Students winning painting depicts exploitation by elite
Students winning painting depicts exploitation by elite
Dyah Hapsari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Holding a canvas, paint and pallet, two senior high school
students rushed into the multipurpose hall of the Bina Nusantara
school on Jl. Iskandar Muda in South Jakarta on Saturday.
After taking their seats, the pair immediately discussed what
they would paint during the visual arts competition as the
organizers told them to draw anything related to the country's
corruption-related chaos.
Marsya Ramita and Juanita from Bina Bangsa high school, who
ended up the winning team in the painting competition, chose a
puppeteer as their main subject, which they said symbolized the
country's elitist politicians.
"We initially wanted to draw a chair to represent their high
position, but as we started painting we changed our mind. I think
a puppeteer is more interesting," said Marsya Ramita, who said
this was the first such competition she had entered.
Marsya and Juanita painted huge hands -- representing the
powerful politicos -- holding tiny puppets symbolizing the
Indonesian public.
The country's powerbrokers, according to Marsya and Juanita,
are just exploiting and cheating the public for their own
interests.
Marsya and her partner were just one of 13 teams of high
school students participating in the visual arts competition
organized by Bina Nusantara (Binus) high school.
The organizers said they had sent out invitations to about
sixty high schools across Greater Jakarta, but only eighteen,
mostly national-plus high schools, sent their representatives,
including Bina Bangsa, SBI Madania, Global Jaya, Pelita Harapan,
Harapan Bangsa, SMAK IPEKA Tomang, SMAK Tirta Martha and SMAN 8.
In addition to the art displays, there were events for
economics, mathematics and indoor soccer also on at the Blue
Feather Competition.
The economics competition required each group to answer twenty
multiple choice questions about a case study, while the
mathematics competition had participants try to solve about 50
problems in 75 minutes.
Ilona Gunawan, who was first in economics, along with her two
classmates, said that they were very eager to enter the
competition.
"Although the competition was held on the weekend, I didn't
have any objections. I just wanted to experience and test my
competence in economics. I think the competition also heightened
my knowledge of the subject," Ilona said.
In mathematics, Kevin Yaspir from Pelita Harapan high school,
who also recently won the National Olympiad competition in
Jakarta, took first place.
The Blue Feather Competition coordinator Boy Luna said the
event was aimed at encouraging students to explore their talents.
"Hopefully, by this competition we can motivate national-plus
high school students to explore their talent, not merely in the
academic subjects, but also in art and sports. I believe by
competing with other students, they can improve their talents and
their competence," he said.