'Wearable' show promotes Asia Pacific artists<\/p>\n
By Chandra Johan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In a country where law and justice are not
\nupheld, people feel unsafe and uncomfortable. As they can no
\nlonger count on the security apparatus, they make every effort to
\nprotect themselves in a variety of ways. Those who have money buy
\npistols or other guns. More women take self-defense classes or
\neven wear the controversial anti-rape corset created by a Bandung
\nengineer.<\/p>\n
Last May, when anti-Chinese riots rocked the city, some people
\nwrote on the walls of their houses or shops: Indigenous Property,
\nMuslim Property, The Property of Haj So and So, or
\nProreformation. Others affixed prayer mats or wrote Koran verses
\non the buildings. It might seem absurd, but in fact, the texts
\nand signs were used as a form of protection. Why must military
\ntroops, the police, civilian security officers, or even political
\nparty security members wear certain uniforms identified by
\nspecial colors? We could see the uniforms as a means to protect
\nthemselves. However, in the public's subconscious, a military
\nuniform provokes fear and nervousness when spotted.<\/p>\n
In contemporary art, the meaning of signs in every object is
\npart of what is explored, as opposed to the shape or \"intrinsic\"
\nbeauty of a piece. Everything we wear, whether it is a hat, a
\nshirt, trousers, shoes and so on, has a certain meaning and
\nvalue.<\/p>\n
These meanings and values are explored by a number of
\ncontemporary artists from the Asia Pacific region in a touring
\nexhibition with the theme Wearable. The first exhibition, held in
\nGaleri Padi, Bandung, finished earlier this month. It will move
\non to Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta, and later in the year come to
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
According to the curator of the exhibition Rifky Effendi,
\nWearable had its genesis in November 1998. He talked to the
\nartists in person, by phone, fax or e-mail. Rifky says the
\nproject will last until the year 2000 or 2001 and may later tour
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
Wearable was created from recent observations and experiences
\non Indonesian social life. Wearable literally means \"something
\nwhich can be worn\" for comfort, beauty, and, at the same time,
\nsafety. In society this term is associated with the discourse of
\nfashion. \"But, according to my interpretation this term is
\nassociated with values of protection, self-confidence and
\nself-identity,\" Rifki Effendi said. In other words, because it
\npossesses value, it can be worn according to the context.<\/p>\n
Participating in the exhibition are Astari Rasjid, Gani
\nRuswandi, W. Christiawan, Mella Jaarsma and Alexandra J. Wuisan
\n(all from Indonesia), Damon Moon (Australia), Midora Hirota
\n(Japan), France Alleblas (Holland), Mongkol Pilengbangchang
\n(Thailand), Minako Saitoh (Japan), David Sequeira (Australia) and
\nChoi Jeong-Hwa and Hyesung Park (South Korea).<\/p>\n
Astari Rasjid presents an installation work Pseudo-Security.
\nThis work explores the kebaya dress (women's blouse, the front of
\nwhich is pinned together) and its attributes in Javanese feudal
\nsociety. The piece triggers the question whether clothes define
\nour body and self-identity, but at the same time hide our true
\nself. According to Astari's interpretation, the kebaya phenomenon
\nin Javanese society is still apparent: every uniform in society
\ncovers up identity.<\/p>\n
Damon Mood from Australia presents the installation Peci
\nStack: a pile of peci (national cap) in the form of a pyramid.
\nFor Damon, a peci is a neutral object -- an Indonesian
\ncharacteristic, not an ethnic attribute. The pyramid form depicts
\na bad social system, in which most people -- represented by the
\nlower section -- bear burdens, while at the very top, a small
\nnumber of people lead an easy life all the time.<\/p>\n
Hi, Inlander, an installation by Mella Jaarsma, invites us to
\nconsider the meaning of \"indigenousness\". (Inlander is the term
\nused by the Dutch colonialists for indigenous people.) The artist
\nhas covered a doll with the skin of a frog, to question the
\ngovernment's policies regarding \"swike eaters\". Swike are Chinese
\nfrog dishes. Clearly, the artist is referring to swike eaters as
\nthe Chinese-Indonesians.<\/p>\n
David Sequeira from Australia combines an Indonesian
\ntraditional dress design with the camouflage gear of the military
\nin Inside Out. Adorning Indonesian traditional clothes with
\nmilitary designs, David semiotically refers to the bureaucratic
\nfeudalism and power, present in all facets of Indonesian life,
\nincluding art and culture.<\/p>\n
Alexandra J. Wuisan presents a paper torso titled infinity. It
\ntakes the shape of a dress, but without any sewing and without
\nany attributes to indicate social meaning. With infinity, he
\nsuggest that a dress that has not been sewn, has superior meaning
\nas a dress, not as a symbol, and therefore can exist in an
\ninfinite situation, space and time.<\/p>\n
In addition to installations, photography, drawings and
\npaintings are also on show.<\/p>\n
It is interesting to see Ruswandi Abdul Gani's Aesthetic's
\nBody, Body's Aesthetic, a photography work of a row of figures
\nmaking various gestures. Body painting becomes a new
\nrepresentation. We are invited not merely to consider the beauty
\nof the body, but also the painting of the body, or the
\narrangement of this in his photos. In his work we also face
\nsemantic problems.<\/p>\n
Mongkol Pilenbangchang presents a mixed-media installation art
\nwork in Bloody Flag and asks us some basic questions: where has
\ndemocracy gone? Where have all the victims gone? What do we live
\nfor? What do we die for? Such quandaries are not only raised in
\nMongkol's work, they are also presented by Minako Saitoh in
\nBehind the Mood, Frances Alleblas in Reunion, W. Christiawan in
\nGet well soon, Indonesia and in Choi Jeoung's video-installation
\non Korean culture. Gender questions are posed in Astari's work
\nand Hyesung Park's.<\/p>\n
The Wearable project offers an interesting discourse on the
\nIndonesian motif in contemporary art.<\/p>",
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