Art exhibition explores myths about water<\/p>\n
By Ahmad Solikhan<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The melodies of traditional Javanese music
\nwere faintly audible in the dark, and then there appeared the
\nshadow of a young girl wrapped in a batik cloth stepping toward a
\nfountain.<\/p>\n
She took a in from her hair bun, letting her hair flow freely
\nto her shoulders, and then she slowly took off the pieces of
\ncloth wrapped around her body, one piece at a time. Then she took
\na water dipper made from a coconut shell and placed it in a large
\nearthenware bowl of water. She took some water to bathe her
\ngenitals.<\/p>\n
The girl's wish to cleanse her mind and her spiritual eyes
\nwith water was granted. She broke the earthenware bowl with the
\nwater dipper. The water spilled out and soaked through the pores
\nof the earth. It is her hope, too, that this water may later also
\ncleanse the mind and spiritual eyes of the community and free
\nthem of their mundane affairs.<\/p>\n
While this sacred bathing ritual was going on, one could hear
\nsounds emanating from a number of toy boats, like those usually
\nseen during a sekaten (a traditional fair in Yogyakarta). The
\nsound of these children's toys accompanied the bathing ritual,
\nindicating that fishermen hope the South Sea will always be kind
\nto them and bestow upon them good fortune.<\/p>\n
A piece of coarsely woven white fabric was intentionally hung
\nto provide a translucent screen so as not to reveal too much
\nduring the performance. In this way, one may wonder about the
\nreal meaning of water. The cleansing of the rural girl is a rite
\nof offering, a token of gratitude to the ruler of the South Sea
\nfor the welfare enjoyed by the Yogyakarta community.<\/p>\n
This is the contemplations of a unique artist about \"water\" as
\nthe source of life for all living creatures in the universe. This
\nis the sequel to Land of Merapi, exhibited last year, which was
\ntaken up as a symbol of prosperity by the community around the
\nYogyakarta sultan's palace.<\/p>\n
The performance of this offering served to complement the
\nopening of an installation exhibition called Tirtara, by Heri
\nDono, at the Indonesian-French Institute (LIP) in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The exhibition began on July 15 and will end on Aug. 6. Dono,
\nwho has repeatedly traveled round the world, has not only come up
\nwith the idea for the installation using cement beams, statue
\nheads and cardboard pictures as the media to reflect the present
\nsociopolitical condition, but has begun to work on traditional
\nthemes related to Javanese myths and culture.<\/p>\n
\"Water is found in both the microcosm and the macrocosm,
\nincluding in earth, fire, air, ether and also in the bodies of
\nliving creatures. Unless air is well-utilized, it will enrage
\nnature and bring harm to living creatures,\" said Dono.<\/p>\n
The 80-square-meter exhibition room is full of splashes of
\nsandy soil from Mt. Merapi. Tiny magnetic pieces in glass bottles
\nare found in a row on the sand and with the help of some
\nelectrical power, these tiny pieces of magnet will touch the
\nglass of the bottles, producing, therefore, a splattering sound
\nlike the sand on the beach splashing when hit by breaking waves.<\/p>\n
The cows, tended by farmers, all made of galvanized iron, move
\nslowly with the help of a dynamo. This situation is a
\nreconstruction of rural farming activities, to which water is a
\nnecessity.<\/p>\n
Tending cows is a job that has been passed down from one
\ngeneration to another, and this shows that unemployment is
\nactually alien in rural areas. This is in stark comparison to
\nlife in urban areas, where people are willing to live in highly
\ncrowded places and vie with one another just to survive.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, a number of pails, made from the same iron,
\nhave some bamboo pipes coming out of them. Water flows
\ncontinuously out of these bamboo pipes and seeps into the sandy
\nsoil as a source of life.<\/p>\n
Two characters from Javanese shadow puppet plays, Dewa Ruci
\n(the ruler of the sea) and Petruk (a royal servant), both made of
\nbronze, are implanted in the bamboo pipes. These two characters
\nsymbolize rulers taking the sides of the people. Tirtara, which
\nis a water spirit from the South Sea, is offered as a prayer with
\nhope that it will serve as an antidote to the physical poison now
\nthreatening everybody's lives.<\/p>\n
Heri Dono's aim with this installation exhibition seems to be
\nto make the community aware that water should not be polluted, as
\notherwise it will lead to disaster. Unless water is utilized in
\nthe best possible manner, it will put life to an end as it will
\nturn into inundation or protracted drought.<\/p>\n
However, the South Sea water as a source of life for the
\nYogyakarta community, as communicated by Dono in this exhibition,
\nis difficult for the modern community to understand. All living
\ncreatures under the sun need water. Water is, therefore, not
\nintended only for certain groups of people. Water does not
\noriginate in the South Sea alone but rather in mountain springs
\nrunning through the roots of large trees.<\/p>\n
It may be true to think that Mt. Merapi, a volcano, and the
\nSouth Sea, are regarded as symbols of fertility and prosperity by
\nsome Yogyakarta residents. In the old days, all kings of Java
\ncame up with their own myths to secure power.<\/p>\n
In this way the common people would continue to be fearful,
\nutilize water properly and have a sense of belonging regarding
\nthe surrounding nature. These myths were intentionally introduced
\nto the people to ensure that they would not damage the
\nenvironment and would fear the king. In this way the king could
\nrule over his kingdom practically without any social upheaval.<\/p>\n
Just look at what the Yogyakarta sultans have done. To draw
\nsympathy and demonstrate his great attention to the agricultural
\nneeds of rural people, an irrigation canal, known as Selokan
\nMataram (Mataram Canal) has been constructed in the Progo River.
\nThe longest in South-East Asia, this irrigation canal divides the
\nYogyakarta city in two.<\/p>\n
So, when giving his thoughts to Tirtara, Dono fails to link
\nthe position of Mt. Merapi, the palace and the South Sea, which
\nare all on the same axis.<\/p>\n
Fertility and prosperity do not depend solely on the factor of
\nnature. Rather, they depend on the human resources to manage
\nnature. In fact, there are many poor people without their own
\nfarmland or regular jobs. Many of these poor people abandon their
\nvillages and try their fortunes in urban areas.<\/p>\n
Artists should be familiar with myths in order to be well-
\nacquainted with their cultural roots. However, they must always
\nbe on their guard to ensure that they will not be carried away by
\nmyths and treat them as sacred. Otherwise, they will remain
\ndistanced from reality.<\/p>\n
To keep up with the development of circumstances, modern
\nartists must be able to introduce to a pluralistic community the
\nvision and mission of knowledge in their exhibitions.<\/p>\n
In this way, the real Tirtara will be found, just like Bima
\nlooking for permitasari water in the middle of an ocean, staking
\nhis life in his fight against the dragon, which is god incarnate.<\/p>",
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