Jakarta Design Center: Art Meets Interior

JAKARTA – Most traditional art galleries welcome visitors with plain white walls, but the Jakarta Design Center (JDC) offers a completely different visual experience. From the outside, the building looks like a standard corporate office block. However, the center actually operates as a major, vibrant hub for interior design and fine art. People have continuously visited this creative space since it first opened its doors in March 1990. Currently, the center proudly hosts the new WARI’ Art and Interior 2026 exhibition inside the elegant Javier showroom on the third floor.

Martin Liem passionately initiated this event by teaming up with Javier, BK Studio, and Galeri ZEN1. Together, they display exciting, seamless collaborations from modern and contemporary Indonesian artists. Furthermore, exhibition curator Budi Kurniawan from BK Studio eagerly explains the deep meaning behind the event’s name. The creators carefully chose the word wari‘ from ancient Bugis culture, which translates to decency or appropriateness. Consequently, he views this title not just as a simple name, but as the strong start of a meaningful movement that upholds high cultural values.

In addition, the Wari exhibition skillfully creates a shared space where modern and contemporary artists can present their work side-by-side. For instance, the organizers dedicated a special, focused area to showcase the remarkable collections of Hendra Gunawan, Made Wianta, and Ugo Untoro. Meanwhile, contemporary artist Andry Boy Kurniawan dynamically displays his imaginative 3D resin statues from The Peace Keepers series. He crafted these fun, colorful figures based on the Chinese zodiac. Amazingly, visitors can even make these figures move using an interactive mobile app. Similarly, another talented artist named Apin brings sharp humor and clever social commentary to the show through his unique sculptures of everyday objects. Moreover, Arief Witjaksana brilliantly merges contemporary art, character design, and playful art toys through his creative project called Malaccan Tales.

Moving smoothly into the lounge area, visitors will find fascinating works by Indra Evendi and Alex Bayusaputro. These two innovative artists boldly explore sculptures and objects through their playful Batloon series. They present interesting, eye-catching figures like a gorilla, a T-Rex, and a quirky character called Batmon, right alongside the Chinese character fu. Interestingly, the artists deliberately hid special messages inside each of these pieces. Alex warmly explained during the press tour that the Chinese word fu brings good luck, yet it also means bat. Therefore, these fun artworks carry secret meanings while fitting perfectly into modern interior design schemes.

Unlike standard, quiet galleries, this vibrant exhibition uses special scents, unique lighting, and highly creative layouts to deeply engage the senses. Best of all, visitors can enjoy this wonderful, immersive display for completely free. The event successfully blends visual art, interior design, and fine craftsmanship into one cohesive space. Furthermore, the Javier brand actively enhances the showroom with artistic cabinets, special materials, and unique finishes that give the room its own distinct character. As a result, BK Studio and Galeri ZEN1 effectively provide a complete, unforgettable spatial experience for everyone who attends.

Finally, the President Director of the Jakarta Design Center, Nurul Syahri, confidently stated that the center serves as a valuable platform for all creative artists. She firmly believes the center helps creators explore fresh ideas and bold design perspectives. Ultimately, the Jakarta Design Center passionately commits to building a supportive environment that rapidly grows the creative industry through shared spaces and strong, lasting collaborations.

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