Fine arts exhibit: A momentous first for Jakarta

By Jason Tedjasukmana

JAKARTA (JP): More than just a grouping of important artworks awaits the public at the Shangri-La Hotel. The Jakarta International Fine Arts Exhibition is historical in scope, unbridled in ambition and a first on many levels.

In short, it is perhaps one of the most significant cultural events to take place in recent Indonesian memory.

Above all, the event marks the first time Indonesian painters and sculptors have been exhibited concomitantly with their artistic counterparts from Europe and America. The paintings of Sudjojono, Basuki Abdullah and Affandi, to cite just a few Indonesian masters, deserve a place in the pantheon of established and acclaimed international artists and this exhibit provides just such a venue.

In the development of an artist, the dealer -- from Ambroise Vollard to Sidney Janis -- has always played a critical role. Without their support and patronage, the meteoric rise of such artists as Picasso, Chagall, Rosenquist and Lichtenstein (select works from each are on exhibit) may never have occurred.

The Yayasan Seni Rupa Indonesia (the Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation) has stepped in to fill this vacuum in Indonesia by inviting 11 overseas galleries and 10 local galleries to display their works in the serious context of an international art forum. Their achievement, and hoped success, must be commended.

None of these ground-breaking firsts would have come to fruition without the vision and energy of First Lady Tien Soeharto, Minister of Investment/Chairman of Investment Planning Board Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo and his wife, Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and his wife, President Soeharto's daughter Titiek Prabowo, and the many other pioneers that make up the Yayasan Seni Rupa Indonesia (YSRI), founded less than six months ago on June 8, 1994.

Int'l player

The potential promotional and commercial benefits, however, are not limited to the artists or the galleries that are acting on their behalf. The exhibition is an essential first step towards placing Jakarta on the map of the contemporary art world.

Cultural primacy is of immeasurable value to a city's image, especially for one of this size. With over eight million people and an economy developing at a breakneck pace, Jakarta, and of course the country as a whole, is being recognized as a force to contend with in the international arena. To stay the proper evolutionary course, the arts must not only be supported and preserved but also encouraged and nurtured to irrevocably ensure their rightful place in urban development planning.

Promotion of the arts is no longer something relegated to secondary status, as New York, Paris, Madrid and the many other smaller cities hosting annual art fairs will attest to. Singapore has taken the lead in Southeast Asia with their Tresors exhibition, opening next week. And should the Jakarta International Fine Arts Exhibition come off successfully, the first steps towards an annual international art fair, and perhaps even a contemporary art institution, will have been taken.

Investment

For younger Indonesian artists this occasion has meant an opportunity not only to have their works exposed to a broader audience but to also procure the financial support necessary for their growth, development and, more importantly, their survival. In conjunction with the Philip Morris Group of Companies, the YSRI has established a competition with over Rp 23 million in grant money to be awarded to various artists throughout Indonesia.

For the public at large, this exhibition represents an unusual opportunity to get a first-hand glimpse of such important Impressionist and Modern painters as Cezanne, Renoir, Foujita, Pissarro and Utrillo, in addition to works by Contemporary giants like Jim Dine, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko and David Hockney.

The rare viewing opportunity, however, is not limited only to the work of Western artists. Magnificent works by Raden Saleh, Harijadi, Wakidi, Hendra Gunawan and other Indonesian masters have been borrowed from the Collection of the President of Indonesia and are on public display for the very first time.

In keeping with the esteemed company of the other international fine arts galleries present, Perovetz of London has mounted a selection of works in silver, and the Harry Winston collection offers a look at an impressive array of rare and precious gems.

Residents of Jakarta will have the distinguished opportunity to see for themselves the legendary Trump Tiara, the Garuda brooch and dozens of other treasures that have established Harry Winston as one of the most important fine jewelers of modern times.

The exhibition of over 250 original works of art is open daily from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and will remain on display at the Shangri-La Hotel until Oct. 23. Proceeds from the admission price of Rp 5,000 will be donated to the YSRI.

Logistics

It is precisely with this heightening of awareness in all realms of expression that the YSRI has triumphed. For the scholar, businessperson, artist and museum visitor alike, this awareness is not only an education about past and present movements in the art world, but about the capital's ability to commit resources and organize a world-class event.

The logistics behind the organization and arrangements for this exhibit were undoubtedly mind-boggling in terms of packing, shipping and insuring the overseas works and in the selection and coordination of regional galleries. The successful realization of the display proves that Jakarta is indeed prepared to undertake projects of such stature and complexity.

The Jakarta International Fine Arts Exhibition underscores the city's commitment to the preservation and advancement of the arts in Indonesia. Hopefully this will establish contemporary art not only as legitimate national patrimony but also as a tenable engine of development and growth.