Nokia awards messages of vision and hope

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Jakarta

If it is true that art expresses the tenor of the times, then most works of art should be about a world full of hate, envy, greed and violence.

Today, the tide seems to be turning, that is, if we take the NOKIA Arts Awards Asia Pacific 2001 exhibition as a starting point. The contest, which took the theme Eye on the World, resulted in an initial selection of 20 works chosen from a total of 249 entries. The jury were looking for art works that stood out for their creativity and skill, but also for their vision of hope and expectation for the future.

"We agreed it was time to be done with gloom," said Dwi Marianto, one of the jurors, adding that one must now try to look for the sunny side of the street. That was easier said than done. Of the 20 considered eligible, only three entries emerged as winners after further selection.

Although the theme Eye on the World is actually open to a broad range of interpretations, the works show that most artists have taken "the world" to mean something that does not cross the borders of their own world, not anything that could include the metaphysical.

Perhaps this is unavoidable, given the age limit of 17-25. However, there is some wisdom and this is surprisingly found with the youngest of the winners.

Regor Nofrianto, 17, reminds us that one must learn from the past to make a better future. "I used to be a naughty boy and I still am sometimes," he said. "But don't be surprised if I also have an aim in life. I will open an old page so that I will know which mistakes to avoid when opening a new page."

There is also concern expressed, like in the work of 24-year- old M. Andi Dwi I. who wonders about the disadvantages of technological advancement, desiring new scientific inventions that could allow development to proceed without damaging the environment. The little boy with an old face on canvas is not exactly the image of a bright future, but the red colored background seems to makes up the balance.

Certainly more mischievous was the work of Januri, 24, in his painting featuring a farmer swinging a hoe over the city in an act of almost playful protest against building constructions that are occupying more and more agricultural land. One may recognize a touch of Chagall and a hint of George Braque.

Nevertheless, the entries this year were encouraging in the eyes of the five jurors, consisting of Astari Rasjid (painter and lecturer at the Jakarta Arts Institute, IKJ), Dolorosa Sinaga (sculptor and IKJ lecturer), Hendrowijanto (independent curator), Dwi Marianto (curator and lecturer at the Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Institute of Arts) and Nicole Go of Nokia.

Inviting young artists to prove their ability is one of the strategies that the well-known Nokia mobile phone company adopted three years ago. The company supports the arts as a natural element of Nokia itself, says Country Manager Shaun Colligan when asked what benefits the company receives from the contest. Yet, whether there is a promotional intent or not, it remains a great opportunity for young talents to advance and take their skills to higher planes.

The three award-winning artists each received Rp 5 million plus a mobile phone. They will participate in the larger scale Asia Pacific Contest next January, the winner of which will be offered the opportunity to study and work in New York for one full year.

As Astari Rasjid explains, this time there were more participants than in previous years. Fourteen are from Yogyakarta, three from Bandung and three from Bali, but none from Jakarta.

With Nokia, Philip Morris and Total Indonesia supporting the contemporary arts, artists need only seize the opportunity to bring their talents to fruition.