NovArt 2025 — LELES / Upcycling
International Artist Talk × Mural Practice & Cultural Exchange
Project Type
International Artist Talk / Public Programme & Cross-cultural Exchange
Time & Location
3 November 2025
Ex-Dinoyo Ceramic Factory, Malang, East Java, Indonesia
Host
NovArt 2025
Student Association of the Department of Art & Design (SEDESA)
State University of Malang
Programme
Artist Talk: WOW (War on Wall) — Mural Practice & Discourse
Role
International Programme Organiser (Artist Talk)
Cai Boxuan (Boosen Tsai)
Founder, Escape Arts Club
Background
NovArt is a long-running, biennial art and design festival initiated by the Department of Art and Design at the State University of Malang. The 2025 edition adopts the theme “Post-Apocalypse: LELES / Upcycling”, reinterpreting the term leles—originally meaning “scavenger”—as a symbol of resilience, creativity, and renewal.
Within this framework, the WOW (War on Wall) programme focuses on mural and street art as a medium for social reflection, public dialogue, and collective reconstruction. The Artist Talk was conceived as a platform to connect local mural practices in Indonesia with international perspectives on public art, community engagement, and post-crisis creativity.
Description
As the International Programme Organiser for the Artist Talk, Cai Boxuan was responsible for initiating and coordinating cross-border participation, connecting NovArt with international art networks through Escape Arts Club. The session brought together local mural artists from Malang with international practitioners who joined remotely, creating a synchronous offline–online dialogue.
The discussion centred on creative concepts, artistic experience, and the role of mural art in responding to social conditions, urban memory, and post-apocalyptic imaginaries. Translation support enabled inclusive communication between local audiences and international speakers, ensuring that ideas could circulate beyond linguistic boundaries.
By situating international voices alongside local practices, the Artist Talk reframed mural art not merely as visual expression, but as a cultural method—capable of recycling materials, symbols, histories, and emotions. The programme reinforced NovArt’s emphasis on experiential learning, positioning students, artists, and the public as active participants within a shared creative process.
Image Credits & Copyright Notice:
All images used on this website are provided by NovArt. Copyright remains with NovArt.
All rights reserved.
Outcomes
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90-minute international Artist Talk conducted in hybrid format (offline + online)
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Cross-cultural exchange between Indonesian mural artists and international practitioners
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Strengthened NovArt’s global network and international visibility
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Demonstrated a sustainable model for low-cost, high-impact international collaboration
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Enhanced students’ exposure to global contemporary art discourse
Keywords
International Art Exchange · Mural & Street Art · Public Art Discourse · Upcycling & Sustainability · Experiential Learning · Cross-cultural Collaboration · Southeast Asia