1994: From tragic accident to magazines' ban
1994: From tragic accident to magazines' ban
By Amir Sidharta
JAKARTA (JP): The photographs shown at Antara
Photojournalistic Gallery's Flashback 1994, exhibition don't just
remind viewers of what happened in 1994. The photographs,
recording a year filled with the struggle toward development and
democracy as well as against a number of natural disasters, also
stress the importance of humanity.
Curator and photo editor Oscar Motuloh has embraced a
"Photography for Humanity" theme. He hopes to present humans not
merely as the object of photos, but as a subject playing an
active role in the picture. Yudhi, chief curator of the gallery,
stresses that the exhibit also tries to emphasize the central
role of the photographer "as a human being whose heart beats
faster in face of injustice."
The show's 58 photographs were selected from more than 4,000
images taken last year and represent a wide range of subjects.
Spot news photographs predominate. Many illustrate the nation's
struggle toward democracy. It seems more opinions were voiced
last year compared to previous years, whether they were
considered acceptable is a different matter.
In March, in response to a fatal accident involving a
recklessly driven Metro Mini, crowds ran amok and destroyed
several Metro Mini buses. At the Al-Azhar mosque in May, several
men eagerly volunteered to help defend Bosnian Moslems.
Photographs are no longer just representations of an event. A
photograph can tell more. It can show the duality that exists
between governments and the people. One photo shows hundreds of
employees from the banned Tempo, DeTik and Editor magazines, in
black T-shirts bearing the exclamation "Yes!", peeking through
the silhouetted figures of police in the foreground. The dark
figures create a barrier between the viewer and victims of
injustice. Another image shows a worried woman looking through an
opening in a wall in the midst of the debris of Bendungan Hilir's
September inferno. Outside the ruins of the room, stand two riot
police on patrol. The photograph, part of a series that attempts
to reveal the entire incident, does more to evoke questions than
to provide factual information. What happened? Why?
The exhibition is not limited to photographs presenting images
of prominent figures or important events. The curators also
included photographs illustrating the daily life of common
people. One portrays the atmosphere in a schoolroom at the State
Grade School Sumber Bahagia in Bekasi. The teachers and students,
struggling to pursue knowledge, take turns using the one
remaining classroom in the decrepit school building.
In addition to the images of daily life, the exhibition
includes a photo essay about a driver of the vanishing oplet
cabs that used to clog Jakarta's streets. Apparently, there are
only six left in the city.
Photo essays, portraying life of "everyday people", are
usually compiled between assignments, according to the
photographer's own pace and interest. They are therefore a
photographer's personal and passionate account of human life as
well as of their own perception and sensitivity. In creating
photo essays, the photographer must treat human beings as the
subject, not the object of his image. The photographer takes on
the primary role of creator -- as opposed to the executor of a
photo.
The rather slanted view of the exhibition is a diversion from
the journalistic principle of objectivity. But what is
objectivity anyway? Many Indonesians have come to realize that
what has been considered an objective viewpoint is actually the
subjective view of the so-called majority.
A good exhibition needs to convey a strong message. This one,
supported with a fine selection of passionate images, reminds us
of the importance of human life and humanity.
Flashback 1994, at the Antara Photojournalistic Gallery, Jl.
Pasar Baru 59, Central Jakarta, has been extended to the end of
the month.