It is a methodological playground that opens dialogue(s) between artistic experience and the tedious things of daily life. Through the playground and the playing journal (called Buku Main or Play Book), Kotak Main invites parents, caregivers, teachers, and pedagog to celebrate the speculative futures through the children’s responses toward the space and mediums given. The name “Kotak Main” itself is a critic to the term “White Cube” and “Blackbox”, as those institutionalized spaces tend to have their own boundaries of what is art and what is not. The word “Kotak” (Box) means “designed or agreed space”, while “Main” (Play) refers to the process of creating, learning, experimenting, or just having fun. Thus, it means to open up the possibilities of broader understanding of art. Although Kotak Main‘s initially created for children, I‘m starting to open the playground to a broader audience, making it available for all ages with adjusted methods.
“Kotak Main Playground #1” Launching, Jakarta (2019)