Art biennale in Makassar, Indonesia, celebrates 40,000 years of creativity
South Sulawesi city’s first biennale is just one good reason to visit - along with islands, white beaches and some of Indonesia’s best seafood
The caves of Maros, a striking karst landscape in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, are home to some of the world’s most ancient art: not only the earliest-known human hand stencil, but startlingly lifelike animal paintings which may be humanity’s oldest figurative work. An hour or so down the road, at the first Makassar Biennale (until 31 October), artists are celebrating 40,000 years of artistic heritage, and seizing the chance to raise the profile of contemporary art in the region.
Although treated by foreigners mainly as a stepping stone to highland hikes and the animist communities of Tana Toraja, Makassar, a busy port and university city, is already a foodie destination and home to a growing cultural scene as the toxic legacy of dictatorship recedes.
“In the past five years, we’ve seen great progress in Makassar,”said Aan Mansyur, co-founder of the annual Makassar International Writers Festival which began in June 2011. “Besides literature, there’s music, art and film.”
Cool coffee shops like Rotterdam Coffee and eZpresso Koffie, underground festivals like Musik Hutan, and arts centres such as Rumata, Katakerja and Kampung Buku are helping unite Makassar’s disparate creative community.
