing on the ambivalent position of the Chinese-Indonesian community, Harsono revisits the icons, symbols, and metaphors recurred in his works from the mid-1970s, engaging them through new approaches with meanings that are still as relevant as ever.

In this new body of work, Harsono reactivates his iconic imagery and objects, including pistols, Chinese-Indonesian archives, and the crown of thorns, in response to Indonesia’s current sociopolitical situation, which resemble his experiences during the New Order era: the increased presence of the military in civil society, the shrinking space of freedom of speech, and the state’s denial of the history of violence experienced by Chinese-Indonesians. 

Originally molded from kerupuk (crackers), the ceramic pistols now signal a harsher, more pervasive militarisation in civilian life. Combined with Harsono’s personal archives in canvas reproductions, the motif exposes how systemic power represses Chinese-Indonesians. Concurrently, the crown of thorns reframes official identity papers—documents that simultaneously grant recognition and enforce discrimination—as instruments of torture and control.

Ambang / Threshold presents an exploration of identity, memory, and violence by reinstating and transforming Harsono’s own iconic imagery and objects, unveiling a body of work that not only conveys a compelling narrative but also affirms Harsono’s seminal stature within the landscape of Indonesian contemporary art.

BAIK Jakarta is pleased to present Ambang / Threshold, a solo exhibition by FX Harsono. Focusing on the ambivalent position of the Chinese-Indonesian community, Harsono revisits the icons, symbols, and metaphors recurred in his works from the mid-1970s, engaging them through new approaches with meanings that are still as relevant as ever.

In this new body of work, Harsono reactivates his iconic imagery and objects, including pistols, Chinese-Indonesian archives, and the crown of thorns, in response to Indonesia’s current sociopolitical situation, which resemble his experiences during the New Order era: the increased presence of the military in civil society, the shrinking space of freedom of speech, and the state’s denial of the history of violence experienced by Chinese-Indonesians. 

Originally molded from kerupuk (crackers), the ceramic pistols now signal a harsher, more pervasive militarisation in civilian life. Combined with Harsono’s personal archives in canvas reproductions, the motif exposes how systemic power represses Chinese-Indonesians. Concurrently, the crown of thorns reframes official identity papers—documents that simultaneously grant recognition and enforce discrimination—as instruments of torture and control.

Ambang / Threshold presents an exploration of identity, memory, and violence by reinstating and transforming Harsono’s own iconic imagery and objects, unveiling a body of work that not only conveys a compelling narrative but also affirms Harsono’s seminal stature within the landscape of Indonesian contemporary art.