AMSTERDAM.- The Stedelijk Museum presents the first European solo exhibition of Indonesian artists’ collective Tromarama. The collective consists of three artists who experiment with digital imaging technology and are best known for their animations. The exhibition presents a selection of recent animations, as well as a new work the trio created especially for the occasion.

The members of Tromarama are among the generation of artists who first hand experienced the impact of the digital revolution in Indonesia during the early 2000s. The internet has not only shaped the way they think, but also how they work. In addition to presenting their art at exhibitions, the collective shares their work via online channels, such as Youtube. Their new work, First Wave, is a multi-layered reflection on how digital technology affects the artists’ self-image.

When asked why they specialize in making animated videos, Tromarama reply only half-jokingly: “We love to play god”. The exhibition features three animations that combine HD photos of animated objects, shoes, suitcases and a length of green fabric, with images of the urban Indonesian landscape. Tromarama doesn't create flawless illusions: the animations are infused with imperfections, reminding us that we’re watching manipulated images of reality. This device serves to accentuate the friction between the materiality of the depicted objects and the digital technology used to animate them.

The presentation includes the new animation First Wave (2015), as well as the works Happy Hour (2010), Unbelievable Beliefs (2012), On Progress (2013) and The Charade (2014).

Tromarama consists of artists Febie Babyrose (1985, Jakarta), Herbert Hans Maruli (1984, Jakarta) and Ruddy Hatumena (1984, Bahrain) and is based in Bandung, Indonesia. All three artists graduated from the Institute of Technology in Bandung and met in 2006 during an animation workshop. Since working together as a collective, Tromarama has created a great many animations featuring inconspicuous, everyday objects. In exhibitions, the trio presents the animations as parts of installations. Sometimes they do so in combination with objects.