A Guide to Yogyakarta’s Best Art Spaces

If you’re going to Yogyakarta to visit art galleries, you should be aware that the term ‘art gallery’ is used very broadly here. Many of the buildings which display ‘ART GALLERY’ in big letters are actually shops selling batik or other traditional Javanese artwork. These are stores rather than art spaces like the ones listed above.

That would be one thing, but unfortunately you’ll be approached by many touts during your walks throughout the city, trying to get you to come to their ‘galleries.’ They’ll likely ask you where you’re going or what you’re doing. If you tell them the truth, they might explain how they’re an artist and that you should come see their work.

While I can’t say for certain about every case, these are often scams to get unsuspecting tourists to purchase fake or overpriced Javanese art. Even if they’re not scams, it’s unlikely these touts will have any knowledge of the art spaces listed above, so it’s best to just ignore them when possible.

Many locals, and even people like the guide at the sultan’s palace, for example, will likely recommend you visit somewhere called the Ori Gallery. “All the other places are ripoffs,” they’ll tell you, “but the Ori Gallery is for real.” They’ll even try to convince you that you can help support the local arts scene by visiting! The Ori Gallery itself, in fact, is one big scam. While it is a real shop, there’s absolutely nothing special or legitimate about it compared to other places. It’s also strictly a traditional batik shop and not a place to view or purchase contemporary art.

Yogyakarta is not a huge city, and despite its lack of a metro system, the city is easy to get around. Within a single area, walking is completely possible and reasonable. If you base yourself in the southern Mantrijeron district for example, you can easily reach all of the art galleries and street art there on foot.

You can also rent a bicycle or motorbike during your stay. The traffic in Jogja is not as crazy as in Bali or Jakarta, but you might want to think twice if you’ve never driven on Indonesia roads before.

Ridesharing services are a big deal in Java and this makes getting around Yogyakarta a breeze. While Uber exists, this shouldn’t be your first choice, as there aren’t many drivers using it. You’ll want to download an app called ‘Grab,’ which is the most prominent ridesharing app in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia even has its own ridesharing app called GoJek. This app specializes in motorbike taxis but supposedly there’s also the option to hire a car. I could never get the activation code to work, though, so I wasn’t able to use it, and other people I met complained of the same thing.

It didn’t matter because I could get everywhere using Grab. The cars would typically arrive in under 5 minutes and it was incredibly cheap. Getting from Mantrijeron all the way to Museum Affandi, for example, only cost me around Rp. 45,000 (roughly $3 USD).

Most English information online will mention Malioboro Street as the place to be. It’s true that there are many hotels there and it’s a convenient location that will suit you fine. As mentioned above, though, I’d recommend staying further south, in the Mantrijeron district. Specifically, somewhere near Jl. Tirtodipuran or Jl. Prawirotaman streets. There are plenty of accommodation options here in addition to restaurants, nightlife and street art.

Yogyakarta is easily reachable by plane. You can fly to Adisucipto International Airport from Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali) and other large Indonesian cities. You can also fly directly to and from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

The city is also accessible by either train or bus, with trips from Jakarta lasting about 12 hours. Many people head further east after their time in Jogja, and it should be fairly easy to find a bus route to wherever it is you’re going.