Beyond establishing their name as America’s industrial and banking tycoons, the Rockefeller family has become synonymous with art patronage.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, founded by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller in the late 1920s, wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr., is an example of the family’s support for the arts kept alive by today’s generation of Rockefellers.

A world away, Indonesia has been home to world renowned art masters such as Affandi, S. Sudjono, Hendra Gunawan, Widayat and Soedibio.

Yet, with such noteworthy artists and an unbeatable treasure trove of centuries-old cultural art forms, the country’s art patronage scene is still budding as Indonesia’s influential families stretch their investments beyond traditional sectors and into the arts.

The Ciputra family, who has built a fortune through their property business, has increasingly cemented their name as art patrons. Ciputra, the patriarch, is known for his extensive collection of Hendra Gunawan paintings, while daughter Rina Ciputra Sastrawinata is a known collector and patroness among contemporary visual artists. The family has escalated their love of art to something outside their private space, setting sights on
establishing the Ciputra Artpreneur Center.

In an exclusive interview, Rina, the president director of the center, told The Jakarta Post that the center would occupy approximately 6,000 square meters of space at CiputraWorld — a super-block of offices, apartments, hotels and shopping centers currently under construction.

“The Ciputra Artpreneur Center is more like a separate entity from the shopping center and hotels,” she recently said.

She added that the center would consist of an international standard theater, museum and gallery, which would serve as a multifunctional space for events from art exhibits to product launches.

“And we, the Ciputra Group, have taken a risk in developing this [art] complex whose facilities are worth nearly Rp 200 billion [US$20.8 million],” she said, adding that the company hired international consultants to ensure that the theater was on par with international standards, from lighting to sound systems.

The significant investments having been poured in meant that the center, as with any business unit of the group, would have to make profits, she added.

“We will run this unit for profit by renting out space for various art and social activities, given that the gallery is basically a multifunctional room,” she said, adding that this mélange of art and entrepreneurship was the concept her father, Ciputra, had always espoused.

She further added that the center would only bring returns on investment in 10 years time. Yet, the family has moved forward in building the center, which they also hope to be a tourist destination, out of their love for the arts.

“We do this more out of passion than calculations. If it were based on calculations, we would have never dispensed Rp 200 billion,” she said.

Besides the Ciputra family, the Djarum family has also been involved in arts and culture. Through their Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, the family has supported numerous cultural initiatives, including art events and musical performances such as the Fourth Salihara Festival and Wayang Hip-Hop.

Renitasari, the program director of Bakti Budaya, said their initiatives came from “a keen desire to bring greater appreciation of Indonesian culture” to Indonesians.

“With the growing cultural influence of the mass media, such as television, we feel compelled to bring a different dimension of culture to the public,” she added.

She further said that performance art “has been seriously ignored in Indonesia”. Through the foundation, Djarum packaging and selling the performances, they will additionally support up to 90 percent of ticket sales to help subsidize the cost of production.

“It is our goal to attract patrons, whether they be businesses or private citizens, we want them to step in and support performing artists so people can display their talents,” she said.

She added that patrons were indeed needed, given that artists still faced challenges in attaining financial stability through their work.

“Artists are not able to support themselves and putting on such showcases are usually costly and rarely profit-making,” he noted.

Rina added that this was why artists needed to learn entrepreneurship. “Art, regardless of who might disagree, goes hand in hand with entrepreneurship,” she said, adding that this was why her father wanted to create seminars that taught artists “how to think like a businessman”.

Yet, she noted that the rising price of works of art at auction houses had positively influenced artists, and so had the economic development in Indonesia, which had created a bigger pool of young, middle-class
citizens.

“The younger middle-class has realized the opportunity in making small investments in art that may later increase in value,” she said.

Wati Gandarum, a freelance executive producer with prestigious art events under her belt, said that finding sponsors or patrons for events was a tricky business.

She added that companies would sponsor events as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) program rather than as part of an investment in marketing.

To raise funds for a performance, art event or an audio visual art exhibition, Wati approached wealthy families, some of whom were her friends or acquaintances. “They usually see it as a donation to Indonesian art or to support the artists,” she said, adding that many wealthy families still prioritized giving donations to orphans, health programs, poverty eradication and education. The arts were not at the top of their list.

Wati, however, said that there was hope for the arts in Indonesia. The younger generation has helped open their families’ eyes, she said.

“These wealthy mothers have children who are exposed to the art world, usually abroad,” Wati went on. “Through their children, the parents have started to appreciate art more and they are more keen to get involved in the Indonesian arts.”

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