Balinese art museums need more maintenance<\/p>\n
By Rosemarie F. Oei<\/p>\n
UBUD, Bali (JP): Since at least before World War II, Balinese
\nartworks have left the island through sales and exhibitions.
\nForeign artists residing in Bali in the 1930s like Rudolf Bonnet
\nand the Balinese themselves became concerned about how to keep
\nthe artworks in their place of origin.<\/p>\n
Museum Puri Lukisan was opened to the public in 1956 with the
\nobjective to keep traditional art and maintain it as part of the
\nisland's cultural heritage.<\/p>\n
Today, after almost 44 years, the museum's collection is
\nshowing its age. Maintenance at the museum needs to be improved,
\nincluding indoor climate control according to museum standards.<\/p>\n
The deterioration and lack of upkeep were evident in the
\nexhibition Magic and Modernism, a selection of works from private
\ncollections, organized from Sept. 25 to Nov. 30 at the museum.<\/p>\n
Thanks to better care and conservation, the works owned by
\ncollectors overseas appeared vivid as though they were created
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
It raises the question whether the Balinese who observed the
\npaintings and drawings in the exhibition will not feel the same
\ngenuine concern that the uniqueness of their past will be
\ndestroyed by the vagaries of climate and neglect.<\/p>\n
The accompanying question is how to reacquire these Balinese
\nart treasures from foreign hands for the island.<\/p>\n
There are three types of preservation.<\/p>\n
First is preventive preservation, which is meant to prevent
\ndamage to a collection, such as providing constant security
\nduring an exhibition.<\/p>\n
If damage is observed, a thorough repair program and periodic
\ninspections could be introduced to prevent further problems.<\/p>\n
There is active preservation, involving repairing the damage
\nand return the object to its original condition. Here we are
\ntalking about professional approach, methodology and, most of
\nall, the impact of those activities undertaken by restorers on
\nthe paintings.<\/p>\n
Active preservation is necessary not only for generations to
\ncome, but because art is a witness of time holding significant
\nhistorical value.<\/p>\n
Foreign restoration experts who examined the collection of
\nMuseum Puri Lukisan concluded that 90 percent of the collection
\nshould be preserved.<\/p>\n
Most important is to set priorities for the most urgent works.
\nPlans should be made and, most importantly, the facilities should
\nbe accessible to those who are concerned about the collection and
\nare willing to undertake actions in their preservation.<\/p>\n
It should thus be clear that after restoration treatments, the
\ncondition of the environment should be improved as well as to
\naccommodate the restored collection. Therefore to ensure the
\nvitality of a main collection, it is wise to create a setting
\nwith proper climate control for relative humidity (RH) and
\ntemperature, and proper care of handling the collection by
\nprofessionals.<\/p>\n
This maintenance will check or at least slow down further
\ndamage over time. As with other institutions around the world,
\nmuseums in Bali reflect a complex mixture of state and private
\nmotivation, along with problems of ownership, identity and
\npolitics of heritage. Most significantly, the museum is an
\nattraction for tourists wishing to explore Balinese culture.
\nMuseums are booming in the cultural heartland of Ubud, which
\noffers the finest representation of art developments in Balinese
\nart history.<\/p>\n
Still, there is a serious but insidious problem in Bali's
\nmuseums. The quality of the collection in several museums is
\ndeteriorating due to poor climate control..<\/p>\n
An example is Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur, where the physical
\ncondition of the pavilion is poor due to water intrusion.<\/p>\n
Proper equipment like a thermohygrograph to measure the
\nrelative humidity and temperature and dehumidifiers in the
\npavilion should provide temporary support before steps are taken
\nin a substantial conservation plan.<\/p>\n
Proper housekeeping and regular photographic records of the
\nobjects should present a representative overview of the
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
While it seems to be tolerated and accepted to build
\na museum for the community, it ought to be related to maintenance
\nof collection as well, otherwise all efforts to preserve a
\ncultural heritage for future generations will undermined.<\/p>\n
The second question gives rise to various opinions. Some will
\nurge the private collectors to \"give back\" the collections into
\nBalinese hands; others will see the collections more as
\ncommercial commodity and invest their money in buying the
\ncollections back through auctions.<\/p>\n
The latter, who are not necessarily Balinese in their
\norigin although they are Indonesian, seem determined to attend
\nthe auctions and extend their knowledge of Balinese paintings by
\nconsulting art dealers in Bali.<\/p>\n
In Magic and Modernism, the museum sought to raise the
\nawareness of local people that their ancestors created marvelous,
\nbeautiful art, which according to exhibition curator Leo Haks,
\nwas actually made to be sold to foreign tourists in the past.
\nThis is the reason many Balinese artworks are now abroad.<\/p>\n
\"In the last five years, the commercial interest in Indonesian
\nand Indo-European paintings has grown considerably. Prices are
\nrising dramatically. The Pre-War Balinese modernists also became
\npart of this commercial circuit,\" said Job Ubbens, commercial
\ndirector of Christie's in Amsterdam, in the exhibition catalog.<\/p>\n
During the exhibition several questions were asked whether
\nthere was the consideration to keep the collection of the finest
\nselection of Balinese paintings from Batuan, Sanur and Ubud from
\nthe period 1928 to 1942 in Bali.<\/p>\n
Yet one must also ask whether the Balinese themselves view the
\ncollection as heritage which should be kept in Bali and carefully
\npreserved for further generations. Or is the collection regarded
\nas capital to exploit for profit.<\/p>\n
According to museum curator A.A. Ngurah Muning, the collection
\nshould be kept in Museum Puri Lukisan, which is more than
\nappropriate if one knows the history of museum, set up by the
\nDutch painter Bonnet and Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati from Puri
\nUbud to conserve Balinese art.<\/p>\n
But for other Balinese who are dealing in Balinese paintings,
\nit would be an easier job if there were more paintings of quality
\nin the market to increase opportunities to buy and sell.<\/p>\n
For the exhibition curators Leo Haks and Gus Maris, who have
\nbeen involved for 20 years gathering their collection of pre-war
\nBalinese modernists, this collection is not just a collection,
\nbut their life work and their efforts to individualize all the
\nworks. There the Balinese artists in the past rarely signed or
\nannotated their work.<\/p>\n
These efforts resulted in an exhibition catalog along with a
\nCD-ROM, which serve as a guide for those who wish to do deeper
\nresearch into the paintings.<\/p>\n
The writer is a consultant in museology based at Museum Puri
\nLukisan in Ubud, Bali.<\/p>",
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