Otty Widasari

Otty Widasari (born 12 September 1973 in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan) is an artist, filmmaker, writer, curator, alternative media activist, and co-founder of Forum Lenteng -a Jakarta-based collective focusing on art, media, film, and socio-cultural studies.

Widasari uses various mediums in her artistic practice, such as videos, paintings, and performance art. In her works, one can see journalistic elements she studied before starting her artistic career. Since 2008, she has developed AKUMASSA, a concept or idea that explores various thoughts, approaches, and methods related to media awareness, citizen journalism, community roles, and art experiments –that are implemented through a program platform and conducted by a network of local communities throughout Indonesia. Through AKUMASSA, Widasari has organized and produced many community-based platforms and projects that optimize media use and stimulate aesthetic exploration that break through the boundaries of today’s art.

Widasari has been involved in various art events, both nationally and abroad. Her solo exhibitions include “Ones Who Looked at The Presence” at Ark Galerie, Yogyakarta (2015), and “Ones Who Are Being Controlled” at Dia.Lo.Gue, Jakarta (2016). Both are part of an ongoing research project of colonial film archives, which began when she underwent an artist residency program in Utrecht, The Netherlands. This project explores the relationship between film, media, archives, documentation, and conceptual issues regarding representation and production.