'Sisterhood' exhibition supports women through art sales
'Sisterhood' exhibition supports women through art sales
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Miranda S. Goeltom, senior deputy of Bank Indonesia, closely
examined paintings and statues on display in an exhibition during
its opening on Tuesday evening.
She eventually selected a painting by Jakartan artist Aditya
Tobing for her personal collection: Suara-suara Cello di
Mercusuar yang Mati (Voices of a cello in a dead lighthouse),
which bore a Rp 5 million (US$537) price tag.
The opening of the Karya Untuk Kawan (Composition for Friends)
exhibition organized by the National Commission on Violence
Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) coincided with International
Women's Day, which fell on March 8.
The exhibition will run until March 22 and features various
art works, such as paintings, statues, carvings and photography,
by 41 artists -- all for sale.
One of the reasons for holding the biennial exhibition is to
raise funds through the sale of works by renowned artists to
support Women's Crisis Centers in the country.
Karya Untuk Kawan was first held in 2003 and raised Rp 122
million for the centers, which provide services for victims of
domestic violence.
Ranging from a couple of million to several million rupiah, RW
Moelyadi's Geliat (Stretch) is priced at Rp 2.5 million, while
Farida Srihadi's painting Destiny I Tried to Understand costs Rp
75 million.
Kamala Chandra Kirana of Komnas Perempuan said the women's
centers required financial support to maintain its services for
the public; the center's activities are dependent on donors as
well as volunteers.
"Our volunteers often use their own money to provide
services," said Kamala.
Myra Diarsi, who organized the exhibition, said the
participating artists had agreed to channel 50 percent of their
sales revenue to the women's centers via Pundi Perempuan, an
account managed by the Indonesian Social Foundation for Humanity
(YSIK).
Zoemrotin K. Susilo of YSIK added that the exhibition had been
designed to raise awareness among visitors about domestic
violence and to encourage their understanding of battered women.
"Instead of seeking money from donors, we have started holding
fund-raisers like this," Zoemrotin said.
Representatives of international organizations, scholar
Saparinah Sadli, former state justice Deliana Sayuti and Linda
Agum Gumelar, the wife of former transportation minister Agum
Gumelar, were present at the opening.
The exhibition is a platform where love and hate collide: the
love of art and disdain for violence against women. Its message
is clear: Let us buy these works of art to help maintain the
women's crisis centers nationwide, and so let beauty enter into
our lives.