The third edition at Dalam Southeast Asia, The Neglected Dimension exhibition explores the intersection of calligraphy and abstraction in Southeast Asian Islamic art, shedding light on four pioneering Indonesian artists who rework and reimagine the potentialities of Arabic calligraphic writing.

The title of the exhibition reflects the position of Southeast Asia that is often “neglected” or marginalised in the writing of Islamic art history that focuses mainly on regions, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of South Asia. Southeast Asia, central and southern parts of Africa, and China are considered to be in the peripheries of Islam, and therefore, rarely highlighted in the writing of Islamic art history until recently.

Through The Neglected Dimension, the Gallery seeks to highlight the specific evolution of calligraphic modernism in Southeast Asia, using Bandung, Indonesia, as a starting point to discuss the broader development of Islamic aesthetics in the region.

The exhibition brings together the works of four exceptional Indonesian artists – Ahmad Sadali, A.D. Pirous, Haryadi Suadi, and Arahmaiani – who present their unique perspectives, reinterpretations, and manifestations of Islamic art. Look forward to a range of modern Islamic artistic expressions from the early pioneers of Indonesian abstract art to explorations with new mediums as well as contemporary performance art.

Venue: National Gallery Singapore

When: 7 Jul 2023 - 25 Feb 2024,

By: National Gallery Singapore