Let's laugh: Tragedy and humor in pictures

Let's laugh: Tragedy and humor in pictures

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

A middle-aged man with a cigarette in his right hand grimaces as
he performs his ablutions over the Code River in Yogyakarta.

Visitors seeing the photographic work of Syahlul Fahmi burst
into laughter as they notice that the second-hand cloth used to
cover the public latrine carries the words "home sweet home".

At first glance the picture was indeed amusing. But closer
observation reveals the tragic and ironic situation of the
nation.

With its abundant resources and 60 years as an independent
state, Indonesia has even produced poverty. Ordinary people are
so destitute that their makeshift toilets are covered with old
cloth instead of bamboo walls.

Fun and humor in tragedy, inviting a bitter laugh once in a
while, was the idea behind the photo exhibition organized by the
Indonesian Photographic Reporters Association (PFI) from Sept. 12
to 18 in Yogyakarta.

Fifty photographers from Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Surabaya,
Semarang and Surakarta joined the event to mark the 23rd
anniversary of the city's Bentara Budaya cultural forum.

With Ayo Ngguyu ("Let's Laugh") as the title of the
exhibition, the fun it was supposed to bring about might not
conform to the dire realities portrayed: plane crashes,
earthquakes, malnourishment, students' poor exam grades, to
mention a few.

But in fact PFI wanted to share the laughter with others as a
cynical response to the seemingly endless misfortunes plaguing
the country.

Another piece by Priyambodo from Surakarta depicted grinning
councilmen behind bars. They were imprisoned after being
convicted for corruption.

While their crime has brought disgrace and should have made
them embarrassed, they are still all smiles. The picture tries to
portray a reversal of social values, with corruption being seen
as something normal rather than shameful.

Not all of the 50 photos put on show provoked cynical
laughter, though. Some were amusing to everybody. A football
player is in such high spirits that he accidentally pulls down
the pants of his opponent. A football enthusiast appears nude
amid spectators following his team's victory.

Exhibition curator Sindhunata said that human instinct for
humor remains in spite of violent circumstances. In the world of
soccer, often considered a game of violence triggering clashes
between supporters, nuances of humor could still be found in a
number of snapshots.

Mystical behavior surrounding the match was also portrayed for
the amusement of more rational viewers. For instance, a soccer
supporter urinates at the goal of his team's opponent during a
competition, believing that by so doing his favorite eleven will
score easily.

"All such matters such as fuel price hikes, widespread
corruption, malnutrition and polio are of course not meant to be
funny. But laughter amid tragedy serves to express cynicism of
these realities," added Sindhunata.

Many visitors to the event were indeed laughing as they looked
at the pictures. Erik, a visitor, commented that the photos
represented neglected realities and had considerable weight in
portraying present-day life.

Another visitor Anton commented that if closely examined, the
tragedy depicted by these pieces aroused deep concern, yet the
humorous side remained.