ROH is delighted to announce EVERYONE LOVE PRESSURE, a solo presentation by Eko Nugroho for Art Basel Miami Beach 2024, featuring works spanning the years 2011 to 2024. The presentation offers a window into the practice of one of Indonesia’s most dynamic contemporary artists, whose works intertwine cultural tradition with urgent political and social critique.
Eko Nugroho (b. 1977, Yogyakarta, Indonesia) emerged as an artist during the Reformasi Era, marking a period of significant political upheaval and Indonesia’s transition to democracy following the fall of President Suharto’s 32-year regime. His art, rooted in this turbulence, reflects this collision of freedom and fragility. Central to this is his Daging Tumbuh (DGTMB) project: an underground zine launched in 2000 that gave voice to the raw energy of a society in transition. Through its bold imagery and biting humor, the zine became a platform for unfiltered social commentary amidst the backdrop of Indonesia’s post-authoritarian recovery.
Earlier works within the presentation highlight the relevance of Nugroho’s sharp political gaze which in relevance has only grown with time. His batik comic series from 2013 grapples with themes from the rise of populist politics to the fragility of democratic systems, taking on new life as metaphors for today’s fractured political landscape. Embroidered works, one of which the presentation takes its title, combine wit with critique to confront societal contradictions with disarming clarity. These latter works, created in collaboration with local artisans, are further examples of community engagement and the preservation of Indonesia’s cultural heritage as a crucial core of Nugroho’s work.
EVERYONE LOVE PRESSURE draws attention to Nugroho’s capacity to hold the past and present in dialogue. These works refuse neutrality, boldly confronting the systems we navigate and the narratives that we inherit.
Art Basel Miami Beach runs from 4 through 8 December 2024 at Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida, USA. Reach out to [email protected] for further inquiries.
ARTIST
Born 1977, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Eko Nugroho is one of the most acclaimed members of the young generation of Indonesian contemporary artists. He is part of the generation that came to maturity during the period of upheaval and reform that occurred in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the subsequent fall of the Soeharto regime and the transition to democracy in Indonesia. Grounded in both local traditions and global popular culture, Nugroho’s works are deeply engaged with the culture of his time, imbued with his critical yet oftentimes playful socio-political commentary. In 2000, Nugroho founded Daging Tumbuh, a collaborative zine that invites participation from non-artists. In addition to drawings and painting, he works in a variety of other media, including murals, sculpture, animation, and tapestry.
Nugroho has held numerous solo exhibitions at major institutions and galleries around the world, including Cut The Mountain and Let It Fly at ROH, Jakarta, Indonesia (2023); Plastic Democracy at Arndt Art Agency, Berlin, Germany (2018); Semelah at Asia Society (special commission), New York, USA (2017); Landscape Anomaly at Salihara Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia (2015); We Are What We Mask at Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore (2013); Témoin Hybride at Musée D'art Moderne de Paris, France (2012); and This Republic Need More Semeleh at Ark Galerie, Jakarta, Indonesia (2011). He has participated in prestigious international exhibitions, the most recents one being Setouchi Triennale in Ibuki Island, Japan (2019); In Search of Southeast Asia Through M+ Collections at M+ Museum, Hong Kong (2018); Art Basel Hong Kong: Encounters at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong (2015); 10th Gwangju Biennale: Burning Down the House in Gwangju, South Korea (2014); The Global Contemporary, Art Worlds After 1989 at ZKM | Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany (2011); and the 10th Lyon Biennale: The Spectacle of the Everyday in Lyon, France (2009). Eko Nugroho was part of Sakti: The Indonesian Pavilion, 55th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy (2013). He is one of the resident artists at Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan in 2024. Nugroho's works are among the key collections of M+, Hong Kong; Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, Australia; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia; Asia Society Museum, New York, USA; Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Musée d’Art Moderne Paris, Paris, France; Musée des Beaux-arts de Lyon, Lyon, France; Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt, Germany; and Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt, Berlin, Germany.