Cemeti – Institute for Art and Society (formerly Cemeti Gallery, later Cemeti Art House) is a pioneering platform for contemporary art in Indonesia. Founded in Yogyakarta in 1988 by artists Mella Jaarsma and Nindityo Adipurnomo, Cemeti emerged at a formative moment in the development of contemporary art in Indonesia, dedicated to artistic experimentation, critical discourse, and cultural exchange.

 

For more than three decades, Cemeti has played a significant role in shaping the development of contemporary art in Indonesia. Through exhibitions, commissions, publications, residencies, and long-term research initiatives, it has contributed to the emergence of new artistic practices, curatorial approaches, and critical conversations. Working with successive generations of artists, curators, writers, researchers, and cultural practitioners, Cemeti has fostered sustained dialogue between local and international contexts, serving as a point of exchange within Indonesia while participating in broader regional and global conversations on contemporary art.

 

Based in Yogyakarta, Cemeti develops programmes in close collaboration with artists, curators, researchers, activists, writers, performers, and local communities. These take the form of exhibitions, workshops, talks, assemblies, publications, long-term research projects, and artist residency programme held twice annually. Together, these activities position the institution as a site for artistic production, research, knowledge exchange, and public engagement.

 

In 2017, the institution adopted the subtitle Institute for Art and Society to reflect an expanded commitment to socially and politically engaged artistic practices. The subtitle marked a shift in the institution’s self-definition, acknowledging the potential of an art institution to function not only as a space for exhibition, but also as a site for civic engagement, collective inquiry, and public discourse.

 

Today, Cemeti continues to build upon its institutional history while responding to changing cultural, social, and political conditions. Through long-term collaborations, research-driven programmes, and support for experimental artistic practices, it remains an important point of reference within Indonesia’s contemporary art landscape while contributing to ongoing exchanges across Southeast Asia and the wider international contemporary art community.