Apotik Komik uses drums to create unique artwork

By Nuraini Juliastuti

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Ari Dyanto was standing in front of his work, saying: "I made it according to the curator's request. Because our group Apotik Komik often uses low-budget materials such as carboards and used drums like these, this work can easily be transported as cargo and does not create trouble for the organizer."

He then demonstrated how to transport the work by joining the two halves of a drum, saying, "It is very easy! You can put it into a container."

That evening at the Fort Vredeburg Museum in Yogyakarta a program named Artists' Talk was held. Each artist participating in the exhibition called "Awas! (Beware!) Recent art from Indonesia" presented their work to the public. The first stage of the exhibition took place from Oct. 11 to Oct. 15, 1999, in Yogyakarta.

The exhibition will travel around the world: to Australia (Australian Center for Contemporary Art in Melbourne and Cairns Regional Gallery in Cairns), Japan (Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art in Hiroshima and Hokkaido Asahikawa Museum of Art in Asahikawa), Germany (Asian Fine Arts Factory, Berlin) and other European countries. The exhibition is scheduled to end in 2001.

The works of Apotik Komik in this exhibition represented by a collaborative effort from Ari Dyanto, Samuel Indratma and Popok Tri Wahyudi, possess the group's characteristic style. They have lively bright colors, use many activities with symbols, are comical and made in a spirit of joyful playfulness.

These works consist of used photocopier ink drums cut vertically and arranged upright. The cutting is carried out in such a way that if the two halves of a drum are joined the whole will appear from the outside just like an ordinary drum. The body of the halves is then drawn on and completed with figures made from cardboard glued in such a way as to emerge from the inside of the drum. Other objects and texts -- both self-made and advertisements or news items taken from the media -- appear on the drums. This particular collaboration carries the title "Under Estimate". Its theme describes the artists' views on art world phenomena and artist-curator-collector-community relationships.

In the second stack of drums is a picture of three men wearing black hats, glasses and shirts against the background of a red painted drum. They are holding a newspaper named "Art News". The man in the middle says, "Okay guys, here it is! The next work is for the market!" But the man on his left says, "Wait! What's the issue, the ideology or the message?" The man on his right continues, "Yeah ... what about the size, weight, space, is it worth it?" The three appear to be art dealers or brokers. In the upper part, the following is written: "Curator line, do not cross."

Let us have a look at the other drums. The fifth stack of drums says: "history began ... when we all together hand in hand, side by side, realized that fate is in our hands and it's our right to work on building up our legacy ... a little help from the outside is ok as long as it is not them who control everything just because they have their own ...". By "those outside" the artists are perhaps referring to those who play a role in the art world like curators, collectors or art dealers. Underneath there is a figure of a man in a red hat and in black clothes. On his chest is written the word "artist". He is smiling, but rather uncomfortably because his hands are handcuffed. Under his hand large scale letters announce: "this could be a bestseller."

The words "Young and Talented Artists" is on the sixth stack of drums. In front, there is a picture of a young man on an airplane with the text "international routes". This may be an insinuation (or a hope) that every artist who considered or is considering themselves to be "young and talented" will find their way and obtain a name in the international world (symbolized in this work by the phrase "international routes").

The most attractive description of the work's theme appears on the seventh drum. A small house constructed of cardboard has been built. In front is a gaping box; inside a longitudinal plane so that two photos can be placed upright in the house. The two photos appear to depict the same scene but from different angles. Mella Jaarsma, Damon Moon (these two persons and M. Dwi Marianto and Alexandra Kuss are the curators of this exhibition), Samuel Indratma, Popok Tri Wahyudi and Ari Dyanto appear in the photos. They are discussing something. The caption in the first photograph says "invest a little". The second one says "get a lot". In front of the two photos a separate caption refers to "a utopian community".

Samuel Indratma when asked why he is attracted to this kind of theme says: "I would be embarrassed if I had to refer to big themes like violence, etc. In my opinion it must be done with a wider and bigger public. I thought why should I not use a theme that is close to my world and my own audience, i.e. the art audience. In that way I can laugh at art."

It is interesting to pay a close look at the works by Apotik Komik because of their unique forms and theme. As well as Apotik Komik, 13 artists also took part in this exhibition. They are Agung Kurniawan, Bunga Jeruk, Heri Dono, Arahmaiani, Hanura Hosea, Popok Tri Wahyudi, Tisna Sanjaya, Samuel Indratma, Krisna Murti, Nindityo Aidpurnomo, S. Teddy D., Eddie Hara and Agus Suwage. Most of them draw their inspiration from political matters.