SOURCE OF LIGHT
Melin Merrill
SINCE OPENING IN 2015, Ruci Art Space in Blok S, South Jakarta has attracted many cultured millennials. The hip gallery hosts contemporary art exhibitions by emerging Indonesian artists, such as Anton Ismael, Arkiv Vilmansa, Glenda Sutardy and Natisa Jones. Ruci Art Space also celebrates the art of collecting through its Y:Collect exhibition, which was held for a second time in March. Winda Malika Siregar, Adhia Absar Arryman, Junior Tirtadji and Dian Sastrowardoyo were among the featured collectors this year.
“The initial idea for Ruci Art Space came from one of our partners. He suggested the idea of opening a gallery,” says 28-year-old Melin Merrill, Director and co-founder of the gallery and also a collector in her own right. Melin has a degree in International Relations and Affairs from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her favourite art gallery is the Uffizi in Florence.
“I never had it in mind that I would manage a gallery, although I have always been interested in art,” she says. “I took painting classes and my International Baccalaureate programme in art in high school. I spent seven years in Seattle and that was a time when I often visited galleries. Seattle is such an artistic place that each neighbourhood has at least one local gallery that’s open to the public.”
When Melin returned to Jakarta in 2013, she couldn’t find many galleries or museums in the city that were accessible or that she liked. “It’s a really risky business to open a private art gallery,” she reflects. “My partner and I went to ArtJog in 2014 and that was the first time we were really exposed to a lot of Indonesian contemporary art in one venue. We were amazed by what we saw. As a result of that, we became optimistic that we could create a viable gallery. I decided to run it day-to-day and to learn as I went along. It’s exciting. We have a vision that we want to open up art to the public, to be accessible without any kind of pretentiousness.”
Ruci Art Space is located at Jl. Suryo 49. The gallery is on the second floor, while Ruci’s Joint, a shared communal space for F&B entrepreneurs, occupies the first floor. “Ruci means source of light, taste and pleasure,” says Melin. “Light is very important in art and day-to-day life. Taste is important in appreciating art. Pleasure is important to us because we find enjoyment in art. One of my visions for Ruci is to bring local artists to the international art scene and also to introduce international artists to the public here. We usually focus on young artists who have just started their career. They are young not necessarily in terms of their age, but for how long they have been committed to being artists.”
Art plays a major role in Melin’s life. “Art is an eye-opener and allows you to see things differently,” she muses. “My uncle is a painter, and he taught me how to draw when I was little. One time he asked me to draw a circle. I carefully and slowly drew a ‘perfect’ circle. He said to me: ‘If you want to draw, you have to do it confidently. Have faith in yourself. Be bold and strong’. That idea really stuck with me. If you want to do something or anything well, do it confidently,” says this admirer of Polly Morgan, a London-based British artist who uses taxidermy to create works of art.
Art is emotional, notes Melin. “When Natisa Jones held her solo exhibition here, I saw one of the visitors crying while looking at her works. Natisa uses art to confront her inner dialogue. She often incorporates text onto her images. She takes narratives from daily life, to explore issues within identity and to reflect on ideas of the ‘self’. In that moment, I believe that art is a mirror to yourself and it makes you feel less lonely.
“In Ruci, we want to make art as normal and day-to-day as possible. We want it to be more than just a selfie-spot. I’m aware that art isn’t for everybody and we don’t want to be shoving it down their throats that art is great. If art is your thing, then start learning more about it. Our mission is we want to show that art has a lot of aspects. It offers different perspectives about the culture and the times that we’re living in. It gives you the alternative choice.”