A worthwhile exhibition gets scant attention

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): People are invited to discover Indonesia's rich heritage through an art exhibition at the National Museum called East Meets West.

Organized jointly by the National Museum, United Nations Education and Culture Organization (UNESCO) and Lokaswara foundation, the event mainly aims to increase the awareness of Indonesians, youths in particular, on the country's centuries-old traditions. The exhibition, previously scheduled to run until Sept. 20, will end on Saturday night. The change in schedule is due to renovations being done at the museum.

Suwati Kartiwa, director of the National Museum, says it is very important to reintroduce old traditions to the younger generation so that they can appreciate their precious heritage.

"There is concern that there will be a 'missing link' between our past and present if we do not work hard to understand and to preserve our traditions in a proper way," she said.

The exhibition, displaying a myriad of indigenous arts of three different communities from North Sumatra's Nias island, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya, primarily serves as a reminder of the country's past radiance.

Curator Franki Raden explained that the term East Meets West symbolically represents the culture of people in the western part of Indonesia (Nias), in the central part (Kalimantan) and the eastern part (Irian Jaya) of the country.

"These exhibits are a very small part of the lavish and bountiful traditional works of art which through the centuries have been strongly connected to every aspect of the people's lives and traditions in these three respective areas," he said.

For people from the advanced world, with their comprehensive knowledge of science and technology, encountering this "ancient world" may be an enchanting experience.

The exhibits are on view in an unfinished exhibition hall in the right wing of the National Museum.

"The atmosphere in this unpolished hall is suited to the mood of this exhibition, which emphasizes the displaying of arts which possess spiritual values," said Franki.

A number of human-sized wooden statues from Kalimantan and Nias greet visitors to this archaic world.

The exhibition starts with a collection of Nias art originating from the megalithic period.

There is a tuff stone statue and a tiger-like statue, said to possess potent powers to chase away evil spirit.

Sampudong Hampotong (Wooden Sculpture), made of blackwood, portrays an Italian man wearing a cylindrical hat.

In addition to sculptures, there are various artworks from Nias such as bronze and silver swords, dance costumes and household items.

Nias island, called Tanah Niha by the local people, is located 80 kilometers off the west coast of Sumatra in the Indonesian Ocean.

The tribal people on the island, who call themselves Ono Niha (children of the people), still maintain their age-old traditions among the well-preserved megalithic structures.

Although the majority of Nias people are Christian, they remain faithful to their ancestral belief of Malehe Aus or Fanemba Adu. The Nias items displayed in this exhibition are mostly used for both social and religious purposes.

From Kalimantan, visitors will catch a glimpse of the lives of the island's hinterland communities, the Dayaks, through their artwork.

According to the famous anthropologist H.J. Malincrodt, the indigenous people of Kalimantan, the Dayaks, can be classified into six subtribes: the Kenyah, the Ot Danum, the Iban, the Murut, the Punan and the Klemantan,

The Dayak living in the hinterland of Kalimantan still adhere to their ancestral animism, which in some areas is known as Kaharingan, which literally means "water for living".

The adherents believe in the existence of spirits and souls, which inhabit certain objects of nature, such as big boulders and trees.

Art creations displayed at the museum comprise decorative and religious items ranging from traditional weapons, lavish bead work, to statues, toys, masks, coffins and other items which are used by the people for various religious and spiritual activities.

The ironwood statues representing human beings and animals are part of the Dayak's ancestral religion. There are basically a few types of statues in Kalimantan: statues for traditional ceremonies, decorative statues and family statues which are personifications of ancestors and deceased members of a family.

The items represent a variety of symbols. Symbolization is lavishly exercised during rituals of worship in these communities. Masks, which are among the most important trappings of rituals of worship, have symbolical significance which is associated with morals and the unceasing conflict between good and evil.

The traditional houses of the Dayaks in which such rituals are held are adored with figures bearing themes embodying the various meanings of and relationships in life.

Symbols as expressions of tradition have always attracted the attention of anthropologists. Numerous studies have been made of such symbols for the purpose of gaining insight into the background of the ethnic traditions.

Traces of Micronesian culture are found in various stone statues and structural forms from the country's eastern-most province Irian Jaya.

The exhibition displays a large number of works produced by the Asmat, the Dani, the Yah'ray and other tribes.

Among the distinguished works is the ship of the soul which is symbolically used to transport the dead on their journey to the hereafter. A 20-meter tall tree house of the Korowai people stands outside the exhibition hall.

All the exhibits will be presented by UNESCO to the National Museum as part of its collection of traditional arts.

On a whole, the exhibition is worth seeing despite its shortcomings. Poor promotion and the absence of catalogs that would give visitors the chance to understand the exhibits have stopped people from visiting the museum.

In a society that largely ignores museums, more serious efforts to lure the public to the museum must be made, otherwise all significant programs held there could be for nothing.