Artists use their brush for social criticism
By Ahmad Solikhan
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Indonesian student activists succeeded in overthrowing Soeharto's New Order government on May 21, 1998. The authoritarian regime was seen as the cause of all the mess that the country now has to clean up.
Corruption, collusion, nepotism and the use of military force to impose government's will on the public brought about untold sufferings for a great many years.
The student activists made people aware of their political rights after being silenced for 32 years.
The freedom to create and produce art was also stifled under the New Order government. Now, artists have regained the freedom to express their ideas through various forms of art, such as sculpture, painting, drawing, etc. Artists often depict actual sociopolitical realities, such as oppression by the government.
The People's Democratic Party (PRD) in collaboration with artists have founded Taring Padi People's Culture Institute. It aims to revitalize the freedom of artistic expression.
Chaired by Yustoni Volunteero, a PRD activist, the institute was opened on Nov. 26, 1998 at the headquarters of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Yogyakarta. It was founded following Yogyakarta artists' concerns that cultural development did not address people's interest.
The gap between an artist and the community is perceived to be growing apart. For example, the general public has never known and understood what is meant by contemporary art like installation which has been aggressively promoted in galleries and cafes.
In order that art can win people's hearts, the Taring Padi Institute mobilized 20 members to popularize contemporary art among the people. For example, by holding art exhibitions in rural areas, it is possible to portray in the artwork the social problems of the local, and other, communities.
Art exhibitions should be independent and democratic. They should not only involve artists but community members too should be involved.
Thus the objective is to make art understood by the community in general. "At present many art exhibitions can only be enjoyed by certain people," Yustoni said.
Yustoni said the initial step to be taken by the Taring Padi Institute was to reject the standardization of art so far sought by the Cemeti Art House in Yogyakarta. The foundation sees this as making it even more difficult for the general public to appreciate art.
The first initiative the Taring Padi Institute took was to hold an exhibition in July 1999 featuring 2,000 paintings using wall paint and Bond paper. The works mostly measured 50 cm by 50 cm and were put up at strategic places, mainly on walls along main streets in Yogyakarta.
The paintings were categorized under 10 titles and addressed matters of sociopolitics, human rights and violence.
The Taring Padi Institute will hold similar exhibitions on a regular basis to make people aware of social conditions in this country," Yustoni says.
The institute supports the creation of art to make the community aware of sociopolitical developments. Two large paintings measuring 80 square meters under the title Evacuation were displayed at the Tugu Proklamasi monument in Jakarta on Aug. 18, 1999.
The work was a collaboration between Taring Padi and the National Commission on Human Rights. It portrayed the continuing oppression after the New Order government fell. Every region saw chaos and many people fell victim to it. There were images of bloody incidents in East Timor, Madura, Aceh, West Kalimantan; and the torching of churches and mosques and many other unsolved violent incidents.
The strength in the lines on the paintings was expressive and lively.
What Taring Padi has done is very similar to what the (communist leaning) People's Art Institute (Lekra) did at the time of the independence revolution.
However, ideologically, Taring Padi emphasizes the defense of the common people against oppressive power holders while Lekra tended to defend the country against suppression by other countries.
These two institutes appeared at different times but it can be said that they were both courageous in defending people's interest.
Djoko Pekik, a senior artist who was a former Lekra member, says the founders of the Taring Padi Institute were very courageous and deserved praise.
If this institute really encourages artists to fight for people's rights, it deserves support because many artists are now only interested in pursuing personal gains and do not bother to speak up against the repressive government.
However, Taring Padi must not end up like Lekra that was muzzled by the New Order regime because it was considered as an art institute that embraced communism. The institute must survive as an independent art institute to fight for the common interest.
Nindityo Adipurnama, owner of the Cemeti Arts House, says the criticism addressed to him by the institute is "very good and a useful" input.
Adipurnama says Cemeti does not seek to standardize the arts in Yogyakarta. It means to be "very selective" about the choice of contemporary art it promotes.
Observers say that Taring Padi needs to cooperate with other art institutes to learn more about the art world.
Using art as a tool for sociopolitical criticism is comparable to a journalist writing an article. Taring Padi's desire to portray the community's social conditions through art deserves support.