BETWEEN UTOPIA AND REAL WORLD: Indonesia's avant-garde new media art

Abstract

This article seeks to balance and counter Indonesian and international critiques of new media art by examining to what extent this type of art can be considered avant-garde. It focuses on the Indonesian new media art community, The House of Natural Fiber (HONF), as a historically and socially specific interpretation of four key avant-garde principles: to break with the autonomy of art, engage with the praxis of life, provide utopian visions, and present aesthetic innovation. The HONF art projects explore the interaction between life, art, science and technology in both practical and aesthetic ways. They not only reflect on the tremendous impact of communication media and other technology on ..