Antara photo gallery aims for the sky

Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta

On Dec. 27, 2002, the Antara Journalistic Photo Gallery (GFJA) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a modest ceremony. Jakarta- based photo journalists got together in the old building that now houses the gallery.

Just like any other building of over 50 years of age, the gallery, put up in Dutch colonial times, is a protected historical building. It stands gracefully on the banks of the Ciliwung river at Jl. Antara No. 59, Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. It is flanked by two other historical buildings -- No. 57 and No. 59 -- which are also protected and have been used by the Antara news agency since 1954.

That night it was Oscar Motuloh who was the happiest man in attendance. Born in Surabaya on Aug. 17, 1959, Motuloh, easily recognizable with his long hair and habitual black T-shirt, vest and jeans, pioneered the establishment of the GFJA and has helped develop the gallery.

Between 1992 and 1998, Yudi Soerjoatmodjo was curator of the gallery. It was Motuloh, however, who suggested to Handjojo Nitimihardjo, then Antara general manager, that Soerjoatmodjo be made GFJA curator.

Even when Soerjoatmodjo was curator of the GFJA, Motuloh, then serving as Antara's photo editor, never stopped providing ideas about how to develop the gallery. In 1998, Soerjoatmodjo resigned because of a difference of principle with Antara's general manager, Parni Hadi. It was then that Motuloh was named curator of the GFJA in place of Soerjoatmodjo.

According to company rules, the GFJA curator also serves as the head of the gallery and the museum (located in the same two- story building). He has authority over the entire gallery/museum management, its human resources, its financial affairs and its programs. He is also accountable directly to Antara's general manager, a post now occupied by Mohamad Sobary.

During the 10 years of its existence, the GFJA, which is a non-profit undertaking and is managed to international standards, has organized 76 photo exhibitions -- 10 percent of which featured the work of overseas photographers in collaboration with foreign cultural centers based in Indonesia.

Some of the photographers who have been featured are Silke Grossman of Germany; Nico Dharmajungen of Indonesia (a German graduate), Antara photographers, Eddy Hasby (Kompas daily), Ray Bachtiar, Rama Surya, Seno Gumira Ajidarma (a student of Muhammadiyah University in Malang), and Republika daily photographer Sonny Soemarsono.

Most of the local photographers exhibiting their work in the GFJA live in Jakarta.

"Inviting our colleagues from the regions is still only a dream although I know full well that they have great potential. I would be very happy to see our colleagues from Surabaya, Medan and other cities exhibit their work at the GFJA," said Motuloh.

It seems to be the standing rule in the GFJA that 40 percent of the eight to 10 photo exhibitions annually must be devoted to young or campus photographers to ensure that a new crop of photo journalists will emerge. Those regularly exhibiting their works include students from the Jakarta Arts Institute and the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) of Yogyakarta. Students from Trisakti University in Jakarta have also exhibited their work there, albeit not regularly.

Antara and other sponsors usually offer Rp 8 million in assistance for every photo exhibition held at the GFJA. Besides, the gallery prepares catalogs and posters.

"Every time we hold an exhibition, we sell the catalogs and the posters. I want to instill the habit of buying posters and catalogs and collecting them into the young, who account for the majority of our community. Before they can afford to buy original photographs worth millions of rupiah, they must get accustomed to buying posters at Rp 10,000 each," Motuloh said.

He said collecting photographs, unlike collecting paintings, had yet to become popular in Indonesia. He was not sure why this should be the case. He admitted, though, that collecting photographs had yet to become a joint agenda among photographers themselves. So, for most photographers, exhibiting their works at the GFJA was purely a means of expression.

"Generally, they are still reluctant to set prices for their work. They care little about money. Perhaps, they earn enough to feed themselves from the media companies they work for," Motuloh explained.

The GFJA is a favorite place for photographers to get together. It is in this building that the Indonesian Photo Journalists Association (PFI) was established. Now this organization boast some 200 members, among them graduates of Antara photo journalism courses.

Motuloh, who teaches photo journalism at the School of Film and Television, the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) and at the Antara Educational and Journalistic Institute, said that although the GFJA had the name of being a journalistic gallery, not all the photographs exhibited were from the news category.

"We also exhibit documentary photographs. What matters is that these photographs must reflect a life value, for example, the photographs with a fine art tendency by Seno Gumira Ajidarma or Roy Genggam," said Motuloh.

Given that photo galleries in Indonesia are still small in number, the GFJA is unique in that it is the only gallery for photo journalism. The reason for this is that its establishment was intended to ensure that photography would continue to be a medium that was reasonably easy to understand and would encourage better comprehension through the presentation, conservation and discussion of photographic works.

The GFJA, which has an annual budget of Rp 75 million, has set up a community photographic society with some 1,200 members today. It organizes discussions and workshops on photography. Besides, it publishes periodicals and encourages joint ventures with sponsors.

"Our long-term target is to make the GFJA a center of photography in Indonesia with adequate integral elements to serve its functions well in both the domestic and foreign communications communities," said Motuloh.

As part of the efforts to modernize itself, the GFJA is shortly to be provided with, among other things, a library and a bookshop.