Initiated in 2019 by Taiwanese and Indonesian researchers, Synchronizing Asian Contemporary Moving Image Art (SACMIA) originated from an encounter in Jakarta of Chen Pei Yu (Doris), Angga Cipta (Acip) and Raslene in 2017. They found out that Taiwanese movies are not available in Indonesia, somehow there are points of similarities between the themes in Taiwanese and Indonesian moving images, an interesting start point to begin the project. At first, they had a plan to host a screening and discussion of Taiwanese/ Indonesian cinema, but with limited time and resources, they ended up digging more about the histories of both countries‘ cinemas. Its goal in the current stage is to explore the issues relating to modernity through methods such as comparative cultural studies.

In the latest online meeting of “Project Portal – A Post-Epidemic Reflection & Remedy for Art Community” on September 8, Taiwanese researcher Chen Pei-yu will share the practice of SACMIA, with the local audience through Jitsi Meet, on the direction and case studies of this transnational cinema platform. Also, a pre-recorded greeting will be presented to connect the scene where Indonesian researchers are located. This will also demonstrate how we devote ourselves to the common future of the Global South by reading moving images even under the deadly epidemic.

About SACMIA:

Chen Pei-Yu is an art critic, journalist, photographer, art administrator, and curatorial assistant. She is also interested in varied fields ranging from technology art, video art, film theory, animism, relationship between human and non-human (animals and plants), cross-cultural exchanges, maritime expeditions in the South Pacific, European mythology, Indonesian films, and contemporary art.

Angga Cipta (b.1988) is visual artist based in Jakarta creating drawings, media art and installations. His works are characterised by the image of citizens’ mobility, the turbulence between urban planning and the explosive traffic growth, and also gestures that specify the attributes of a city in searching for new ways to ‘read the city’. Now he focuses on the history of urban planning and the development of Jakarta since it was known as Batavia. Angga is a member of ruangrupa Artlab & CutAndRescue, he has participated in several art residencies programs in Singapore, Yogyakarta, Stockholm, Colombo, Arnhem, Semarang, Taipei, and Yamaguchi.

Raslene  (b.1991) is a visual artist based in Jakarta. Her first group exhibition was Jakarta 32ºC in 2012. Her works were presented in several media art festivals in cities like Gwangju and Berlin. Her practice is involved with found footage and archives, re-questioning historical and contemporary moving images and re-engaging in the process, individually or through collaboration. Her interests in research are social, cultural, and political concerns of sustainability such as the issue of lost archives. In 2019, she initiated a writing program Synchronizing Asian Contemporary Moving Image Art (SACMIA) with some friends. Currently, she is exploring cultural leadership and management in order to grow a sustainable working culture in her environment.

Rikey Tenn is the founder of No Man’s Land online journal (2011-) and the initiator of Nusantara Archive project (2017-). Currently being a corresponding author in ARTCO (典藏今藝術) and ARTOUCH (online) magazines. An amateur astrologer interested in all mysticisms.

Sponsor: National Culture & Art Foundation
Organizer: Nusantara Archive (DAF)
Co-organizer: Open-Contemporary Art Center
Technical Support: Chen Chia-jen
Co-ordinator: Rikey Tenn
Observation team: Lo Shih-tung + Posak Jodian