2003, a dynamic year for visual arts

2003, a dynamic year for visual arts

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta

The year 2003 may well enter history as one of the most dynamic in terms of visual arts. At the same time, it also deserves to be called the year of the private sector in the arts.

Marked by at least four events that sought to bring a new wind into the world of art, it saw private individuals and collectors invest large amounts of their own money into the development of the visual arts.

If collectors had their own private agenda in the past, this year they saw the light and, breaking out of the limited desires of personal preferences, followed a greater vision for art.

Arguably, the CP Open Biennale, announced in January and held in September 2003, set the tone. The first of its kind in Indonesia -- pluralistic, national plus and arranged through private finance and organization, it aimed to place Indonesia on the international map of fine arts, with curator Jim Supangkat launching a new concept -- "Art with an Accent" -- and collector- cum-entrepreneur Djie Tjianan sponsoring the event out of his own pocket.

Whether it can be considered a success remains to be seen, but while there was severe criticisms in regards the quality of the exhibited pieces, the public raved over the event as a whole for setting the scene for unusual dynamics and expectations.

In the wake of this event came the Yogyakarta Biennale, not comparable on an equal scale because of its being restricted to the Yogya sphere, but noteworthy in itself and evoking heated discussions on its curator's vision and selection process. The virtually installations-only event was made possible by the private purse and lots of goodwill.

The Philip Morris Awards returned as the Indonesian Asian Art Awards (IAAA) and now a biannual event, to select the five best works for the regional art competition in 2004.

Increasingly prominent, the Indofood Awards this year stood out by making selections based on the actual work, and not on the basis of portfolio pictures only.

Interestingly, apart from the Yogya Biennale's orientation toward installation art, the CP Open Biennale, the IAAA and the Indofood Awards shared the same vision of aesthetic pluralism and included photography, hanging installations and what would usually be categorized as crafts in their exhibit line-up.

An artist of note in the last genre is I Made Sujana (Suklu), who evolved from basketry in the CP Open Biennale to mixed media -- looking like craft transposed on canvas -- for both the IAAA and Indofood Awards.

Likewise, Yusra Martunus, who created hanging installations of aluminum forms arranged in seemingly monotonous, repetitive rows along an entire canvas, made an impression at both the CP-OB and IAAA.

Gender-wise, works by women artists tended to be very strong, with outstanding pieces by Yani Mariani Sastranegara, whose stirring stone installation left an enduring impression on whoever gazed upon it; Astari Rasjid, whose heavy iron sculpture of an incised bag reflected the current human condition; Arahmaiani, who made a simple but telling video about disappearing love; and Mella Jaarsma's down-to-earth installation capturing the most pertinent issues facing mankind across the world at the CP-OB.

Among the best five at the IAAA was Ayu Arista Murti, with her conspicuous digital photographic work, while the Yogya Biennale showed Mella Jaarsma's stirring pieces, Sekar Jatiningrum's beautiful drawings and Bunga Jeruk's clever way of creating mood and atmosphere in her installations.

Meanwhile, although the Women Art exhibition organized by Institut Ungu may not have been significant in terms of quality, it revealed a growing dynamic among women artists and sculptors, spreading to cities outside Jakarta.

Likewise, the first-ever Indonesian women photographers' exhibition was a clear sign of the changing times and trends.

An increasing openness and acceptance in public opinion marked the first exhibition of gay photographers here.

While the market-oriented trend of previous years seems to have subsided, this does not mean such orientation was overtaken by pure idealistic visions -- as was evident from Agus Suwage's controversial solo exhibition, in which the work to be displayed sold out before the exhibition opened. This was also evident in the fervor of the association of Indonesian sculptors (API), who desire a slice of the art scene mostly consumed by painters, and of other non-painter artists, as revealed in the catalogs of auction houses like Larasati.

But commercialism need not exclude benevolent, idealistic actions in the name of art development. Local collector and entrepreneur Tjahyadi Kumala, for instance, had a desire to share the wealth of his personal collection -- and thus established the Art Retreat in Singapore this year, the first private museum featuring a collection of 1,500 pieces, including those by Indonesian masters.

The only notable Indonesian auction house, Larasati, which is fast becoming Sotheby's match in Singapore, works along a vision for establishing Indonesian art within the Asian and Asia-Pacific realms.

Meanwhile, a group of Indonesian collectors saw the need to improve their knowledge of genuine art, and founded the Indonesia Art Lovers' Association (ASPI), which offers workshops and lectures with prominent speakers on art and art development. It is also in the process of publishing an art magazine.

A very encouraging sign also came from the malls, with Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia giving due attention to familiarizing the public with works of Indonesia's foremost contemporary visual artists.

The ripples of these great dynamics spread beyond the national borders, as Indonesians were also active abroad. After a long absence, the Indonesian pavilion appeared again at the Venice Biennale, while Heri Dono's conspicuous painting The Trojan Cow appeared among the works of international artists at the Arsenale.

Individually or in a group, our artists went international, with the last group of the year exhibiting at the 18th International Art Exhibition in Hong Kong.

While Indonesian artists made a name abroad, foreign artists were no less active in Indonesia. For instance, the Russian Contemporary Artists exhibition introduced the Indonesian public to the splendors of Russian Realism bordering on Surrealism.

Chinese artists also continued to mesmerize the public, as in "From China with Art", an exhibition presenting the works of 16 contemporary Chinese artists and a stunning depth of meaning and philosophy. Likewise -- but of yet another genre -- were the works of Shi Hu, whose traditional roots were tangible in pieces marked by a touch of the poetic and the grotesque, the absurd and the ambience of mystical fairy tales.

Last, but not least, four Chinese avant-garde artists gave the CP-OB a necessary boost, exposing a unique way of translating traditional knowledge and critique into the world of art.

As the year closes, many may ponder the extraordinary artistic, aesthetic and genre-related dynamics of the year. Will this newfound joie de art continue into the next year?

Let's just wait and see.