Wardiman opens design students exhibition<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Design students from 12 universities and
\ncolleges are displaying their creations during a week-long
\nexhibition at the National Museum in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The exhibition, opened yesterday by Minister of Education
\nWardiman Djojonegoro, is part of Design Month '95, held by the
\nIndonesian Craft Design Development Foundation to stimulate the
\npublic's appreciation of design.<\/p>\n
The exhibition includes designs of interiors, toys, packaging,
\nstamps and a model of a waste treatment and disposal vehicle.<\/p>\n
The designs on display are the winning works from a contest
\nheld by the foundation recently. The winners, to be formally
\nannounced on Oct. 2, were selected from among the contestants who
\nsent in designs in the toy, souvenir, pearl jewelry and other
\ncategories.<\/p>\n
The participating universities and colleges are from Jakarta,
\nBali, Yoygakarta, Solo, Bandung and Semarang. Students of the new
\nPelita Harapan University in Tangerang are also participating.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the opening of the exhibition, the small space
\nprovided for the display prompted one visitor to complain that
\nthe show does not provide a proper look at the process of design.<\/p>\n
Primadi Tabrani of the Fine Arts Department of the Bandung
\nInstitute of Technology said appreciation of design must include
\nunderstanding of its process.<\/p>\n
"It would be unfair to pass judgment based on the end product
\nalone," Primadi said.<\/p>\n
Information on how a design is made, he added, might reveal
\nwhether a college or university with relatively poor facilities
\ncan nevertheless produce an exceptional design.<\/p>\n
The discussion following the opening of the exhibit, during
\nwhich Primadi was one of the speakers, revealed limited
\nunderstanding of design, even within the profession.<\/p>\n
Primadi urged students to venture beyond technical skills and
\nthe physical aspects of design to and understand thoroughly the
\nbackground of their objects.<\/p>\n
For instance, he said, "We cannot view the reliefs of the
\nBorobudur temple (in Central Java) from the point of view of
\nwestern esthetic values."<\/p>\n
Noted batik designer Iwan Tirta said he conducts extensive
\nresearch on Central Javanese dance, music and language in seeking
\nto understand the region's batik.<\/p>\n
A lecturer from the Surabaya Technological Institute, Agus
\nWindharto, pointed out the lack of industrial product designers
\nin the country.<\/p>\n
"We only have 280 product designers ... compared to 900 in
\nSingapore, 3,000 in Hong Kong and 650 in Malaysia," said
\nWindharto, who is also an advisor at the Bandung-based PT
\nIndustri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara, IPTN.<\/p>\n
He urged designers to realize they are the key part of
\nresearch and development units who must work together with
\nspecialists in a number of disciplines.<\/p>\n
"We should also invite product designers from outside
\nuniversities and colleges to give lectures," he said. "A product
\ndesigner from an automobile manufacturer would be much more
\nuseful to students than a lecturer who only theorizes about
\ndesigning."<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that product designers are not yet recognized
\nas a necessity in Indonesia because the subsidiaries of foreign
\nmanufacturing plants here simply follow designs sent from company
\nheadquarters. (anr)<\/p>",
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