Inspirational visions color Art Awards

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.