Galeri Lontar: A gallery with vision<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The growing interest of Indonesia's emerging
\nmiddle class in art as an investment over the past few years has
\nresulted in the opening of a large number of galleries all over
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
One of them is Galeri Lontar at Jl. Utan Kayu No. 68H, East
\nJakarta, near the Rawamangun exit to the Cawang-Tanjung Priok
\ntoll road.<\/p>\n
In the seven months since its opening on May 10 this year,
\nGaleri Lontar has emerged as a miniature art center with a
\nvariety of fine art related activities. Different from the vast
\nmajority of the galleries springing up in the capital, Galeri
\nLontar was founded on the basis of a vision of art's place in a
\ncultured society.<\/p>\n
The gallery's experienced professional team of curators is
\nmade up of noted artists, critics, intellectuals and cultural
\nobservers. Jim Supangkat, Bambang Bujono, S. Malela Mahagasarie,
\nGoenawan Mohammad, Nirwan Dewanto, Hildawati Soemantri, Umar
\nKayam and S. Prinka carefully select the art to be presented in
\nthe gallery's 9 x 16 square meter exhibition space.<\/p>\n
The art work shown at Galeri Lontar is carefully screened and
\nselected on the basis of content and cultural relevance. Priority
\nis given to the works of important artists who for one reason or
\nanother may have been overlooked by other galleries in Jakarta.
\nCultural interests take precedence over commercial potential in
\nLontar's discriminating selection process. This makes Galeri
\nLontar a serious art collector's dream come true.<\/p>\n
Galeri Lontar puts on exhibitions of a wide variety of art,
\nnot just oil paintings. A case in point is the current exhibition
\nof \"wood paintings\" by Amrus Natalsya. And in the months to come,
\nGaleri Lontar has scheduled exhibitions by T. Sutanto, who will
\nbe showing graphic art works, drawings and paintings next month;
\nR. Magdalena Pardede, who will exhibit silk screen prints; Agus
\nSuwage, who will be showing drawings; Satya Graha, who will
\nexhibit sculptures, and drawings and Edi Hara and Semsar Siahaan,
\nwho will both display paintings. Amrus, Edi Hara and Semsar
\nSiahaan are noted for their insightful, sometimes sharply
\ncritical views of contemporary Indonesian society.<\/p>\n
Galeri Lontar, which is directed by Fikri Jufri and Zulkifly
\nLubis, does more than just hold exhibitions. The gallery staff
\nproduces and sends out a monthly newsletter containing
\nstimulating and informative articles on art by artists,
\ncollectors and art lovers. Galeri Lontar also holds discussions
\non trends in the arts. In September, Galeri Lontar sponsored a
\ndiscussion of the tendency toward commercialism in the production
\nof sinetron (television miniseries). The speakers, Jamal D.
\nRahman and Mualim M. Sukethi, discussed the miniseries titled
\nAku, Perempuan, dan Lelaki Itu (I, the Woman and The Man), which
\na number of television networks had refused to broadcast because
\nthey said it lacked commercial potential. Only ANteve was willing
\nto air the miniseries, which was shown at the beginning of this
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Besides the exhibition space itself, Galeri Lontar, which
\ncovers a total area of 144 square meters, houses the Toko Buku
\nGaleri (Gallery Book Store), where visitors can purchase books on
\nart, as well as works of graphic art, calendars, cards and
\nstationery items, and the Kedai Tempo (Tempo Cafe), where
\nvisitors can relax with a drink or snack and indulge themselves
\nin light conversation or serious discussion. With these
\nprofessionally run facilities and its management's visionary
\nfocus on cultural and societal trends, Galeri Lontar is
\ndefinitely not a run-of-the-mill gallery.<\/p>\n
-- Margaret Agusta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/galeri-lontar-a-gallery-with-vision-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }