Artists show conscience of democracy in works

Artists show conscience of democracy in works

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java

The word "democracy" is all too familiar to virtually all layers
of the community. It is present in textbooks at all levels of
education and also in the mass media, but it is yet to be
construed and practiced as it should be.

This nation has had a bitter taste of how a semblance of
democracy has been practiced. When Soeharto was still in power,
he implemented quasi democracy as he kept the legislature and
judiciary under his tight control.

It comes as no surprise that 73 exhibited paintings in
Surakarta, the work of 34 artists including Djoko Pekik, Diyanto,
Acep Zamzam Noor, Agus Suwage and Edo Pillu, had as its theme
Conscience of Democracy. The artists represent various
generations, styles and cities of origin, such as Yogyakarta,
Bandung, Surabaya, Jakarta and Surakarta in Central Java.

The work by Isa Perkasa of Bandung, Declaration of Indonesia
in Separation, for example, describes the desire of some regions
to separate from the Republic of Indonesia. The artist shows a
man, sitting in front of a table on which lies the map of
Indonesia, erasing the islands on the map. Opposite this man, a
human being with a loudspeaker as his head is shouting out loud,
demanding independence for a number of regions like Aceh, East
Timor, Ambon, Papua and Sunda.

Another artist, Budi Ubrux, presents a unique work with a
wiser theme. With his Confused Generation, Ubrux encourages the
public to contemplate what is going on in society. He has no
pretension to force his ideas upon others as every human being
basically reserves the right to think and express opinions
freely.

In this work, eight anonymous figures, half squatting, are
embracing one another. One of them is raising his fist while the
others are looking straight ahead just like people posing for a
picture. These anonymous figures seem to have a lot to tell.
Their bodies are wrapped in newspapers that convey various
messages: political chaos and intrigue, advertisements pandering
to consumerism and the sorrow of farmers with a poor harvest as
water is hard to come by.

Djoko Pekik explores parody in his Being Crazy, trying to
remind the public of the procession in the great wedding of the
daughter of Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X two months ago. In
this procession, old women as court servants opened the way for
the great procession around the palace compound.

The question is whether this event was humane as the old women
walked and made funny gestures while the great bride and
bridegroom sat comfortable in a carriage. For court servants,
this role would be the pride of their lives. But for Djoko Pekik?
Only he and God know!

This exhibition, which runs until Aug. 1, is dedicated for
Surakarta Cultural Park, a place invariably allowing artists to
undergo a creative process or present their works. When the New
Order regime repressed art, this park was the only venue for free
expression in the country. Marsinah, a play by Ratna Sarumpaet or
a performance by Emha Ainun Najib could take place here in the
1990s, although they were banned from other venues.

Is this exhibition only seeking profit because many of the
works on display are made by artists with a good reputation in
the market?

"I hope this exhibition will produce good publicity for the
cultural park. However, we are not commercializing this event.
That's why we have offered democracy as the theme. We believe we
can select the market ...," said Murtidjono, head of the cultural
park and initiator of the exhibition.

For artists in Indonesia, Murtidjono is a figure with great
courage. Once, for example, he put his position and himself at
risk, purely to ensure that an arts event would take place. He
went to the security authorities and the government bureaucracy
to explain the situation and give his personal guarantee.

When all cultural parks in Indonesia obtained some Rp 480
million per year as a routine donation from the state, Surakarta
Cultural Park was the only institution that gave artists their
due: funds for rehearsals and performances. That's why this park
can host from four to dozens of arts events at the same time.

However, following the implementation of regional autonomy,
Surakarta Cultural Park, like other cultural parks in other
regions, no longer receives a donation from the central
government. Instead, as the park is now under the authority of
the regional administration it receives only Rp 36 million a year
from the Central Java provincial budget.

What has made Murtidjono restless is the fact that in the past
two years art events have been practically at a standstill. The
cost of a performance, to cover electricity and stage purposes,
for example, is too high for most artists. For instance, they
have to fork out Rp 600,000 per night for a show or exhibition.