Interactions with R.E. Hartanto: A Series of Scenarios, Schemes and Stories

Artist R.E. Hartanto is an Indonesian artist, currently living and working in Bandung, Indonesia. He is known for his provocative portraitures that narrate stories of contemporary social political issues that are prevalent in our society.

As part of Hartanto's artistic process and development for his latest series of works for his first solo exhibition at the NUS Museum in January 2012, NUS Museum is launching the online series Interactions with R.E. Hartanto: A Series of Scenarios, Scenes and Stories. This series documents his visits to Singapore, the workshops he conducts, feature writings, photographs and notes from his earlier exhibitions. Acting as a conduit between the artist and the audience, this series provides insights to the artistic and curatorial processes of the project.

Hartanto's current approach to the upcoming exhibition focuses on the theme of angst, revolving around the idea of constructing a "theatre of anxiety". This idea is based on a proverb he believes in, where every child is born a twin. He will attempt to confront the other self as a subject and material that transverse the boundary terrain of self and society, perception and memories that are entangled inside the surface of the body.