Stimulating public discourse through art<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An exhibition of the work of five artists, Amrus
\nNatalsya, Salim M., Sulan, Tomy Faisal Alim, and Firman is
\ncurrently being held at the Japan Foundation. This group of five
\nartists appear to take their work very seriously, if its quality
\nand the diligence with which they have developed their own
\nartistic discourse are anything to go by.<\/p>\n
These artists have been present at many exhibitions throughout
\nthe past two or three years. They are usually the first to arrive
\nand the last to leave, and always take the opportunity to
\ncarefully inspect and discuss the merits of works on show.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this group of artists have not yet been taken
\nseriously by Indonesia's leading art critics. They have been
\nmarginalized by what is called the \"progressive\" development of
\nart in Indonesia, and a lack of communication and understanding
\nbetween the artists and curators has done little to help this
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, lecturer in art philosophy and leading
\ncritic Tommy F. Awuy raised a question regarding art within the
\ncontrol of authority. What he questioned did not only concern
\npolitical or governmental authority -- he also questioned the
\ncontrol and authority of art curators.<\/p>\n
In this new age of openness, interpretation should no longer
\nbe the monopoly of curators. Curators have done little to promote
\nunderstanding of artists and their work among the general public.
\nFar too often we hear: \"I don't know, I don't understand,\" as the
\nman-on-the-street wanders round an exhibition or is asked to
\ncomment on the works on show.<\/p>\n
Indeed, curators have often been more successful in hindering
\nthe understanding of art among the general public and repelling
\npopular interest through their self-indulgent, over-intellectual,
\nesoteric discourses.<\/p>\n
More avenues of communication need to be opened between
\nartists and the general public. All should feel free to interpret
\nart in their own way. Perhaps Amrus Natalsya's poem, written for
\nIndonesia's 50th anniversary in 1995, is the most simple yet
\nfitting means with which to convey this point.<\/p>\n
I think, painting is good work<\/p>\n
It can also be highly honorable<\/p>\n
It can also bring out our stupidity<\/p>\n
It can also make us contemplate<\/p>\n
Think and become the mirror of anyone<\/p>\n
People say: painting is work from the heart<\/p>\n
It can be hot or cold<\/p>\n
I say: the heart must be free<\/p>\n
from there art originates<\/p>\n
Heart and freedom<\/p>\n
Without a free heart<\/p>\n
How can there be a feeling of love,<\/p>\n
Sorrow and beauty<\/p>\n
The best thing<\/p>\n
That free heart<\/p>\n
Makes other hearts also free<\/p>\n
That is art<\/p>\n
Certainly, each work of art would affect observers in
\ndifferent ways. We all might wonder what the teapot, dagger and
\nflower which recur in Tomy's paintings are meant to symbolize, or
\nquestion whether or not Sulan's depiction of ruins relates to the
\nrecent riots. Others might identify Firman's mandala-like
\nKammaloka with their own contemplations.<\/p>\n
Salim's black and white piece, anak-anak Jaman Sabak, is
\nparticularly interesting given the recent events in the country.<\/p>\n
It depicts three boys standing in a classroom with marked
\nfaces. The elaborate background is filled with various
\nexpressions in the Indonesian language which offer moral
\nreminders of how we should lead our lives.<\/p>\n
Initially the painting looks somehow related to the fall of
\nthe New Order government. Among the inscriptions, there is the
\nlyrics of the famous Indonesian song, Sorak-sorak Bergembira
\n(\"Chant, chant in Joy\"), jokingly associated with the recent
\nchange in president.<\/p>\n
Yet the painter claims he wanted to remind us of the time
\nimmediately after Indonesia gained independence in 1945. He
\nwanted to show the state of education during the early years of
\nthe Republic, a period known as jaman sabak (blackboard period).<\/p>\n
In those days, children worked on their own personal slate
\nblackboards called batu sabak and would get their marks written
\ndirectly onto their cheeks.<\/p>\n
That is why the boys in the painting have those strange marks
\non their faces.<\/p>\n
Salim said he was reminded of this period when he heard a
\nreporter ask the Minister of Education and Culture whether we
\nwould need to return to the jaman sabak to overcome the effect
\nwhich the crisis has had on education here.<\/p>\n
In those days education was provided free of charge and school
\nchildren were even provided books and equipment.<\/p>\n
To be sure, the painter did not intend his work to merely
\nreflect that long ago period. Although the painting seems to be
\nfocused on the three boys, it is obvious that Salim actually
\nwanted to question why we failed to follow the expressions that
\nare so familiar to us and have existed since even before the days
\nof jaman sabak.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that there is something very wrong in our
\nsociety and also in our education system.<\/p>\n
The exhibition clearly brings to mind a new spirit of ethnic
\ndiversity. Raising the issue of ethnicity is no longer taboo and
\ninstead seems to be very necessary.<\/p>\n
On such work which treads these fraught paths is a painting by
\nAmrus called Jakarta Kelabu (Gloom over Jakarta), which clearly
\nrefers to the riots of May 13-15 1998.<\/p>\n
Amrus was born in Medan, North Sumatra, to Minang (the West
\nSumatra ethnic group) parents; Salim M. is Javanese and was born
\nin Kroya, Central Java; Sulan is a Chinese-Indonesian woman from
\nJakarta; Tomy Faisal Alim traces his ancestors back to Palembang,
\nSouth Sumatra; and Firman is a Chinese-Indonesian man hailing
\nfrom Jambi.<\/p>\n
The different ethnic backgrounds of the artists perhaps
\nprovides them with the inspiration to tackle the issue and it can
\nonly be hoped that this exhibition will help to foster better
\nmutual understanding between different ethnic groups in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
In a recent seminar, film maker Garin Nugroho stressed how
\nimportant it is for Indonesia to build a communicative society.
\nIn the arts, it is through exhibitions that such efforts can
\nstart. Hopefully it will not only result in a communicative
\nsociety, but also a society that is aware of the art that exists
\naround them.<\/p>\n
It is unfortunate that the need for an increase in open
\ncommunication has appeared when we are experiencing a deep and
\nprolonged economic crisis. But the crisis did not stop this group
\nof artists. Although they know that they have been marginalized
\nby some curators, and despite the weakness of the art market,
\nthis group is standing firm and taken the bold step to exhibit
\ntheir works.<\/p>\n
Fortunately the Japan Foundation is still willing and able to
\nprovide the artists with the opportunity to stage their show.
\nThis deserves commendation because Japan too is on shaky economic
\nground. Hopefully other institutions will follow their lead and
\nprovide other artists with the opportunity to display their works
\nto the public.<\/p>\n
In this time of crisis, artists can no longer rely upon the
\nsale of paintings as their motivation to exhibit. During the art
\nboom, which ended toward the end of 1997, exhibitions were mostly
\nheld to market and sell works of art.<\/p>\n
Today, exhibitions can once again become events where artists
\npresent their works to the public and hope in return to receive
\nan intellectual responses from them, allowing a true art
\ndiscourse to once again flourish.<\/p>",
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