Cover Indonesian artist Natasha Tontey dwells on themes of environmental and cultural preservation through her work (Photo: courtesy of the artist and Audemars Piguet)
Indonesian artist Natasha Tontey dwells on themes of environmental and cultural preservation through her work (Photo: courtesy of the artist and Audemars Piguet)
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Titled ‘Primate Visions: Macaque Macabre’, the installation by Indonesian artist Natasha Tontey at Museum Macan explores the complex relationship between macaque monkeys and humans—and how this relationship is a metaphor for conflicting global perspectives
Audemars Piguet Contemporary has revealed its commission for an expansive installation at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum Macan). The programme has commissioned Indonesian artist Natasha Tontey, who will present her first institutional solo exhibition, Primate Visions: Macaque Macabre, at the museum from November 16 to April 6, 2025.
Hailing from the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, Tontey is a visual artist who is based between Jakarta and Yogyakarta. For her new presentation at Museum Macan, she is creating an immersive installation that contemplates the relationship between humans and nature, as well as explores themes of environmental and cultural preservation by exploring the cultural significance of macaque monkeys among the indigenous communities of the South Minahasa region, from where she hails.
In particular, she examines the relationship between the black-crested macaque (known as yaki in the Minahasan language), an endangered species in the region, that is also known for invading villages and stealing crops. This complex relationship between the animals and humans serves as a metaphor for global conflicting perspectives. Typically in her practice, Tontey posits the idea that fear is manufactured, and investigates how it is constructed, evoked and dispersed through histories and myths.
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For her installation, Tontey plans to recreate the imagery and aesthetics of video games, music videos and fantasy fiction and fuse them with folkloric and mystical aspects of indigenous culture to evoke themes of ecofeminism, primatology and technology through the lens of speculative fiction. “Primate Visions: Macaque Macabre is both a playful and macabre world filled with radical oddities,” the artist says in a statement.
Since 2012, Audemars Piguet Contemporary has commissioned artists to create artworks that have been presented at major venues worldwide. On selecting Tontey’s presentation, Denis Pernet, curator of Audemars Piguet Contemporary, says, “We look forward to sharing Natasha’s unique installation which asks us humans to reconsider our relationship to living creatures and the environment.” He is working closely with the artist and Venus Lau, Director of Museum Macan to realise the immersive installation.
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Aaina was the Arts and Culture Editor of Tatler Asia. A passion for history and all things visual led her in the pursuit of art history. With extensive experience in the art world working for a range of art institutions, she combined her passion and expertise in the form of art and culture journalism. Prior to Tatler, Aaina worked as a culture reporter for South China Morning Post and editor at the online art platform Cobo Social. Additionally, she has contributed to a variety of prestigious art publications including Art Review, The Art Newspaper, Ocula, Art Agenda, Artsy, Design Anthology, and Artomity. Follow her on Instagram.
