Storytelling in art: How Narrative Shapes the Visual Experience

Ida Lawrence is an Indonesian-Australian artist known for her painted stories that merge images and text. Her most expansive work was created on an eight-by-fifteen meter wall at Urban Spree in Berlin, while her shorter pieces have been exhibited internationally at venues such as KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, the 15th Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney, and Cemeti Institute for Art and Society in Yogyakarta (with Woven Kolektif). Between 2022 and 2023, Lawrence participated in the BPA// Berlin program for artists and was awarded the Marten Bequest Scholarship for Painting. She is represented by ISA Art Gallery in Jakarta and is based in Berlin.

Ida Lawrence adalah seorang seniman Indonesia-Australia yang dikenal melalui cerita-cerita lukisannya yang menggabungkan gambar dengan teks. Karya terbesarnya dibuat pada dinding berukuran 8x15 meter di Urban Spree di Berlin, sementara karya-karyanya yang lebih kecil telah dipamerkan di berbagai tempat seperti KW Institute for Contemporary Art di Berlin, Asian Art Biennale ke-15 di Dhaka, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre di Sydney, dan Cemeti Institute for Art and Society di Yogyakarta (bersama Woven Kolektif). Sepanjang tahun 2022 dan 2023, Lawrence berpartisipasi dalam program BPA// Berlin untuk seniman dan dianugerahi Marten Bequest Scholarship for Painting. Ia direpresentasikan oleh ISA Art Gallery di Jakarta dan saat ini berbasis di Berlin.

Suzanne Rastovac is a Dutch-Croatian curator, researcher, and advisor based in Amsterdam, with a master’s degree in Colonial History and International Relations. She studied postcolonial theory at Universiti Sains Malaysia and completed the Maria Lugones Decolonial Summer School in 2022, enhancing her understanding of decolonial praxis and the impacts of European colonialism. Suzanne has collaborated on research, exhibition, and community projects about slavery and colonial history with institutions like the University of Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum, and The Black Archives. She is also a Co-Founder of Beyond Walls, an interdisciplinary collective focused on the impacts of Dutch colonialism, using research, art, and storytelling to foster critical conversations about historical injustices and pathways to justice. Her work examines the politics of colonial histories, exploring how contested narratives shape collective memory and the power dynamics that determine which stories are valued. She views the combination of research, visual storytelling, and art as a means to reimagine decolonial futures and offer alternative understandings of identity and belonging.

Suzanne Rastovac adalah seorang kurator, peneliti, dan penasihat keturunan Belanda-Kroasia yang berbasis di Amsterdam, dengan gelar master di bidang Sejarah Kolonial dan Hubungan Internasional. Ia mempelajari teori poskolonial di Universiti Sains Malaysia dan menyelesaikan Maria Lugones Decolonial Summer School pada tahun 2022, memperdalam pemahamannya tentang praktik dekolonial dan dampak kolonialisme Eropa. Suzanne telah berkolaborasi di berbagai proyek penelitian, pameran, dan komunitas tentang perbudakan dan sejarah kolonial dengan institusi seperti Universitas Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, dan The Black Archives. Ia juga merupakan salah satu pendiri Beyond Walls, sebuah kolektif interdisipliner yang fokus pada dampak kolonialisme Belanda, menggunakan penelitian, seni, dan penceritaan untuk mendorong percakapan kritis tentang ketidakadilan sejarah dan jalur menuju keadilan. Karyanya mengkaji politik sejarah kolonial, mengeksplorasi bagaimana narasi yang dipertentangkan membentuk ingatan kolektif dan dinamika kekuasaan yang menentukan cerita mana yang akan dihargai. Ia melihat kombinasi penelitian, penceritaan visual, dan seni sebagai cara untuk membayangkan masa depan dekolonial dan menawarkan pemahaman alternatif tentang identitas dan rasa memiliki.