A show of solidarity for Kuta through photos

A show of solidarity for Kuta through photos

Jay Shelley, Contributor, Jakarta

Foreigners searching for their missing friends' bodies, Balinese
Hindu priests sprinkling purifying water at the bombsites, melted
Coke and Bintang bottles, funerals. Some of these you will
recognize from publications, most you will not and are exclusive
to this exhibit, chosen to be shared with Jakarta's Galeri Foto
Jurnalistik Antara.

Kuta Kita, or "Our Kuta", is a collection of photographs by
Bali-based photographers, starting from moments after the blast
until days later, during the aftermath. Some of the
photographers are already household names, like Komang Parwata
and Rama Surya, but most are still undiscovered on a national
level, which makes this exhibition an interesting mix of styles.

Although there is some variation in subjects, chosen or
spontaneous, most illustrate a documentation of events and lack
hidden stories or true emotional moments. And, true to form,
there is a certain repetition -- groups of people, big crowds, a
ceremony.

A good picture should be worth at least a thousand words, with
a story easily understood. When one contemplates a picture it
should speak and explain itself. Many of these pictures stay
silent. For example: while old men in white ceremonial dress
walking among ruins is easily understood, one would be hard
pressed to understand why that particular person at that
particular place, or a room full of people in apparent sleep (to
the uneducated eye) is the focus of the story. This is where
captions come into play: However, there are none.

One gets the feel that there is no beginning, middle or end to
each individual set of photos. Once again, repetition contributes
to this feeling. For example, two of the few pictures enlarged to
poster size are of a crowd of peace-loving people, a mix of
Balinese, Western and general Indonesians, sitting and standing
near a pillar painted with peaceful messages in a few languages.
One photo is of a frontal view and the other is simply a close-up
with a slight change of angle, both of the same thing.

Some viewers thought it lacked the style of special effects
commonly used nowadays, such as extreme, wide-angle distortions
or tilted horizons, which sometimes contribute to the artistic
feel. And true, there have been more eye-catching and emotionally
moving exhibits.

But one should remember, this is a symbolic gathering, trying
to depict the human element and consequences of the horrible
tragedy. This is not an exercise in modern art.

During the opening ceremony, all those who attended stood in
silence, a powerful way of commemorating the deceased, praying
for the injured and giving thanks for those who survived.

As one guest said, "This is an attempt at solidarity with
'Bali' as the terrorist attack is known now. A chance for
Jakartans to see what happened from a perspective somewhat
different to what was seen in the newspapers and magazines."

Don't expect a mass of horror and emotion, but it's well worth
a visit and some post-"Bali" thought.

-- Kuta Kita at Galeri Foto Jurnalistik Antara, Jl. Antara No.
59 Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta (Tel. 3458771), until Dec. 13,
2000.