Indonesia's naked truth revealed in exhibition
By Dewi Anggraeni
MELBOURNE (JP): Most Australians now know where Indonesia is, and many more learn about what is happening in the country from snippets of news on the radio, television and in the newspaper. While the scale of reporting begun to climb in August 1997 when the monetary crisis hit, it reached a fever pitch in May 1998 with Soeharto's resignation and the rioting and violence that tore through the country.
The pictures and images that were broadcast to Australia were dominated by burning buildings, devastation and a near-total social breakdown. Australians were overwhelmed by the images of a country intent on self-destruction; so different from the images of a tourist paradise and a budding Asian tiger that had previously filled their consciousness.
The Independent Voice Foundation's photographic exhibition held on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13 was, therefore, a small but significant step to fill the gap between these two extremes. Sponsored by the Committee Against Racism in Indonesia, the Indonesian Arts Society, the Overseas Service Bureau, the Australian Council for Overseas Aid, Nusantara Bookshop and a number of restaurants, the exhibition displayed over 60 photographs taken by Indonesian journalists, capturing moments from the May riots. This exhibition, hosted by the Overseas Service Bureau, brought viewers to protests and riots, letting them share the experience at ground level.
The photographs gave human faces to the stories of extraordinary courage. They showed the inequity of power; unarmed students and activists confronting the military, who, ostensibly in their role of maintaining security, were armed with their high tech weaponry. The pictures also stirred emotions with images of shot activists, wounded or dead, being helped by their friends. Yet, among these tragedies the students still showed an eerily touching youthful idealism.
The exhibition did not avoid depicting the naked violence of the May riots. There were disturbing photographs of frenzied mobs, intent on destroying shops and burning vehicles, seemingly enjoying themselves. Even photos of students crowding the grounds of the People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives building are infused with fearful anticipation, because the vulnerability of the students here is so obvious.
Pictures of street theater reminded viewers that in times of crisis, when most people live on the edge of human existence, creativity never dies.
One picture depicting the theater of real-life brings smiles of hope to viewers: a toddler, two or three years of age, wearing a pretty white dress posing shyly for the photographer, absolutely unaware of what is going on around her. In the background are rows and rows of women in Moslem dress, sitting on the ground, ready to pray or to listen to a speaker. The title of the picture is Orator Cilik (Little Orator).
A photograph by Henry Lopulalan is enigmatic rather than telling. Titled Pancasila Children, it shows demonstrators carrying a banner which reads, "Islam, Kristen, Hindu, Katolik, Buddha dilindungi Pancasila" (Islam, Christians, Hindus, Catholics and Buddhists are protected by Pancasila). Is the banner meant to reassure all people that Pancasila is there to protect them, or is there an implied question, "If Pancasila is meant to protect everyone, why have some of us been atrociously attacked, and the perpetrators have not been brought to justice?"
The last photograph in the exhibition is that of a gold colored box set against a background of golden fire. Visually it is a beautiful picture, yet the message is one of despair. Written on the box is, "Soeharto Deposit Box $40 milyar". A note under the photograph reads, "Soeharto's wealth still remains a mystery -- perhaps lost in the ashes of deposit boxes gutted by the flames of anger and suffering."
This was only an introductory exhibition, to let people know of the existence of these photographs which are bursting with stories. Bela Kusumah, a broadcaster at the Special Broadcasting Service, coordinated the exhibition and explained that there had been requests by various groups in Melbourne and other cities to borrow the collection for their own exhibitions. Among these groups were union organizations and Indonesian interest groups.
"We'll make sure, however, that the collection returns here in May of next year, in time for the anniversary of the May riots," Kusumah told The Jakarta Post.