NAM states to exhibit joint contemporary arts next month
NAM states to exhibit joint contemporary arts next month
JAKARTA (JP): Member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) plan to hold a joint contemporary arts exhibition here next
month to enhance "spiritual understanding", an official said
yesterday.
"Non-Aligned countries have always been engaged in physical
cooperation. Contemporary art, with techniques historically
inspired by European art, is common ground for the countries to
relate in a more spiritual way," said the Ministry of Education
and Culture's Director General of Culture Edi Sedyawati.
Speaking to reporters after signing a loan agreement with
Jordan, India and Saudi Arabia yesterday, Edi said that member
countries of the NAM, which is currently headed by Indonesia, can
dismiss the general presumption that contemporary art is
exclusively European.
"It has long been understood that contemporary art belongs to
European culture. But actually, many forms of it, such as
calligraphy, are not from that part of the world," she said.
It is hoped that the exhibitions and seminars change that
image, Edi said, "so the world can see that you don't always have
to look to the West to see contemporary art".
"The upcoming cultural event... is intended to pave the way
toward the recognition of the plurality of the world's
contemporary art and to introduce a new North-South perspective
to replace the existing East-West dichotomy in the appraisal of
international contemporary art," Edi said in her speech.
The loan agreement, signed by Ambassador of Jordan Luay M. Al
Khashman, Ambassador of India S.T. Devare and Charge d'affaires
of Saudi Arabia Amjed H. Albedewi, allows the works of artists
from the three countries to be exhibited at the event scheduled
for April 28 to June 30 in Jakarta.
So far, 37 of the 111 NAM countries have agreed to join the
exhibition.
Edi said many countries declined to participate due to various
reasons. "Some faced a lack of facilities and others felt the
exhibition was not important -- perhaps because we did not give
adequate information on it."
Indonesia, she added, has sent a number of special envoys to
various countries encouraging them to participate.
Yesterday's agreement is the first of more agreements to come
as additional countries confirm their participation in the event,
which is expected to involve a total of 40 to 50 countries.
Ambassador Khashman in his speech acknowledged that the
exhibition would be a unique opportunity for contemporary artists
to show their creativity and to give a clearer idea of their
respective country's people and culture.(pwn)