“I believe that the art world is not limited to the studio where the artist works, but it also includes the social realities that occur outside its walls. For me, these aspects play a foundational role and are important for the development of my creative process. Similarly, for me, art is also not rooted in the technical ability to make a work in a specific medium but rather in the sensibility to process ideas and social issues that come from our direct experience of the world. Being selected as one of the artists in SEA AiR – Studio Residency for Southeast Asian Artists in the European Union is a golden opportunity for me to deepen my knowledge, enrich my experience, and develop my artistic practice. A big thank you to NTU CCA Singapore for the trust and opportunity for me to grow in the wider art world.”
Citra Sasmita
In encountering Balinese cultural artifacts brought to European museums during the colonial period and examining the cultural diplomacy politics enacted by the colonizers, she aims to excavate pre-colonial Balinese culture and understand how the perspectives and aesthetic criteria formed under colonial rule persist until today. The artist is interested in developing a critical reading of the journey of colonial legacies into the present and in understanding how they still inform contemporary cultural consciousness.
By providing her with direct access to historical archives and museum collections, the residency will allow Citra to deepen her understanding of the influence of Dutch colonial power onto the development of visual arts and culture in Bali.
Find out more about SEA AiR.
