It was 2 PM when I accompany a friend while waiting his flight back to Jakarta. We were at Beachwalk and he asked me to have a visit to the beach. To be honest, I don't go to Pantai Kuta that much since I kinda think that it has been too commercial. But as the sands welcomed me, Pantai Kuta has becoming way clean & bright. And I was surprised, to be honest.

Couple years back, I do spent my New Year’s Eve catching fireworks at the capital city because I don’t think I’d go out of town during the date. This year actually a bit different than previous years because there’s no car free night event around Bundaran HI or Monas, and I just browsed the news at the afternoon that there’ll be no event on that. So I am thinking to keep a spot to Old Town (Kota Tua) area in West Jakarta, accompanied with Irwan, my gym buddy.

We arrived at Kota Tua around 8 PM, and there are all humans at the center of the piazza. All peoples gathered there waiting for the fireworks. They’re like all sitting on the cement floor. It was pretty chaotic but I guess we handled that well as the time clicked pretty quick to the midnight.. And finally, the fireworks are shooting towards the bright night sky.

For me, I kinda see that fireworks could be a good symbol for a shimmering hope. That is why I always love fireworks. I thanked 2016 for all lessons learned. Because I do have some goals to achieve this year. And I am willing to hang a quite big hope for it. And not to forget that, give me a little luck and I’ll conquer the land. Please be good, 2017.

Guess what's back? The intriguing Bi-annual Jakarta Contemporary Ceramic Biennale (JCCB), and they're doing their fourth edition! I discovered this exhibition right around 2 years a go when a friend of mine, a ceramic artist Zia Fauziana had been selected to showcase her works on the past JCCB and I directly fell in love to discover and to learn fine arts in another interesting forms. Here are selections from the 4th edition of JCCB, entitled "Ways of Clay: Perspectives Toward the Future".

Ryota Shioya

Arya Pandjalu

Muhammad Rizal Salleh

Panca DZ (in collaboration with Kandura Studio)

Antonella Cimatti

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Curated by Nurdian Ichsan & Rizki A. Zaelani, this exhibition is open for public starts this December to next year's mid-end January. As a friendly reminder from the staffs informed me earlier, flash photography & selfie sticks are prohibited here. And yes, she's being serious about that.

Aside from emerging local talents like Agugn Prabowo and Arya Pandjalu, there are numerous talents from Eastern Asia like Takashi Hinoda and Ryota Shioya, shining with their interesting shapes & colors.

As the exhibition is still running on and if you're seeking for place to go, feel light to drop a visit to Galeri Nasional Indonesia. It's pretty refreshing for your eyes & brain from your weekday routines, eh?