Sanggar and Artist Collective in New Order Indonesia: An Introduction to “Sanggar and Art Group: A Method for Our Art? Paper for Limited Discussion on Art Education, Yogyakarta Cultural Park, August 11, 1986”

Abstract

This article introduces an essay by Indonesian art critic Sanento Yuliman (1941-1992) on the historical development of sanggar, from a space to study and learn artmaking to sanggar as a form of artist collective in Indonesia. Written at the height of the authoritarian New Order regime (1966-1998), Yuliman reflected on whether sanggar could serve as a framework for developing artistic practice beyond individual expression by situating them within their communities. His work precedes the contemporary discourse on collectivism, illustrated by the concept of lumbung introduced by ruangrupa in documenta fifteen (2022). Yuliman's article emphasises collectivism's social, educational, and practical..