Inspirational visions color Art Awards
Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta
The Eighth Philip Morris Indonesia Art Awards organized by the Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation (YSRI) may be considered an important milestone in the competition that since 1994 has been encouraging Indonesian contemporary painters to explore their potentials.
This year's event reveals deeper thought with more color, new trends and innovative concepts.
In part, this is the result of new rules and regulations governing this eighth competition, which have liberated participants from the previous requirement of highlighting ASEAN or Asia identities, and permitting the submission of wall installations besides paintings.
New trends have emerged, like repetitive rows of the same element, and placing a number of images into one frame. While this may be value added in some instances, in most of the works of this kind one can't help getting the impression that some artists need several little images in order to make one comprehensive story.
There seems to be an inability to digest several impressions and to express them in one big idea, one painting. The result is a big frame with little square compartments, like an old- fashioned puzzle for children.
Although traces of the gloom of past years are still hovering here and there, the provocative protests and wailing of the past few years has tended to become overruled by enlightened visions, a touch of the metaphysical and the "come back" of esthetics.
This is certainly true for the top-five awards selected by the jury -- consisting of art critic and curator Jim Supangkat, artists Astari Rasjid and Nunung WS, the culture editor of Tempo magazine, Leila Chudori, the editor of the Hong Kong based Asian Art News, Ian Findlay-Brown, art critic Suwarno Wisetrotomo and curator Rizki Zaelani.
The Inferred and the Implied by Zulkarnaini (b. 1969) seems to emphasize a new spiritual awareness. Placing a soothing, black calligraphic-like sign over the juxtaposition of thinly drawn criss-cross lines and blotches on a light-brown canvas, the artist adds small Arabic lettering in white and little dots in red to bring about a refreshing harmony.
In King Pilgrim, Ay Tjoe Christine (b. 1973) actually wishes to picture a strong person attracting others to work for a good cause.
"I have met many such people who did great things in difficult times. Their actions were contagious," she says.
That what has been produced does not seem to match the original idea may be due to the eyes of the beholder. Artistically, her training as a graphic artist shines through in her explorations using pencil, pastels and gouache on canvas. Articulating the human bones as symbols of strength and endurance adds to the peculiar feature of this work, which surprisingly takes the semblance of a beautiful classic.
By its title alone, Waking from a Lovely Nightmare by RM Soni Irawan (b. 1969) may sound like a contradiction in terms. But the work itself, a monoprint of lovely white lace on which a blue pistol and a deformed head are placed like "accessories", evokes a sensation that is at once lovely and nightmarish.
Representing a remarkable trend, Window by Ibrahim (b. 1975) is an abstract painting in acrylic, through which white strips run to divide it into nine compartments. It takes the shape of an old-style window, looking through which softens the harshness of reality.
The impressive wall installation, or rather two-dimensional sculpture, by S.Teddy (b.1970) titled Foot is actually a two- dimensional sculpture constructed from a sheet of aluminum plating, emanating character and strength. It shows the lower part of a leg and its foot marked with black burns, scars left by torture with the tip of a cigarette.
There were 1,094 entries from several cities in Indonesia. The Jury selected 184 works for display at the National Gallery including the top 10 and the five considered worthy of representing Indonesia in the ASEAN-wide Philip Morris Group of Companies Competition, to be held in Bali in May 2002.
Each of the top five receives Rp 15 million (US$1,415). They were selected out of the 10 best, who each received Rp 5 million.
The awards have seen steady development in the works of participating artists. Established at a time when large awards were not yet available, the Philip Morris Indonesia Art Awards have become a landmark for the development of contemporary art in Indonesia and have opened the door to international forums.
The event is among the several activities through which YSRI has proved itself true to its objective of stimulating the development of Indonesian contemporary art by adopting a broad and dynamic approach based on the concept of standard values and constant change.
Forging ties with other parties as well, YSRI has also organized several exhibitions abroad, provided scholarships for promising talents, and has expanded its staff by hiring serious researchers.
The exhibition runs until Nov. 12.