LEVEL 2, GALLERY 16
INDONESIA, ESTABLISHED 2006
BASED IN BANDUNG AND JAKARTA
PROJECT
Presented in the 19th Century galleries Solaris 2020 is a mural-sized LED curtain screening a spectacular, luminous ecosystem populated with blooms of jellyfish. Created with a computer program commonly used in video game platforms, the screening presents a digital simulation of a unique marine environment – a landlocked body of salt and rainwater formed over 11,000 years ago, located off the coast of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Predator-free and able to thrive in warm waters, these jellyfish species have evolved differently, providing scientific communities with a living laboratory for studying the potential effects climate change may have on marine systems.
Drawing from real-time weather data from the lake, elements in the simulated world respond to weather changes – wind speed moves the camera across the undulating terrain, temperature readings affect the size and number of jellyfish, and cloud cover and UV readings alter the colour palette of the environment. Situated in a room flanked by similarly large-scale artworks depicting subjects and large-scale events relevant to the 19th century, this contemporary work provides viewers with a virtual forecast of what is arguably one of the most significant events currently affecting the planet today.
ABOUT
Tromarama is an artist collective founded by Febie Babyrose, Herbert Hans and Ruddy Hatumena. Engaging with the notion of hyperreality in the digital age, the artists explore the interrelationship between the virtual and the physical world. The collective often combine video, installations, computer programming and public participation depicting the influence of digital media on society’s perception towards its surroundings.
Tromarama has held solo exhibitions at the Liverpool Biennial Fringe; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, among others. The collective’s group exhibitions include the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila; Frankfurter Kunstverein; Gwangju Biennale; APT 7 QAGOMA, Brisbane; and the Singapore Art Museum.
The NGV warmly thanks Triennial Supporters David Parncutt and Robin Campbell Family Foundation for their support.