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'Trienal Seni Patung #2': A showcase of contemporary ideas
Atas Nama Perseorangan (On Behalf of an Individual) by Purdjito SulaimanFifty-three prominent and talented Indonesian artists share their out-of-the-box works of art at the Indonesian Sculpture Triennial #2 at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta
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Atas Nama Perseorangan (On Behalf of an Individual) by Purdjito Sulaiman
Fifty-three prominent and talented Indonesian artists share their out-of-the-box works of art at the Indonesian Sculpture Triennial #2 at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta.
Using 'Versi' (Version) as a theme for this year's triennial event, curator Asikin Hasan said the selected artists ' consisting of professional sculptors and painters who have been producing sculptures over the past few years ' offer new ideas, leaving behind conventional approaches.
'[The exhibition] shows that any ideas are welcomed in contemporary arts,' said Asikin, adding that the artists were allowed to express their thoughts about many things, which are then translated into their own versions of sculptures.
Asikin cited Sang Jendral (The General), a piece by I Nyoman Nuarta ' the man behind the Garuda Wisnu Kencana monument in Bali ' that was originally created in 1976, as an example.
'Sang Jendral' is a copper- and brass-made sculpture that is provided with elements that resemble a general with several different heads, which symbolizes collective leadership in the military.
The piece came out of Nuarta's personal experience with communism, the military and intimidation when he was a young man in Bali.
Back in the 1970s, Sang Jendral was considered a breakthrough in sculpture that went beyond the era, when most artists preferred to use stone or wood to make conventional figures or abstract sculptures and were bound by formal aspects, said Asikin. Nuarta's work was then reproduced in 2013.
Ichwan Noor's Beetle Sphere, created in 2013, is another interesting piece in the exhibition.
Made of aluminum and parts from a 1953 Volkswagen Beetle, Beetle Sphere is the artist's personal view of today's cultural products in transportation.
'In Beetle Sphere, [the artist] transforms a real-size yellow Beetle into a round, ball-like shape,' said Asikin, adding that the piece tricks many people's minds as they mostly guess that the round Beetle was produced by a powerful machine.
No one, he said, realized that the piece started from a palm-sized model and was then built out of parts that were shaped by using conventional techniques.
The exhibition, which runs until Nov. 10, also exposes works that are made of used materials, such as Lipatan (Fold) by Anusapati that is made out of a used door, The City of Records by Bagus Pandega that was made of a vinyl record player and vinyl records and Atas Nama Perseorangan (On Behalf of an Individual) by Purdjito Sulaiman that symbolizes his respect of a foreigner who loves Javanese culture.
There are also artists whose works showcase their skills in transforming objects into pieces with high-leveled visual, such as Still Shy #02 by Eddi Prabandono, One Step Ahead by Iriantine Karnaya and Come Fly With Me by Nus Salomo.
Dolorosa Sinaga, an artist who is concerned with human rights issues, created Tak Terjudulkan/Untitled, which narrates a phase in Indonesian political history that likely occurred in 1965.
Other works that marry concepts and narrations come from sculptor Dicky Chandra with The Creation of Power and Entang Wiharso with Under Perfect Mirror.
Cerita Tentang Tubuh dan Imaji (Story of Body and Image) by I Wayan Updana
Many artists in the contemporary arts also tend to broaden their spectrum in creating artworks, such as the pieces by Arya Pandjalu, with his decorative Garden of Delight, and Budi Kustarto, with his Sehelai Daun Jatuh di Rantingnya (A Leave that Falls on Its Branch), that display their interest in nature.
Others, however, prefer to tell more stories of their own, such as Suparmardiyanto in Bertumbuh (Growing) and Taufik Ermas in Insomnia.
The Passage Wot Batu piece by Sunaryo stands out in sophistication as it uniquely displays the artist's self-portrait reflection by using basic elements like rocks, crystals and water.
'[The use of those elements] show that I have become more nature-oriented, materially and philosophically, in creating artworks,' Sunaryo said in a statement that explains his work for the triennial.
'[Passage Wot Batu] displays my reflection and milestones as a person that ends in spiritual values, which leads me to Wot Batu ' a site in Dago Atas, Bandung that sums up my response with stone material.'
' Photos by JP/Awo
