Students deliver political message with their art

By Matdon

BANDUNG (JP): Five young artists have come together for an exhibition with the provocative title "Dasar Babi-Babi. Hancurkan Sisa-Sisa Orde Baru, Golkar + Militerisme" (You pigs! Crush the remaining elements of the New Order, Golkar and Militarism).

The title and the subject matter are evidence of the huge changes in the country since the resignation of Soeharto in May 1998, and the changing role of the military and the former ruling political grouping Golkar.

An exhibition with such a title and theme would have been shut down by the authorities if anyone dared to put it on during Soeharto's authoritarian rule.

The students are Rahmat Jabbaril, Kisuhardi and Johore, who are from the Underground Wagon Group, and Kuncoro Adi and Graham Hawkins, two students of the Bandung Institute of Technology and members of the Folk Network.

The theme of the exhibition has raised eyebrows and stirred emotions. Many pamphlets posted on Bandung street corners and shops were mysteriously torn down, which may be a sign that their works are as relevant today as they would have been three years ago.

Since 1965 and the ascendancy of Soeharto to power, the arts were an instrument of resistance frequently curbed by the government. Through the 1980s and 1990s, artists such as poet WS Rendra expressed their anger at the government, as did Nano Riantiarno, Ratna Sarumpaet and others from the theater group Teater Koma. In the 1990s there emerged Tukul, Samsar Siahaan and Mulyono, the founder of the Folk Network.

Imprisonment and sanctions did not silence them as they worked to seek freedom for the people from military oppression, capitalism and the legacy of feudalism.

In the eyes of the five fine artists in the exhibition, Soeharto's fall has not brought positive change and people continue to live in fear. In their works, they convey their belief that those behind the changes today are nothing more than opportunists and duplicitious "reformers". In their eyes, Golkar, which was the machine that kept the Soeharto juggernaut running on the track of absolute power, is the main cause of the country's woes.

Rahmat, who has held protests in several cities nationwide, said there was no significant fine arts movement in the country since the New Fine Arts Movement of the 1980s.

However, he believes the fine arts movement, which was only lauded if it was of benefit to the government's aims, said the genre can be of value if artists realize the suffering of the people and provide moral support.

Parodies

The artists each show between five to 10 of their works, all of which are parodies of the situation in the country today. The common theme in each is that the vestiges of the New Order will only disappear once the Golkar power structure extending from the center to the regions is destroyed.

Their argument is that the destruction of Golkar will also reduce the power of the military , but efforts must be nonviolent.

"Artists consistently striving for freedom through the fine arts should give priority to 'attacks' without violence against the New Order's remaining power," said Rahmat.

In their view, the arts must become artists' awareness for reviewing ideological, political, religious and cultural problems which must be evinced by the artists in the form of a new visual art, not only in the moving of realities. Art should be capable of giving guidance to the society for a better existence.

Rahmat held the Tomb Plastic Arts exhibition some time ago and other exhibitions in several Indonesian cities. In early 2000 he canceled his planned exhibition in the Netherlands but would not explain the reason.

Kuncoro Adi, Kisuhardi and Johor, also from Bandung, often hold painting exhibitions which are distinguished by their showing their disappointment at the current situation in the country.

Hawkins is an Australian who is also active in the Yogyakarta Taring Padi Group. In his country of origin Hawking often held exhibitions, and after settling in Indonesia five years ago, he has become involved in various art activities.

They and other artists today must confront the following questions: How can fine arts be utilized to destroy the New Order's legacy? On which side must artists be in facing a legitimate government? Yet these are not only questions for the art community, but also for the public in looking ahead to the future.

The exhibition is at the YPK Theater Building, 7 - 9 Jl. Naripan, Bandung, until Jan. 27.