Art community doubtful of govt's commitment<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta and Budiman Moerdijat<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The art community and the government have
\ntraditionally been uneasy bedfellows.<\/p>\n
Despite periodical government funding of the arts, their
\ncheckered relationship has included the banning of controversial
\nstage performances and literary works.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, many artists are skeptical whether this
\nyear's promotion of culture will also extend to freedom of
\nexpression.<\/p>\n
Social and cultural affairs observer Mochtar Buchori said the
\ngovernment's stated commitment to promoting art and culture would
\nbe empty rhetoric if it failed to encourage discussion of the
\nintrinsic cultural values.<\/p>\n
\"Culture is not merely a traditional dance or tourist objects
\nlike temples or historical monuments. It must enhance people's
\nvalues, something which is decisive in development.\"<\/p>\n
He listed these values as democracy, freedom of expression and
\nthe public's strong confidence in the government's will.<\/p>\n
But he said the government had traditionally been hesitant to
\nback freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
He cited as a case in point the banning of a monologue play
\nabout a murdered labor activist in several towns last November.<\/p>\n
Marsinah Menggugat (Marsinah Accuses), written and performed
\nby Ratna Sarumpaet, did go on stage here and in Padang, West
\nSumatra, but scheduled performances were called off in Surabaya,
\nBandung and Lampung.<\/p>\n
Mochtar said the government should make culture the center of
\nall development activities, instead of part of a year-long
\nprogram, if it was really sincere in its promotion.<\/p>\n
He said there should be greater freedom for discussion of
\ndevelopment values and the role of culture.<\/p>\n
\"The values should not have to serve the needs of the
\ntourists. We don't have to make culture cheap... It is very
\nprecious instead.\"<\/p>\n
Priest, novelist and social worker Y.B. Mangunwijaya also
\ndoubted the government could carry through thorough development
\nof the arts.<\/p>\n
\"That's why I am now focusing on preparing the youths to build
\na better Indonesia in the future,\" Mangunwijaya said.<\/p>\n
In the past few years he has run a modest, participation-
\noriented elementary school in a small village in the southern
\npart of Yogyakarta. The school faces closure by the government.<\/p>\n
The performing arts may be particularly prone to acts of
\ncensorship due to their greater prominence, but fine arts have
\nalso fallen victim.<\/p>\n
Among significant incidents during the 30-year rule of the New
\nOrder was the closure of an exhibition, What Identity? --
\nquestioning the avoidance of individualism in Indonesian art --
\nat Yogyakarta's Seni Sono art gallery in 1978.<\/p>\n
The city's police shut it down after two days.<\/p>\n
Two years later, artist Hardi was detained for questioning by
\nthe police for several days due to his provocative work,
\nPresidential Candidate 2001, which was essentially a self-
\nportrait of the artist in the garb of a highly decorated military
\ngeneral.<\/p>\n
More recently, in 1988 the Yogyakarta police tried to close
\nSemsar Siahaan's exhibition which had also traveled to Salatiga,
\nSolo and Bandung.<\/p>\n
They charged that he intended to humiliate the authorities by
\nstaging the exhibition in the city. He was detained for
\nquestioning, but was released after he was able to establish that
\nhe had nothing to do with the production of leaflets promoting
\nthe exhibition.<\/p>\n
There were also attempts to close down the show in Bandung.
\nSemsar demanded that the police produce a warrant for the
\nclosure, and the exhibition remained open when they failed to do
\nso.<\/p>\n
Explaining Semsar Siahaan's freedom to continue producing
\nworks of social criticism, Astri Wright writes in Soul, Spirit,
\nMountain that \"this shows that the guidelines for censorship in
\nthe visual arts are less clearly formulated by the state's
\nsecurity apparatus than in the case of literature.<\/p>\n
It illustrates that contemporary painters can feel relatively
\nsafe as long as their work does not point a finger at any
\nparticular politician, leader or policy\".<\/p>\n
Wright's perspective is supported by the banning of the
\nexhibition Visual Art for Marsinah, created by artist Moelyono in
\nhonor of the slain activist, at the Surabaya Art Council in 1993.<\/p>\n
Semsar had little faith that this year's designation signaled
\na more open attitude of the government toward the arts.<\/p>\n
\"The announcement was made just after authorities banned Ratna
\nSarumpaet's play on Marsinah. It is impossible that it will
\nsignify a greater freedom of expression,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In my opinion, the designation was only meant for tourism and
\ntourism-related industries.\"<\/p>",
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