Art show to embrace non-alignment concept<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Can the concept of 'non-alignment', or
\nneutrality in superpower conflicts, be applied to contemporary
\nart?<\/p>\n
Yes, it can, according to the organizers of an upcoming
\nexhibition of contemporary art of countries of the Southern
\nhemisphere.<\/p>\n
About 200 works from 30 countries of the southern hemisphere
\nwill be exhibited at the two-month long \"Unity in Diversity\"
\nexhibition which begins in April. The exhibition has been
\nscheduled to coincide with a ministerial meeting of the
\nCoordinating Board of the Non-Aligned Movement in Bandung.<\/p>\n
The exhibition will be held at the Fine Arts Gallery of the
\nMinistry of Education and Culture in Jakarta and will be opened
\nby President Soeharto, the current chairman of the 111-nation
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
\"Our leadership in the movement has not promoted a cultural
\nrelationship yet,\" said Edi Sedyawati, the Ministry's director
\ngeneral of culture on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"We need to understand the inner soul (of the other
\ncountries),\" she said. \"The international event will be important
\nin that it will show the vision of the South in the midst of
\nmajor changes in the present world.\"<\/p>\n
The idea of the exhibition came from Sedyawati, who is also
\nchairperson of the exhibition's national committee, after
\nconsulting with local and foreign artists. The exhibition will
\nrun from April 28 until June 30.<\/p>\n
A seminar on contemporary international art will also be held
\nfrom April 29 to April 30 at Hotel Indonesia, featuring curators
\nand art critics from Britain, the United States, Nigeria, Jordan
\nand other countries.<\/p>\n
A member of the organizing team, Jim Supangkat, said with the
\nend of the Cold War, a cultural dimension could better underline
\nthe relationships between non-aligned countries.<\/p>\n
He said that the seven curators, which include Jim himself,
\nhave strived to apply different criteria from those used in
\nadvanced countries which first defined so-called `modern' and
\n`contemporary' art.<\/p>\n
The other curators come West Africa, Singapore, Thailand,
\nIndia, and Columbia. They will select from artworks already
\nchosen by national curators, and each country will send between
\nseven and 20 items.<\/p>\n
The works will include paintings, sculptures, ceramics and a
\nfew installations. Confirmed participants from 33 member-
\ncountries include China, Egypt, Iran and Peru.<\/p>\n
\"Lately there has been a good deal of questioning of standards
\nin the art world, like through postmodernism. Frankly, artists
\n(in southern countries) have not been vocal in voicing their
\nopinions. But we must use this display as an opportunity to show
\nour works to the world,\" said Supangkat.<\/p>\n
For instance, he said, one of the selected items from Pakistan
\nhad been rejected by a previous contemporary art exhibition in
\nNew York. \"The curators said this piece still contained
\ntraditional ornaments, while the artist felt differently,\"
\nSupangkat said.<\/p>\n
A.D. Pirous, the committee's vice chairman, said the
\nexhibition would reveal an alternative to what is understood as
\ncontemporary art.<\/p>\n
The works to be displayed in Jakarta will not be grouped by
\ncountries. \"There would be a tendency to judge items by more
\nadvanced and less advanced countries,\" the noted painter said.<\/p>\n
The organizers admitted they would be unable to exhibit items
\nfrom all 111 NAM members.<\/p>\n
\"We invited all of them, but only 33 countries have confirmed
\ntheir participation and the deadline is the end of this month,\"
\nSedyawati said.<\/p>\n
Nigeria's curator, Emmanuel Arinze, told The Jakarta Post
\nearlier that the exhibition may also promote self-reflection
\namong member countries.<\/p>\n
Arinze said that as world issues now include the promotion of
\nindigenous cultures, \"...the display will also make us reflect on
\nwhether our respective standards pay attention to our indigenous
\ncultures.\" (anr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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