Bagus Pandega: Sumber Alam

Kunsthalle Basel presents Sumber Alam (“source of nature”), the first European solo exhibition by Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega (b. 1985). Drawing on field research in Indonesia, the show explores the environmental impact of palm oil plantations and nickel extraction through interactive installations that merge machines, plants, and natural materials.

Highlights include Artificial Green by Nature Green v.5 (2025), where a living palm tree controls the erasure and painting of rainforest motifs, and L.O.O.P. (Loss Overgrown Organic Pulse) (2025), a conveyor-belt installation linking nickel ore, plants, and mechanical music boxes in a closed circuit of sound and motion. A participatory video work, Lap of Extraction (2025), simulates mining’s physical and ecological effects through a motorcycle interface.

Across the exhibition, Pandega treats materials as active participants, creating loops between human, machine, and nonhuman life. The works invite visitors to reflect on the interplay of industry, ecology, and memory, and on imagining futures led by nature rather than extraction.