Pasar Seni Ancol art market in Ancol Dreamland Park, North Jakarta, marks its 35th anniversary today, but the future looks bleak for artists concerned about the future of the market following declining business.
“Sometimes I wait four months for a customer to buy my pieces,” said Herry Mujiono, who has been a Pasar Seni artist for 30 years.
Herry, who paints in an abstract style, said he could sell one or two paintings a week in the 1980s, but that now “there has been a sharp drop in sales since the establishment of malls and art galleries in the city. People prefer to go there.”
“I don’t expect to get a lot of money, I paint to feed my soul,” he said, “But I still worry about the future of the art market.”
Another artist, Sulistiyo Gunawan, 40, who just reopened his business in Pasar Seni in early January, also expressed a pessimistic outlook. “I have not sold any of my pieces in Pasar Seni since I came back here. Fortunately, I have orders from other places.
“I think the government has to manage Pasar Seni as a cultural asset,” he said.
When The Jakarta Post visited the art market recently, it was full of kindergarten students attending an art competition. Potential buyers were nowhere to be seen.
At around 1 p.m. two visitors entered the market. Hormoz Aghdaey from Iran bought two water-color paintings.
“This is my first visit to the market and I really like the diversity of the art,” he said.
Aghdaey was accompanied by colleague Nia Sarinastiti.
“I usually bring foreign colleagues who are looking for Indonesian art to this place, but now the market is very quiet and some stalls are closed,” she said.
Pasar Seni manager Bogang Suharno said the market’s popularity began to fade after the Dunia Fantasi theme park opened in the 1980s.
Ancol park was established in 1970, while the art market was set up five years later. Currently, the market houses works by around 80 artists, who are charged a subsidized monthly rent of Rp 151,000 (US$13.6) each.
Bogang added that Ancol management had taken steps to enable Pasar Seni to compete in the market including opening the Ancol Art Academy in 2007 to offer art courses to the public, and the North Art Space gallery in February 2009 for Pasar Seni artists to exhibit their work. (not)
