An Instagram-Baiting Museum in Indonesia Is Ripping Off Chris Burden and Yayoi Kusama
The latest made-for-Instagram “museum” experience is here, and it looks, to put it lightly, familiar. Rabbit Town, a new Indonesian selfie paradise, and its biggest attractions are the spitting image of works by contemporary artists Chris Burden and Yayoi Kusama, as well as what appears to be a carbon copy of several rooms from the ultra-popular the Museum of Ice Cream.
A self-proclaimed “selfie tourism” destination—”swafoto” in Indonesian—Rabbit Town is the brainchild of Henry Husada, the chairman and CEO of the Kagum hotel group. Rabbit Town is named after his zodiac sign: Husada was born in 1963, the Year of the Rabbit. (Indonesian news outlet Kompas has a photograph of a room full of statues of the museum’s namesake animal collected by the founder from 17 countries, but the display is somewhat lacking in selfie appeal.)
Hey @rabbittown.id … it’s cool you wanna bring some LA flavor to Indonesia, but blocking the people tagging @lacma in the doesn’t really go with chill West coast vibes… Chris Burden’s “Urban Lights” installation is pretty iconic lol • #lacma #urbanlights #chrisburden #permanentcollection #10thanniversary #rabbittown #indonesia #art #installationart #losangeles #la #california #westcoast #modernart #sculpture #lighting #nightphotography #palmtrees #instagrammuseum #instagood #instacool #dietprada
A post d by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada) on Mar 23, 2018 at 9:10am PDT
Formerly Husada’s private mansion, run by a staff of 20 and home to just seven family members, Rabbit Town is located on the island of West Java, in the city of Bandung, part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network—which has led to some mockery on social media, on the charge that plagiarizing other artists is not particularly creative.
At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, visitors are greeted by Chris Burden’s Urban Light (2008), a massive installation made up of 202 functioning lampposts. At Rabbit Town, they can pose with the almost identical-looking Love Light.
Rabbit Town also appears to rip off Yayoi Kusama’s Obliteration Room, in which visitors are invited to affix colorful dot stickers to surfaces in an all-white room, gradually transforming the space. A hit at New York’s David Zwirner in 2015 and in several traveling exhibitions dedicated to the popular artist, including one at the National Gallery of Singapore in 2017, the piece is replicated in Rabbit Town’s Patrico Sticker.
A quick look at the Rabbit Town Instagram also reveals that the museum has created its own version of the popular banana, ice cream cone, and palm tree rooms from the Museum of Ice Cream. After debuting a New York pop-up in 2016, that social media-savvy institution has unveiled locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami.
#####IMG000000001#####
The similarities between Rabbit House and these existing works has been noted by Instagram fashion-knockoff police @diet_prada, Coconuts Jakarta as well as the Indonesian-language outlets detiktravel, linetoday, hai, and kumparan. (It’s worth noting, however, that Urban Light is itself reminiscent of Sheila Klein’s Vermonica [1993], a display of 25 lampposts installed in a LA strip mall to commemorate the Rodney King riots, as W points out.)
Rabbit Town does not appear to have a website, and has disabled on its Instagram account, which has 18,000 followers. According to Arcom Media, Rabbit Town also includes a number of live animals, with birds, monkey, koi fish, and yes, rabbits. Other attractions include a millennial pink ball pit, a multicolored wall, and a Spider-Man statue, hanging upside-down, that you can pretend to kiss, like the scene from the 2002 movie.
#####IMG000000002#####
The museum has been operating since January 11 of this year, but plans to have a grand opening celebration on Husada’s birthday, April 22, as reported by destinasianews. Tickets cost 25,000 Indonesian Rupiah (about $1.82).
As of press time, artnet News had not received comment from Rabbit Town, LACMA, the Museum of Ice Cream, or Kusama’s gallery, David Zwirner.
See more photos from the Rabbit Town Instagram account below.
ihhh gemes 😆💛🌹 . . RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Weekdays: 10AM-8PM Weekend: 9AM-8PM #bdg #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanbesar #makanmakan #rekreasi #liburan #selfie #pesonaindonesia #akukamu #ayoliburan #akukamukita #cepetpiknik
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Feb 19, 2018 at 3:12am PST
LOVE LIGHT ❤ . Courtesy of @putry_leihitu . Selamat pagi sahabat @rabbittown.id Sekarang di @rabbittown.id kita bakal adain PHOTO COMPETITION di area Love Light loh! Kompetisi dimulai dari tanggal 9 Maret 2018 – 20 April 2018. Cara mengikuti kompetisinya meliputi : – Follow instagram kami @rabbittown.id – Buat foto sekeren mungkin di Love Light area – tag Instagram kami – Gunakan hastag #rabbittown #lovelightbandung #lovelightPC kami akan memilih satu pemenang yang akan di umumkan pada tanggal 22 April 2018 dengan mendapatkan uang tunai sebesar Rp.1.680.000.00,- Jangan lewatkan keseruannya ya! Siapa tau kamu pemenangnya❤ Note : salah satu penilaian dilihat dari total likes dan comment❤
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 9, 2018 at 5:36pm PST
spot foto kece baru di bandung yg paling lucu, @sastierna_
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Feb 3, 2018 at 11:21pm PST
PATRICO STICKER only at @rabbittown.id . . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 22, 2018 at 8:49am PDT
Pink Ice Cream Only at @rabbittown.id . . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 25, 2018 at 12:36am PDT
Senyum😊 . . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 25, 2018 at 8:26am PDT
Because you’re beautiful so you’re deserved to be photographed 📸 . Let’s take SELFIE at Love Light . WISATA SELFIE yuk! RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Weekdays: 10AM-8PM Weekend: 9AM-8PM . Photo courtesy of @iqy_avril . #bdg #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanbesar #makanmakan #rekreasi #liburan #selfie #pesonaindonesia #akukamu #ayoliburan
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Feb 24, 2018 at 11:20pm PST
PATRICCO STICKER ROOM only at @rabbittown.id . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 23, 2018 at 9:54pm PDT
All your dreams will come true, if you have the courage to pursue them❤ . Courtesy of @yolaaoconn18 . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 17, 2018 at 1:35am PDT
Suasananya bagaikan “FairyTale” 😘 🐰🐇👍 😊💘 #rabbittown #rabbittownindonesia #rabbit #bandung #wisata #themepark #playground #fun #lovely #health #wealth #happiness #seru #comingsoon #recreation #playzone #bandungjuara #selfie #wisataselfie #kuliner #foodcourt #jajan #wisatakuliner #rancabentang #family #famz #park #fairytale
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Jan 31, 2018 at 10:20pm PST
foto by Wintarigan 2018.
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Feb 3, 2018 at 8:10am PST
Sahabat sejati bukanlah mereka yang memiliki banyak persamaan, tapi mereka yang memiliki pengertian terhadap setiap perbedaan. . . WISATA SELFIE RABBIT TOWN “The way to more happiness” Jalan Ranca Bentang 30-32 Ciumbeluit BANDUNG Senin – Sabtu: 10AM-8PM Minggu : 9AM-8PM #bdgfoodies #bdgshop #bdgsociety #infobdg #wisataselfie #family #jakarta #tanggerang #foodbgr #destinasiwisata #destinasibdg #jomblo #coupleinlove #jarangpiknik #kurangpiknik #bdginlove #bandungpunyacerita #wisatabaru #koranindo #makanmakan #rekreasi #lovelightbandung #rabbittown #lovelightPC
A post d by rabbittown.id #rabbittown (@rabbittown.id) on Mar 24, 2018 at 7:25am PDT
Follow artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.
