Artists make disability a state of mind

Ingvild Solvang, Contributor, Jakarta

Norwegian painter Ivar Jordre may be living proof that physical disability is a state of mind and a technological challenge rather than a physical problem.

With the help of an electric wheel chair and good Indonesian friends, traveling from arctic Norway to tropical Indonesia has become an almost yearly event for him. This month, until May 20, he has taken the initiative to hold an exhibition together with a group of Indonesian painting students from the rehabilitation center Yakkum in Yogyakarta.

The exhibition, held in ViaVia cafe is titled Kuch Kuch Roda (wheel) Hai playing on the title of an Indian movie hit, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai meaning "something happens". The humorous title is chosen to challenge the notion that people with disabilities are disabled. They can indeed make things happen!

"In 1989 I came here for the first time with the help of a Norwegian friend," Jordre remembers. "That year I met a becak driver, who since then, and together with his family, has offered me a place to stay and the assistance I need, which has made it possible to come here by myself. I am fascinated by Indonesia, and this fascination and love for this beautiful country, together with my personal experience as a person with a disability, made me want to work together with people here with physical challenges."

"I hope to be able to contribute to making their voices heard. At the same time the exhibition will be a meeting between cultures, the Javanese and the Norwegian. Although we share some similar experiences as people with disabilities, our cultural and socio-economic positions are very different. At this cultural crossroad we hope to be able to show some of these differences because they add new dimensions to issues of disability, the world over."

Jordre, who was educated in art in Norway, is convinced that it is possible to raise awareness and shed light on important aspects of the lives of people with disabilities through art.

Marginality has been a predominant theme of contemporary art, and art has been a means to challenge the status quo values and power structures, he argues.

Messages conveyed through art aim to open our eyes and minds to give us new perspectives and ideas. In this way art and creativity are inevitable aspects of human relations, and the engine of societies in change, which includes all human societies at all times. In an optimal world, this engine is allowed to run smoothly, free of censorship and forced limitations.

Nevertheless, in the art world not everyone is given the appropriate space. As we are eager to define art and creativity, some groups of society are confined to their marginal position, and their work is defined in the light of marginality.

"The world according to ..." is followed by labels, "a woman", "a homosexual", "and a disabled". The marginal become marginalized by definitions, and are denied the right to an individual identity, and the authority to speak of matters not related to his or her qualities".

It is important to point out that a main theme of this exhibition is peace and anti-war. Puji Rahayu, one of the Indonesian painters says, "by this we show that people with physical challenges have opinions about everything, and really care about the world, just like everybody else, the problem is that in Indonesia we are rarely given space and opportunity to speak out on these things. We are rarely asked our opinion."

The wheel chair is used in the paintings and drawings as an object of creativity, which Jordre explains, gives the painting powerful statements because the wheelchair represents experience and emotions of the painters.

Furthermore, Puji adds, when talking about peace and anti-war, the wheelchair pinpoints the suffering of victims of war, something that we, who have physical challenges, may be better equipped to understand because of our personal experiences. Still, we are not asked our opinion.

Puji Rahayu, Marwan Adi Suhendro, Endang and Kukuh Kristiono Adi, are four of the 13 Indonesian painters of the exhibition. They all are connected to the rehabilitation center Yakkum. Every weekend they participate in classes of painting held by the artist Eko Nugroho.

They feel that through their paintings they can express themselves, and rid themselves of emotional concerns. Apart from being a recreational hobby, Kukuh explains, painting expands our fantasy.

"The opportunities for people with physical challenges in Indonesian society are very limited, Endang says.

"Possibilities for work and education are few. In that way the arts and handicraft sphere is more open to us, and being skilled, talented and good at painting, singing or writing poetry enhances our feeling of self-esteem, and may give some of us ways to make an income and be independent. I also feel that people look at me differently when they know that I am good at something," she says.

Puji, who aspires to start her studies of art at the Indonesian Art Institute, adds that being a person with a disability makes her work interesting, not only because of her individual outlook in the world, but also because of her technique of painting with her feet.

The painters have discussed whether using the wheelchair as a motive and an object of creativity also in a humorous and ironic way could be seen as a mockery of people with disabilities. Several of the paintings and drawings portray fantasy wheelchairs designed for their users to go to the beach, protest for peace or sell bakso (meat ball soup).

The exhibition at ViaVia cafe, Jl. Prawirotaman 24b, Yogyakarta until May 20.