The walls of the ViaVia Restaurant serve as space for young local artists to exhibit their art. It’s a place where young contemporary artists can experiment, try, fail and succeed. In 2013, we counted that we have organized close to 200 exhibitions through the years! Many successful local artists have started their careers in ViaVia.
Approximately every 3 to 4 weeks the walls go through a metamorphosis. Have a look at our events page to stay updated. With a coat of paint the walls are restored to their original color, making space for new artists to play freely and use the space to express their creative ideas. Because the art is shown in a public space visited by many travelers, cultural exchange happens. The artists are made to reflect on how their work will be viewed by an international audience of people who might not otherwise be interested in art. The restaurant guests are given insight into the minds of young and creative locals. Hopefully this helps to bring different people closer together. We also believe that contemporary art shows how people, society and culture are dynamic and constantly in flux. This challenges the notion of ‘the exotic’ and ‘traditional’ Indonesia, so often promoted in mainstream tourism. So for us, working with contemporary artists is a part of our philosophy of sustainable tourism.
We owe who we are to our artist friends. As a tribute we published a book in 2013 called “Sweet Seventeen. A Celebration of Contemporary Art in ViaVia Jogja”. The book can be found in ViaVia.