Art exhibitions lure cultured shoppers<\/p>\n
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After the successful exhibition of \"The Art of the Flying Dragon\" by
\nsculptor-cum-installation artist Yani Mariani Sastranegara last February,
\nPlaza Senayan's intent for furthering the art appreciation of the general
\npublic seems to be firming up even more.<\/p>\n
At least that is the impression vis-a-vis the current
\ncontemporary art exhibitions held in the lobby in conjunction
\nwith the Plaza's seventh anniversary.<\/p>\n
For many of the shoppers, it is a wonderful experience to see
\nartwork that is usually confined to museums and prestigious
\ngalleries.<\/p>\n
As I walked through the mall last Tuesday, I saw shoppers
\nlooking and pointing at the sculptures. Christovita Wiloto of the
\npublic relations office Power PR who happened to be enjoying the
\nsculptures expressed great appreciation for the Plaza's
\ninitiative to bring art to the mall.<\/p>\n
This way, even those who have never set foot in a museum or
\ngallery get access to improving their quality of life through
\nart, he said.<\/p>\n
Others even run their hands over the surface of the
\nsculptures, like the girl who was seen repeatedly stroking the
\nsculpture titled Tension 2 Tension by Iriantine Karnaya, who was
\nborn in 1951.<\/p>\n
\"Do you like it?\" I asked her, to which she shyly replied
\n\"very much\". She did not know why exactly, \"it's just beautiful,\"
\nshe said. One of seven bronze works made by the artist, Tension 2
\nTension, shows an abstraction of a woman's figure in a high-risk
\nfloating position.<\/p>\n
The artist says she wanted to visualize the condition of women
\ntoday. Other works include torsos and abstractions of moods, such
\nas Festival I and Festival III, in which a deeper meaning shines
\nthrough the delightfully joyful rhythm of movement.<\/p>\n
Teguh Ostenrik's sculptures stand out in mode and size. A
\nseasoned artist of international standing, Ostenrik, born in
\n1950, has invented a new technique of layering to make his
\nsculptures take on the appearance of primitive antiquity.<\/p>\n
The artist, who is known for his abstract expressionist
\npaintings, his cast bronze sculptures, his stage and
\nchoreographic talents, is particularly celebrated for his works
\ncentering around the homo sapiens. \"I wanted to recast the figure
\nof homo sapiens in a three-dimensional form, so I started
\nexperimenting with a mix of fine clay and samot, and then layered
\nthe plates on the clay sculptures,\" explained Ostenrik. Samot is
\ncrude pulver made of red brick slabs.<\/p>\n
The result is an excitingly unique shape of sculptures that
\nconnects the past with the present. Three of the series that
\nOstenrik has called \"Corpus Terrae\", are No Fear (1,186 cm x 59
\ncm x 77 cm), I am Holding On (90 cm x 135 cm x 80 cm), and Your
\nAppointment with Life (165 cm x 73 cm x 53 cm).<\/p>\n
Dolorosa Sinaga is a sculptor who is taking her place among
\nthe growing body of modern artists whose utterance is valid.
\nInspired for a long time by the legendary Kaethe Kollwitz, whose
\ntalent as a dramatic artist had the uncanny ability to evoke
\nhuman emotions through subtle gestures and facial expressions,
\nDolorosa's sculptures bear witness to her talent to provoke
\ntension and drama at the same time.<\/p>\n
They are about women transcending their pain and suffering
\ninto resistance and opposition and moving to proceed further. The
\nsculpture titled Solidarity depicts barefoot women joining hands,
\nwhile Cerita Perempuan presents women's figures from all walks of
\nlife and in different physical conditions standing together,
\nBegging but also demanding, with both feet in a firm, forthright
\nposition. Lawan Kekerasan is about woman as creator,
\nthe center of the cycle of life, and shows the Matriarch
\nshielding her people in a protective embrace. Avante looks to the
\nfuture. One sculpture titled Dalai Lama represents the artist's
\nreverence for the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, whom
\nsome consider to be one of the world's enduring figures of
\nstruggle and compassion against oppression.<\/p>\n
Yani Mariani Sastranegara, born in 1955, again surprises with
\nsculptures shaped like surreal capricious abstractions from the
\nliving environment. The sculptures of the artist who recently
\ncaused a stir by breaking through the limits of sculpture into
\nthe plains of installation art, evoke the illusion of creatures
\nor objects in an almost surreal world, where dream and fantasy
\ngive substance to reality. Whether it's titled Rara Sembrani,
\nwhich is in poly-resin, Nyanyian Jiwa, which is silver and copper
\nelectroplated, Ameliorata, in pewter, Cucu Ibuku, in pewter and
\ncopper, or Nyanyian Jiwa, which is silver electroplated, they
\nsprout from the spiritual depths, amazing imagery, an unusual
\naesthetic and excellent command of technique.<\/p>\n
Young people also flocked to the poster exhibition, titled
\nAnti Logika, showing posters by students of the Lasalle College
\nInternational Jakarta and Trisakti University. Many of the
\nposters are equal to good contemporary artwork.<\/p>\n
The attention of the general public to the artwork on show
\ndenotes a subconscious need for those who have never been exposed
\nto such art.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, many more of these exhibitions will follow suit.<\/p>\n
i-box
\nSculpture exhibition from April 1 through April 30
\nPoster exhibition from April 8 through April 13
\nVenue: Lobby Plaza Senayan
\nContact: phone 572 555, A&P Dept. Plaza Senayan<\/p>",
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