Wendt Gallery is pleased to announce “Cultural Bridge: The Changing Face of Urban Jakarta,” a premiere exhibition of contemporary Indonesian art, on view in the New York gallery March 10th through April 9th. An opening reception will be held March 10th from 6 to 8 pm. To RSVP for this reception please email [email protected] or phone (212) 838-8818. An exhibition catalog is available upon request.

In honor of Asia Week New York 2011, Wendt Gallery will participate in an Open House on Saturday March 19th from 10am to 6pm. The Open House will be sponsored by the Fuller Building, located at 41 East 57th Street, and will not only host exhibitions by galleries permanently located in Manhattan, but also galleries that have traveled internationally to participate in this special event.

Jakarta has been a burgeoning home for the arts and culture for the last 13 years. The face of Jakarta has been transitioning as people from across Indonesia have migrated and formed small ethnicity based communities. The multiple layers of regional and local identity found in Jakarta combined with the advances in technology; are creating a more globalized culture and an opportunity for a prospering artistic movement. Artistic communities found throughout Jakarta are producing works that simultaneously represent not only the downtown regional diversities, but also its transitioning urban landscape.

“Cultural Bridge” will feature the front runners of the 2010 Jakarta Art Awards. The theme, “Reflection of Megacities” articulates the challenges of urban life. 14 artists and 37 works will be presented by Wendt Gallery in this very special gallery exhibition.

Putu Wirantawan’s “Wandering Soul III”, an ink and pencil drawing on paper, took the grand prize in the competition. Employing pencil and pen and using a language of personal signs and marks, the artist creates a visceral illusion of rhymithic lines. These lines produce quasi-ambiguous images that are further amplified through Wirantawan’s use of soft and sublime colors. The incorporation of mechanical elements allows the more organic qualities to anchor themselves into a composition that is symbolic, suggestive and simultaneously futuristic.

Imam Abdillan’s, “The Dimension of Hunting” received a second place award after Wandering Soul III. Allegorical in its compositional content, the work depicts a classic Indonesian story reinterpreted so that it is relevant to a contemporary setting of a busy, crowded city. The scene depicts the fear and panic of the masses created by the presence of hunters pulled from the past as they swarm the streets. A dramatic and even cinematic quality sets the tone of the work and invites the viewer to evaluate the tension created by urban life in Jakarta. The city’s impulse to develop and shift forward is set against the desire to adhere to the traditional concepts of old Indonesia.

Cubung Putro’s “Ants”, is a large grid-like multi media wall installation of ants. Using the iconic imagery of the America flag, the artist meticulously assembles them into the symbolic image, with ants spilling outside of the borders and onto the floor. In addition to its pop-like quality, the work digs deeper with an important social message. The artist uses ants as a metaphor to represent the action of downtown Jakarta vs. progress, which is defining itself through the westernization of this urban megacity.

“Cultural Bridge” will also highlight additional works by Tato Suryanto, Ahmad Subandiyo, Angga Sukma Permana, Aditya Novali, Faqih Alfian, Farhan Siki, Fazar Agung, Hamzah, Masriel, Heri Cahyono, and Sujarwo.

By presenting an international collection of innovative and forward thinking artists, Wendt Gallery’s interest is to bring attention to the significance of art as a vehicle for cultural exchange. With “Cultural Bridge” and other similar exhibitions, the Gallery is actively developing a Southeast Asian art program as an important component of its international collection.

To view the exhibition online, please visit www.wendtgallery.com. For more information please call 212-838-8818. Wendt Gallery of New York is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm. Special hours during Asia Week New York 2011 will include Sunday, March 20th 10am to 6pm.