Watie: The woman behind Galeri Nasional Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Operating a national-scale gallery is a mammoth task for Watie Moerany, a modest mother of two, who is now head of the newly opened Galeri Nasional Indonesia, the Indonesian National Gallery.

Although she has spent most of her working years in various art institutions here and abroad, Watie admitted she was quite anxious when she was assigned to manage Galeri Nasional.

"It was a very big responsibility to manage the nation's art collections and to enliven the gallery as a parameter for the country's fine arts activities," she noted.

Graduated as an interior designer from the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta in l982, Watie joined the Directorate General for Culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture.

In l994, Watie received a scholarship from the Queensland Institute of Technology in Australia to study art management.

She also worked for the Queensland Art Gallery, Fusion Gallery in Brisbane and many others.

"I gained a lot of valuable experience and expertise by working in such qualified galleries," she recalled.

Watie remembered that she had to do all kinds of work like sweeping gallery rooms, cleaning and packaging art pieces to more delicate jobs such as conserving paintings and managing programs for the galleries.

"If we want to master all the know-how on managing a gallery, we have to learn every aspect of the art institution," Watie said.

In Indonesia, many people run art galleries without having adequate experience and knowledge on the subject.

"Many people open art galleries because they have a lot of money and galleries may become a promising gold mine," she added.

There is no denying that the art business is now flourishing and it may generate multibillion rupiah deals.

In Japan, for instance, most of the owners of the galleries are art lovers and art experts. "The Japanese highly appreciate any kind of art work," said Watie who studied painting conservation in Japan with a sponsorship from the Japan Foundation.

Watie also worked at Bridgestone Museum in Tokyo, Nara Museum and Fukuoka Arts Museum. "Theories are not enough. I obtained many valuable lessons directly from the field, " commented Watie.

In managing the Galeri Nasional, Watie has set up a number of programs. There will be regular art exhibitions promoting both senior and new talented artists. Workshops for professionals and laymen are also on the list.

School students are also the Galeri's main target. "We want to develop art appreciation among the youth. This is very important to build a strong artistic community with art lovers in the future," she explained.

"I want to manage this gallery in a professional way," she said. At present, government institutions are viewed as rigid, bureaucratic and inflexible, she maintained.

"Such negative images must be eliminated or at least be minimized. Galeri Nasional must be operated in different ways because it is a public service body," she said.

Galeri Nasional is under the auspices of the Directorate General of Culture at the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The directorate also oversees the National Museum, the Fine Arts Museum in Jakarta, provincial museums in the country's 27 provinces, and other art and cultural bodies.

The Galeri's management, she said, should consist of people who possess expertise in the arts as well as in management and public relations.

"They should also have people who really appreciate art and love their job otherwise they will find it a dull working atmosphere here," Watie stated.

Unfortunately, such people haven't been around her yet.

Watie is supported by only 16 personnel including a team of art experts, administrative and security staff.

She admitted that many of her staff have come from the Directorate General of Culture office which has a different working environment.

"I always tell them that we are now dealing with artists and the public directly. We have to wipe out complicated bureaucratic procedures," she explained.

In the future, she really wants to collaborate with reliable art patrons, academic circles and even the private sector to optimize the function of Galeri Nasional.

"But, it requires a lot of funding. We have to create secure funding resources," she said. At present, the Galeri Nasional's operational cost is derived from the state budget.

"In the current economic and political crises, we cannot expect more. Yet, we are now working hard to make the Galeri a safe and proper home for these priceless national assets," said Watie optimistically. (raw)