Indonesian contemporary art developments<\/p>\n
By Boudewijn Brands<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): With her dissertation The Ideal of Modern
\nIndonesian Painting, 1900-1995, (see The Jakarta Post of 23-8-
\n1998), Helena Spanjaard has made an important contribution to the
\ninternational acceptance and understanding of Indonesian
\ncontemporary art.<\/p>\n
She has visited Indonesia frequently for research and also
\ncontributed to a number of publications. She has also acted as a
\ncurator of exhibitions, the last being Reformasi Indonesia held
\nin Museum Nusantara in Delft last year (see also The Jakarta Post
\nof Sept. 3, 2000). She has now returned to Indonesia for a six
\nweek stay.<\/p>\n
Boudewijn Brands, an art collector and observer, interviewed
\nHelena for The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
What is the purpose of your visit?<\/p>\n
First, this visit is meant to keep up with new developments in
\ncontemporary Indonesian painting. Second, I intend to do some
\nresearch for future publications. The Indonesian art world is
\nchanging rapidly, and it is hard to follow this from abroad.<\/p>\n
Yes, and this brings us to the question: how do you keep
\ninformed when you are abroad?<\/p>\n
For me the two most important sources of information are the
\nartists themselves and publications about Indonesian art in
\nexhibition catalogs. Several Indonesian artists regularly visit
\nthe Netherlands. I also hear much from Dutch artists traveling or
\nworking in Indonesia. Practically, the international Biennials
\nand Triennials of contemporary art are the best occasions to see
\ncontemporary art from all over the world, including Indonesia.<\/p>\n
When I was organizing the exhibition Reformasi Indonesia for
\nMuseum Nusantara in Delft, I had the chance to visit the
\nTriennial in Brisbane (1999). This was very inspiring, because
\nyou could see the art of Indonesia next to the art of other Asian
\nand pacific countries. And I am also receiving e-mails on art
\ndistributed by Lintaseni e-groups, so I can follow the art
\ndiscussions, news on exhibitions etc. wherever I am.<\/p>\n
The number of galleries has substantially increased during the
\nlast few years. This is also the case in the Netherlands, but
\nthere this growth is associated with the growth of the economy.
\nCan you explain this development in Indonesia?<\/p>\n
It is indeed a surprising development. You don't expect this
\nin a country with heavy economic problems. However, investment in
\nart in times of an economic crisis is not new. It also happened
\nin Europe before the Second World War.<\/p>\n
As far as I understand, collectors now prefer to invest in
\npaintings rather than money. If collectors start to buy empty
\ncanvases this will become a real problem for the artist. How can
\nany artist work in peace and at his or her own speed if the
\ncanvas is already sold before it has been painted?<\/p>\n
Especially in Indonesia, the seduction of money could be too
\nstrong. I prefer the opposite attitude of some artists in Europe.
\nThey often refuse to sell their works, even to important gallery
\nowners or collectors. What is more important: a good painting
\ntakes time to produce. It is all about integrity, both from the
\nside of the buyer and from the side of the producer.<\/p>\n
Can Indonesian art have the quality needed to be
\ninternationally accepted?<\/p>\n
This is a good question, but what do you mean by "Indonesian
\nart"? The art world has many layers. I think you should discern
\nbetween the older, already established artists and the rebellious
\n(mostly young) artists. And between the young established artists
\nand the old rebellious artists! It is not that simple.<\/p>\n
Looking at modern Indonesian art nowadays it is a fact that
\nthe young avant-garde have received a lot of attention at
\ninternational events (exhibitions, workshops). Most of these
\nartists were abroad before and often worked with western
\ncolleagues. Their avant-garde style and critical content appeals
\nworldwide (Heri Dono, Nindityo, F.X. Harsono, Anusapati,
\nArahmaiani, Dolorosa etc).<\/p>\n
But of course, these artists are only a part of the total
\ncontemporary Indonesian art scene. For the others it is more
\ndifficult to become accepted "world-wide". This is not because of
\nthe quality, but because so far the promotion of modern
\nIndonesian art outside Indonesia still has a long way to go. And
\none of the problems (for galleries in the West) is the high
\nprice.<\/p>\n
For me there is a gap between the tremendous success of
\nIndonesian paintings in Indonesia and their acceptance abroad, in
\nmuseums and in the art-historical environment. To overcome this,
\none needs another sort of promotion, focussed on the cultural and
\neducational sector. In this sense the publication of books and
\narticles about Indonesian art in the English language plays an
\nimportant role.<\/p>\n
How do you see the taste of the Indonesian collector? The
\nrecent exhibition by Erica had big hype, would she have the same
\nreception in Europe?<\/p>\n
Of course it depends on individual preferences. But, generally
\nspeaking, most collectors prefer "beautiful" (sweet) and
\naesthetic paintings. If you look at the auctions of Christie's,
\nSotheby's and Larasati-Glerum, you see that Le Mayeur, Hofker,
\nBonnet and Basuki Abdullah fetch high prices.<\/p>\n
The figurative and decorative paintings dominate. They please
\nthe eye and are easy to understand. Besides there is an interest
\nin the more "symbolic" art from surrealist and magic-realist
\npainters (Iwan Sagito, Sutjipto Adi T., Lucia Hartini). Symbolism
\nand mysticism are an integral part of the Javanese art world. So
\nit is in a way well known and well understood.<\/p>\n
When the message becomes more psychological and individual, or
\ncritical (e.g. works by Entang Wiharso, Agung Kurniawan, Tisna
\nSanjaya, Arahmaiani), collectors will hesitate. These paintings
\nare disturbing. They question human reality or comment on the
\npolitical situation. Who would hang this in their reception room?<\/p>\n
Referring to Erica: her work is easily accessible, it appeals
\nto a big audience. Also, it describes daily life in Indonesia, a
\nsubject much admired by the general public in the West. Again the
\nreception will depend on the place of exhibition: in which art
\ncircle will it be presented? For me, her work fits in the context
\nof Yogyakarta. It belongs to the circle of Pak Widayat and his
\nmagic-decorative work. Many young artists follow this style. They
\nwill need to create their own individual visual idiom. If not,
\nsuch styles become "trendy" and superficial. The same can be said
\nabout young abstract painters in Bandung following the traces of
\nSadali, Pirous, Umi Dahlan and Sunaryo. A good artist is one who
\nfinds his own way, tries out new things, experiments and takes
\nrisks. It is a danger to adapt too much to the taste of a gallery
\nor collector.<\/p>\n
If you live in Indonesia, would you go to get a haircut in a
\n5-star hotel and spend the same amount as in Amsterdam, or would
\nyou go to a local salon and pay a local price?<\/p>\n
In art, there seems to be the same situation. Some galleries
\nask Rp 1 million for a drawing on paper by a relatively unknown
\nyoung artist. This amount is still enough to rent a reasonable
\nhouse in Yogyakarta for one year. Would you, in Amsterdam, pay a
\nyear's rent for a work on paper by a student of the academy in an
\nexhibition?<\/p>\n
Well, I once had a haircut in Bandung, outside in the street.
\nIt was done with big scissors and finished in five minutes. The
\nresult was rather striking, so I didn't try it again. I didn't go
\nto the 5-star hotel because I couldn't afford it. Now, you ask
\nabout collecting and the high prices faced by new collectors in
\nIndonesia? I think the process is different.<\/p>\n
Collecting is not only a question of money. First you should
\nknow about art. You should inform yourself about the artists, try
\nto find new talent, undiscovered talent. You should know about
\nart history, about technical aspects, such as materials used and
\ncomposition. Only after this will you be able to select the good
\nfrom the bad and the real from the fake. If a collector does not
\ninvolve himself seriously in these matters, collecting art will
\nremain just a hobby.<\/p>\n
As you know I am at the moment involved in the production of a
\nbook about the collection of Dr. Oei Hong Djien from Magelang.
\nHis collection is an example of a critical attitude toward the
\nacquisition of paintings. He learned to discern the good from the
\nbad through a long process of study and comparing paintings with
\neach other. The result is a well-balanced collection, not only
\nbecause of his financial possibilities. A collector should have a
\nreal interest in painting and in the process of artistic
\ncreation.<\/p>\n
What, then, is the role of galleries? They, and experienced
\ncollectors, could act as advisors for people with less time to
\nselect art they like.<\/p>\n
I will make some concluding remarks here. The art world in
\nIndonesia is full of painters, galleries and collectors, however,
\nvery few art critics or art historians exist. In the West, art
\ncriticism is an important tool used to judge works of art and to
\ngive information to a general public.<\/p>\n
I still hope that in time this situation in Indonesia will
\nchange. For example, publication of an Indonesian art magazine
\nthat is bilingual and can be read and obtained abroad as well.
\nThe sector is important enough to create employment and foreign
\nexchange. As such, it deserves more attention by the government.<\/p>\n
There would be a task for a National Gallery. Not only should
\nit be a center for documentation and research, it should also
\nhave a collection representative for art in Indonesia. Then
\nIndonesians as well as visitors can see what Indonesia has to
\noffer.<\/p>\n
No money? It is also common practice in the West that
\ncollectors give or lend works to museums. It is even considered
\nprestigious. It could be done here as well. Another possibility
\nis the creation of web sites: through the Internet, pictures are
\nnow available worldwide. If people like the work, they might
\nbecome interested and come over to see it and maybe buy it.<\/p>\n
If handled well, Indonesia can profit from globalization and
\nnew communication possibilities also in the field of art.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesian-contemporary-art-developments-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}