For an art gallery, what makes 25 years meaningful is not the passing of time, but what fills it. The art world is restless, unpredictable, and often unforgiving; galleries appear and disappear with the same rhythm as shifting trends. To endure for a quarter of a century is to cultivate relationships strong enough to weather economic cycles, nurture artists who have grown from promise to prominence, and build a community that sees value in keeping conversations alive.
This is why the 25th anniversary of CAN’S Gallery in Jakarta matters. Since its founding in 2000 by Tommy Sutomo and Inge Santoso, CAN’S Gallery has been more than a white cube with walls. It has been a living organism—part playground, part incubator, part catalyst—where Indonesia’s contemporary art grows, evolves, and encounters the world. To celebrate this journey, the gallery presents “CONTINUUM,” a two-venue exhibition that brings together 59 artists across generations, running from September to October 2025 at both CAN’S Gallery in Tanah Abang and Bentara Budaya, Menara Kompas.
The title “CONTINUUM” captures the spirit of the occasion: a recognition that every new work is linked to the struggles and insights of what came before, while also gesturing toward what has yet to arrive. As Inge Santoso, Gallery Director and co-founder, reflects in her foreword: “the past is an important trace—one that deserves to be re-felt, absorbed for its meaning, and used as a provision to step into the future.”
Curated by Wahyudin in collaboration with CAN’S Gallery, and enriched by essays from Alia Swastika and Agung Hujatnika “Jennong,” the “CONTINUUM” exhibition sets the stage for this dialogue between legacy and possibility. Senior artists whose practices the gallery has championed since its earliest days are shown alongside younger voices and newer talents whose persistence and vision mark the next exciting chapter of Indonesian contemporary art.
What elevated this anniversary beyond a retrospective is its constellation of public programmes, each designed to deepen engagement. Highlights included “Art Across Generations: Stories and Strategies” on September 28, where artists shared personal insights on navigating creative careers; “Pieta,” a performance by Victoria Kosasie on October 5; and “Did You See That,” a collaborative performance by Bunga Yuridespita followed by an exhibition tour on October 11. Collectors, too, took the spotlight in “The Story Behind Collecting Art” on October 16, offering a rare glimpse into the passion that fuels art patronage.
The anniversary unfolded across two stages. The first opened on September 19 at CAN’S Gallery, inaugurated by Irwan Danny Mussry, President & CEO of Time International. The celebration continued on September 27 at Bentara Budaya, where the evening was graced by “Murmurations of Our Dancing Bodies,” a performance by Victoria Kosasie. Joining the occasion was Lilik Oetama, CEO of Kompas Gramedia Group. Together, these priceless moments underscored the gallery’s role as a bridge between art, commerce, and cultural institutions.
For anyone willing to enter the conversation, “CONTINUUM” was an open invitation to take part in what comes next. The exhibition suggested that Indonesian contemporary art is not a fleeting moment but a living continuum—sustained by the way we look, respond, and engage. In entering this space, we are offered not just a view of the past 25 years, but the possibility to imagine, together, the unfolding future of art.
