Art in Review: Arahmaiani's ‘Fertility of the Mind

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Holland Cotter

“Do Not Prevent the Fertility of the Mind,” 1997-2014, by the Indonesian artist Arahmaiani

NEW YORK---The Indonesian artist Arahmaiani Feisal, who uses only her first name, has forthrightly waded into political hot water. To understand the meaning and depth of her provocation requires learning something about the contexts she works in, but that knowledge is well worth seeking out. Ms. Feisal was raised Muslim, though she has taken the hybrid nature of Indonesian Islam, with its roots in Buddhism, Hinduism and animism, to mix images from across the religious spectrum. And her wide travels have made her a world citizen. This show, organized by Leeza Ahmady, an independent curator, gives a sense of that, and marks the welcome return of this dynamic and courageous artist to New York. [link]