Fine arts, a medium to tie RI and Germany

Fine arts, a medium to tie RI and Germany

Christina Schott, Contributor, Berlin

What does "multicultural" mean? What is a subculture? The
definitions cover a wide range of things.

Multikulti in Germany, for example, certainly means the
gathering of different nationalities, while in other parts of the
world the gathering of two neighboring villages could be seen as
a multicultural event.

Not only underground movements like punk or ska can be
regarded as subculture; it can also define a subordinated culture
within a larger regional or national context.

In Indonesia -- with all its numerous different peoples and
cultures, various communities and movements -- probably every
definition, from a global level to a local phenomenon, will find
its justification.

"Reading Multi-Sub-Culture" is therefore the title of a
contemporary Indonesian paintings exhibition that opened on Jan.
8 at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin in
cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy in Berlin.

Its planners wanted exactly to express these different
dimensions and the wide range: Of 9,000 young Indonesian artists
from throughout the country curator Mamannoor had to pick 24 to
represent the contemporary arts scene in the archipelago.

"The works to be seen are, of course, only a small part of
what I would have liked to show", Mamannoor said. "But the
curatorial process is limited by time and space."

The exhibited paintings are indeed a mixture of styles and
ideas, representing a cross-section of contemporary Indonesian
painters. There are the introverted, sloping figures in S Teddy
D's Archeolog and The Last Message for example -- beside the
bonbon-colored, round-headed protagonists of Bunga Jeruk's. Her
painting, Aku ingin anak lagi (I would like another child)
presents a full-breasted mother, with four children already,
talking into a microphone, becoming the mirror for "normal"
people in a transition from a traditional to a modern-media
society.

There are the abstract mixed media works Wajah-Wajah yang
disalibkan I+II (Crucified Faces) of Antonius Kho as well as the
pale women's faces in Anna Zuchriana's works Jujum and MeiMei and
Abdi, the Urang Sunda (I am a Sundanese), which relates the
forced transformation of a Chinese identity.

The exhibition also include pictures from Agung Suryanto,
Bilaningsih HS, Ojite, Rosid and many more -- unfortunately there
is not enough space to mention all their works.

It was the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs that offered the
Lichthof (light courtyard) of its building as space for this
exhibition at the Indonesian Embassy at Berlin. This program is
part of a series of exhibitions, where different countries can
present their contemporary artists in the huge entrance area. The
Indonesian Embassy, of course, was pleased to accept the
invitation and gave the curatorship to Yayasan Seni Rupa
Indonesia (Indonesian Arts Foundation) in Jakarta.

The foundation is responsible for the organization of the
Philip Morris Awards Competitions in Indonesia and has launched
already several international exhibitions of Indonesian
contemporary arts in Madrid, Moscow, Switzerland and China.

"Every exhibition involves an act of diplomacy between
cultures. Artistic works always talk about the nature, the
society, the wishes and experiences of their creators: They show
a new cosmos, create a certain cultural climate -- so that the
audience can read, and hopefully better understand, this
culture," said Mamannoor, who is also curator of the National
Gallery Jakarta and teaches at the Higher School of Fine Arts and
Design at Bandung.

It is an idea that was fully confirmed by speakers at the
opening ceremony. "Art has a prominent place in building
intercultural relations -- it reflects the spirit of the people
and gives substantial space to their culture", marked Rahardjo
Jamtomo, the Indonesian Ambassador to Germany, in his oration.

Among all the official events, speeches and explanations, the
artists themselves were somewhat ignored. The only painter
present at the opening was Fauzi As'ad, who has lived for eight
years in the small principality, Liechtenstein, close to
Switzerland. His works usually carry a liberal dash of social
criticism within an intercultural, global context.

The painting Mundschutz - wie lange noch? (Breath protection
-- how long again?) shows a distressed figure with a white mouth
mask in front of an abstract, red and blue background. The
letters SARS dance above unreadable lines of text. Such A Rubbish
Story is Fauzi's interpretation of this worrying medical
condition and portrays an analogy between the suppression of a
deadly epidemic and limitations on freedom of expression.

Nevertheless, although he would have wished to have a little
bit more time and space for the artists in this exhibition, Fauzi
appreciates the efforts made to realize an event of this
international and multicultural significance. "Contemporary
Indonesian artists are represented well, in a satisfying way,"
the painter and sculptor said. "I really hope now that as a
result of this we shall arrive at a better understanding between
people here and can build up a new intercultural exchange."

Reading Multi-Sub-Culture, Two-Dimensional Indonesian Fine Arts
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lichthof Werderscher Markt 1,
10117 Berlin, Germany, from Jan. 8 through Jan. 25, 2004