Young artists dig deep in artistic quest

Young artists dig deep in artistic quest

By Asip A. Hasani

YOGYAKARTA (JP): In its strict definition, a hole is merely
empty space which is adhered to by a boundary or border.

But it can also be a space to explore, to test the boundaries
and enter a dark labyrinth of the unknown. It holds many
possibilities, both dark (the proverbial "black hole"), or ones
full of opportunities.

Hole also is the title of a multimedia performance and
exhibition by young modern artists from Geber Modus Operandi at
Yogyakarta Cemeti Art House until March 30.

The performance consists of a large arena in a half circle,
lamps and messages in English on the wall, plus a set of lighting
equipment.

The hole is the inspiration as well as the object of
exploration of Geber's work; in the performance, the hole is
transformed into a funnel of light which two male artists
explore.

One actor is in an arched iron enclosure, hugging an iron ball
containing a light. He moves here and there in the enclosure, but
his focus remains on the light in the iron ball as though he is
intent on swallowing it.

At the same time, at the other end of the space, the other
actor tries to catch light from a flashlight. He jumps forward
and backward, to run after and catch the light, only to find the
effort fruitless.

Realizing that his hunt for the light is likely to be endless,
the actor stops trying but moves in slow motion. He watches the
light and whispers, "Where is my head, where is my heart, where
is my head, where is my soul?"

The 35-minute play ends with the actor's scream, "I!"
"Become!" "I am!" "Becoming!"

The performance is directed by young Bandung artist Amrizal, a
former art director and one of the founders of Teater Jagung
Indonesia at Bandung's Pasundan University (Unpas). The two
actors are Ari Wayang from Yogyakarta University's Teater Unstrat
and Asep Cepot from Unpas' Teater Jagung Indonesia.

"We chose multimedia art because we can explore every
possibility of a certain idea through some objects," Amrizal told
The Jakarta Post. "And the fact that we have our own ability in
art and we combine these different ways of expressing ideas."

The artistic design is by young artist Sigit Pius Kuncoro, who
is also a modern painter. Sigit is a former student of the
Institute of Indonesian Art, Yogyakarta, as are Wildan Antarez
and Bintang Hanggono, who are the sound and computer operator and
graphic designer respectively.

Hole is the fourth work of Geber Modus Operandi since the
group was founded in 1998. All of the group's works are in the
form of multimedia art.

Geber's most phenomenal work was Mystical Machine Made in
Indonesia, which was performed in Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta
in 2000.

As in Mystical Machine Made in Indonesia, Geber tries to send
a message through Hole to the country's young generation, who are
searching for their identity amid a strong wave of modernity and
economic hardship during a prolonged multidimensional crisis.

"Hole symbolizes anything through which people can see the
world outside boundaries, but we want to emphasize the existence
of the boundary to which a hole is adhered. We want to say that
here is the world of possibilities and, at the same time,
boundaries," said Sigit, who created the work's original script.

Hole will also be performed and exhibited in Surakarta in
April and Bandung in May.