NO SEXY GIRLS: Instead of portraying women and cars in calendars like usual, artist Julia Sarisetiati choose to make calendars depicting men and their vehicles. (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
What is the one thing Jakartans desire most? A beautiful house, a good education or a clean environment perhaps?
Judging by the daily traffic congestion, RuangRupa artists concluded it must be the desire for vehicles.
Ten artists have explored this idea and are displaying the results in an exhibition called "Musafir (Wanderer), An Art Project About The Desire for Vehicles" at RuRu Gallery in South Jakarta.
RuangRupa ArtLab director Reza "Asung" Afisina said his colleagues had decided on this project because transportation was one of the main themes at RuangRupa this year.
"When speaking about Jakarta's transportation, everyone associates it with congestion and pollution. We realized such discussions were common. We tried to find another aspect of transportation and came up with the desire for vehicles," Asung said.
The artists discussed the theme together because they wanted works that could link with each other, he said. The project itself took five months to complete.
"We let each artist explore media that was not their normal area of expertise. For example, an artist whose art was based on sketching had to explore audio visual media," said Asung who displayed an array of detailed creatures, organs and machines.
Asung was inspired after seeing an advertisement that described the details of a car engine.
"I took the concept and found similar pictures in biology textbooks. I'm trying to convey that the desire for cars is aroused by advertising and continuous exposure."
Ari Sendy, one of the artists, interpreted desire in an ice cream picture with a sprinkle of topping on a pink background. If one observes the picture close-up, the chocolate sprinkles appear to be small pictures of convertibles and four-wheel drives.
Ari said he often saw convertibles and four-wheel drives on the congested and potholed roads of Jakarta. He found the phenomenon confusing because it seemed completely pointless to purchase such cars.
OF PEOPLE AND VEHICLES: Photos showing people and their relationship with their vehicles are displayed at RuRu Gallery. According to the exhibition’s catalogue, consumerism has made people forget the basic functions of vehicles and treat them as status symbols. (JP/Ricky Y)
"We don't need convertibles here because the air quality is so bad, and you don't need a four-wheel drive to get around a congested city. The convertibles and four-wheel drives are temptations, just like ice cream," he said.
Julia Sarisetiati, another artist, viewed desire from a different angle. As a woman, she found it irritating seeing the exploitation of women on product advertising, including for cars. As a result, Julia made a calendar containing photographs of men with their cars and motorcycles.
"It was interesting to photograph men for this calendar. Just like women, men can also strike a sexy, macho or feminine pose," Sari said.
Artist Indra Ameng used his camera which he carried with him for the five-month period to capture the idea of desire. His photos picture people professionally linked to cars.
Reminiscing to his childhood years when he enjoyed looking at colorful cars, artist Ari Dina Krestiawan provides crayons and coloring pencils next to his sketches so visitors can create a car of their own.
Artist Mirwan Andan, who spent six years at an Islamic boarding school, took a religious approach by putting excerpts of the Koran into pictures of luxurious cars.
Some of the verses quoted were; "Show us the straight pathway", "Say: Oh unbelievers. I worship not that you worship" and "God has obliged us to not worship other things but Him".
The exhibition also provides a small stage emblazoned with "Boom Super Car" and two giant car keys, allowing visitors to pretend they have won a car competition.
Besides displaying artists from Indonesia, the desire project also featured Malaysian artist Roslisham aka Ise.
"We communicate with him via e-mail. He came to Jakarta once and the rest of the time we communicated over the Internet," Asung said.
Ise's art was not being displayed in the gallery but was put in the Musafir booklet.
RuRu Gallery is located at RuangRupa
Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam Raya No. 6, South Jakarta.
The exhibition runs until Sept. 6.
