Vibrant visual arts scene encapsulates the soul<\/p>\n
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For the art world 2005 was a year of milestones, one of which no
\ndoubt was the 20th anniversary of Edwin Gallery which was
\ncelebrated with a major extension of the premises and a memorable
\nexhibition of selected works by artists who had been part of the
\ngallery's history.<\/p>\n
The anniversary also induced the birth of the Indonesian
\nGallery Association, which intends to set strategies and
\nregulations for the dos and don'ts for artists, galleries and
\nauctions in the art commerce world.<\/p>\n
The vibrancy in the arts this year was marked by numerous
\nexhibitions and the emergence of new auction houses, like
\nHeritage (a sister company of Master Piece auction house) and
\nSidharta Auctioneer, launched at the beginning of this month.<\/p>\n
The Borobudur auction house set its mark by successfully
\nlaunching its first auction outside the country (Singapore).
\nWhile Sidharta Auctioneer (in Jakarta) distinguished itself from
\nother auction houses with a more than usual affordable
\ncollection, the Borobudur Auction house (in Singapore) made it a
\npoint to present only the masters in the visual arts.<\/p>\n
No doubt women took center stage, with the 100-year-old
\nMasmundari appearing in a solo exhibition of works that could be
\nclassified from folk art to contemporary art.<\/p>\n
Rita Widagdo, the German-born Indonesian grande dame of
\nsculpture, showed her impeccable oeuvre with a retrospective of
\n100 works, and even went beyond that with the launch of her
\nsuperb oeuvre at Summarecon Kelapa Gading to mark the company's
\n30th anniversary.<\/p>\n
Yani Mariani Sastranegara, who jumped from monolith sculptures
\nto splendid installation art works in 2002, this year was a star
\nof the Indonesian delegation in Venice, while her huge white
\ncocoons amid the lush gardens of the Arma Museum in Ubud belonged
\nto the cutting edge of the Bali Biennale.<\/p>\n
The same can be said of Titarubi, the star of the second and
\nlast CP Biennale here, whose truck filled with (ceramic) corpses
\nmight have given an impression of Jews on their way to the gas
\nchamber, but might also refer to victims of colonial times (the
\ntruck being a vehicle for sugarcane transportation here), or
\nmight ultimately talk of mass killings in our time.<\/p>\n
Dyan Anggraeni's solo exhibition at CSIS on the political
\ndiscourse in the country reflected a bold analysis unusual for a
\nwoman artist. Sidharta Auctioneer's main focus on Emiria Sunassa
\nin their inaugural auction was another notable mark in relation
\nto women artists.<\/p>\n
Amid an almost exuberant sculpture art, the sculptures of
\nTeguh Ostenrik, a non-Catholic, is worth noting. Featuring Jesus
\nChrist and the Roman Catholic pantheon of saints and scenes at
\nNadi Gallery here, and his Corpus Christi bathing in a pool on
\nthe premises of the Ubud Arma Museum, they worked as an antidote
\nto radical notions of religious nature.<\/p>\n
Three biennales marked the second half of the year. While this
\nmay have seemed too much initially -- both for participating
\nartists as well as for the viewing public -- as they proceeded,
\nthey appeared to become a beacon amid socio-political and
\neconomic uncertainties.<\/p>\n
As this year end report is being submitted, preparations for
\nthe 8th Yogya Biennale are in full swing, and the only comment
\navailable today is that participating works will be exposed in
\nheritage-valued places.<\/p>\n
Bali's first ever Biennale kicked off on Nov. 27 and will run
\nthrough early 2006. It is imbued with an invigorating sensation
\nas the selected choices of the curators unfold in a wide variety
\nof works emanating creative dynamics.<\/p>\n
A special focus on cartoon\/comics in the Bali Biennale's
\nCartoon Pavilion at the Danes Art Veranda in Denpasar seems to
\nsolidify the rise of this trend in the visual arts scene.<\/p>\n
The second -- and the last -- CP Biennale which closed on Oct.
\n5 might primarily be remembered for its controversy with the
\nIslam Defenders Front and its curator's emotional response of
\ndeclaring this their last biennale.<\/p>\n
Other highlights of the year included attention drawn to paper
\nmaking as well as to paper as a material in the making of visual
\nart works.<\/p>\n
Indonesian paper art artist Setiawan Sabana's works at Bentara
\nBudaya exemplified the versatile quality of paper and its ability
\nto move between fragility and robustness. The works of a group of
\nDutch paper artists at the Dutch Cultural Center Erasmus Huis
\nfeatured jewelry, sculptures and wall decorations based on
\nWestern paper making, while Mexican Sergio Lopez Orozco's works
\nat Arma Bali Museum drew attention to the ancient Balinese
\nKamasan art made on ulan taga (bark cloth) paper, which had the
\nsame characteristics as the paper the Mexican artist used for his
\noeuvre, i.e. amate paper made with ancient Mexican techniques.<\/p>\n
Landscapes and still lifes, the art of yore, may have
\ndisappeared for some time, but they're making a comeback, if the
\nvirtually sold-out works of the Jendela and Sakato groups showing
\nat Nadi's gallery this year are a sign.<\/p>\n
A cooperation between master artist Jeihan Sukmanto and noted
\nplaywright Ratna Sarumpaet in the staging of Sarumpaet's latest
\nsoul-searching play Pelacur dan Sang Presiden (The Prostitute and
\nthe President) was an awe-inspiring experience.<\/p>\n
Performed by the young actors and actresses of Satu Merah
\nPanggung theater troupe at Balai Sudirman, on a stage with
\nselected monumental sculptures from Jeihan's most recent
\ninspiration, it may be seen as a groundbreaking event that calls
\nfor more of the kind.<\/p>\n
The issue of humanity that rings through in the play as well
\nas Jeihan's sculptures brings back the memory of the great German
\nartist Guenther Uecker's retrospective exhibition, a cooperation
\nbetween Goethe Institut Jakarta -- the German IFA (Institution
\nfor Foreign Cultural Affairs -- and Bentara Budaya Gallery here
\nearlier in the year, which referred to the very core of art: to
\nevoke the stirring of the soul.<\/p>",
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