A show built on the sound of hammer on metal has landed in Bangkok. Indonesian contemporary artist Roby Dwi Antono has opened his first solo exhibition in Thailand, 'Sudo Rungu: Echoes Of Fire', at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), running until 3 January.
The exhibition has an unusually personal origin. Antono's father worked as a blacksmith in Ambrawa, Central Java, and the title comes from a Javanese term referring to dulled hearing — the gradual decline his father experienced after decades of working amid the noise of striking hammers. Memories of that workshop anchor the whole show: the smell of charcoal and smoke, the roar of the forge, the physical grind of daily labour. From there, 'Sudo Rungu' widens into a broader exploration of memory, loss and labour, and what gets passed down from one generation to the next once the original source has faded.
Antono was born in 1991 and lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He came up through drawing, illustration and graphic design before moving into painting, sculpture and installation. His work leans on childhood memories, folklore, pop culture and his own experience, pulling familiar imagery into an imagined world. He has shown internationally across Asia, Europe and the United States, with solo exhibitions alongside Belgian artist Almée Rech in Brussels, London and Paris.
This Bangkok show is also a first for the artist in another way: he made his initial visit to MOCA in September 2025, and the exhibition grew out of an ongoing conversation with Lorenzo Rudolf of Pizzuti Paraccone that began in March 2024. With more than two years of development behind it, the show let Antono revisit his family history and translate those memories into a completely new body of work.
'Sudo Rungu' brings together new paintings, drawings, photographs, video works and participatory art, all aimed at exploring memory, loss and intergenerational connection. For Thai audiences, it's the first chance to see a solo presentation of his work rather than scattered fair appearances.
Why should a traveller care? MOCA Bangkok sits conveniently on the northern edge of the city along Phahonyothin Road, a short hop from Mo Chit BTS station, and pairs well with the adjacent Chatuchak Weekend Market if you time it right. The exhibition doubles as a reason to plan a Bangkok trip in the cool season, and if Antono's Javanese imagery hooks you, Yogyakarta — his home base and Indonesia's art capital — is an easy flight away.
