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Sculptural talks of the past and present

Cerita Brawijaya (Brawijaya’s story) by Budi SantosoIndonesian sculptural heritage has long been the center of cultural research and art exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad for its diversity and the stories behind each creation

Novia D. Rulistia (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, May 4, 2015

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Sculptural talks of the past and present

Cerita Brawijaya (Brawijaya'€™s story) by Budi Santoso

Indonesian sculptural heritage has long been the center of cultural research and art exhibitions in Indonesia and abroad for its diversity and the stories behind each creation.

The artistic value of those historical objects has been reinterpreted by eight local sculptors, creating unique conversations between the past and the present in the Contemporary Eye of Indonesian Art and Culture Heritage exhibition.

The exhibition, which runs until May 17 at the Dia.Lo.Gue art space in Kemang, South Jakarta, features artworks from Anusapati, Awan Simatupang, Arya Pandjalu, Budi Santoso, Dolorosa Sinaga, Lenny Ratnasari Weichert, Nus Salomo and Taufan AP.

The curator, Hermawan Tanzil, said the exhibition emphasized historical sculptures that were recreated in a monolithic form or as an installation.

He said the artists had the authority to express their understanding of the objects, blending them with some fresh impressions from today'€™s life.

'€œAll of the artists have the capability to reinterpret the cultural symbols in the objects, either aesthetically or metaphorically, into contemporary works of art,'€ Hermawan said.

'€œThis exhibition is an effort to remember our heritage and to look for meaning.'€

Most of the objects in the show are statues and statuettes, but there are also art installations. Some are made of fiberglass, but there are also artworks made of wood, fabric, bronze and polyester.

In the exhibition, noted sculptor Dolorosa presents four artworks, all of which are inspired by the culture of the Batak ethnic group of North Sumatra.  

Mengapa Kau Culik Anak Kami (Why you kidnap our child) by Dolorosa Sinaga
Mengapa Kau Culik Anak Kami (Why you kidnap our child) by Dolorosa Sinaga

She said she borrowed the concept of the Naga Padoha artifact and transformed it into the Concise History of Mass Murders of 1965 in Indonesia fiberglass sculpture.

'€œNaga Padoha holds Batak cosmology and local wisdom. I give a new context to it, making it a sculptural book that records the 1965 killings,'€ Dolorosa said.

Next to it is a small version of a Batak sarcophagus which inspired Dolorosa to create an artwork that acts as a reminder of the kidnapping of activists in 1998.

The sarcophagus looks very dramatic as it is made in black, featuring the screaming face of a woman who carries her dead children in her hands.

In the exhibition, Budi Santoso exhibits five of his latest sculptures, highlighting the story behind the objects while adding some modern social values.

He said in the Pesona Ken Dedes (Ken Dedes'€™ Charm) work, he tried to symbolize women'€™s charms toward men.

The Ken Dedes sculpture features a woman sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower. In his new work, Budi changes her sitting pose, sticking one of her legs out while emphasizing the thigh and leg with gold hues to represent her shining allure.

Dolorosa Sinaga'€™s Concise History of Mass Murders of Indonesia in 1965
Dolorosa Sinaga'€™s Concise History of Mass Murders of Indonesia in 1965

While in Belajar Tanpa Batas (Learn Without Limits), he recreated the Ganesha statue, which is known as the god of wisdom and knowledge.

'€œI incorporated the statue with some symbols of the modern era, such as a laptop in his hand, to show that today'€™s generations can learn about anything from anywhere, including from the Internet,'€ Budi said.

Meanwhile, the installation work of Nus Salomo also decorates the outer room of Dia.Lo.Gue, featuring Mega Mendung motifs that are widely found in temples and palaces in Java.

The motifs are often depicted in two-dimensional batik form but, this time, he presents them in 3D through the Angkara Mega set of clouds '€” complete with the elements of lights and thunder '€” as a contemporary chandelier.

'€œThe space in Dia.Lo.Gue allows visitors to see the clouds from different angles '€” from the side and upward '€” whereas they usually see them from the front,'€ Nus Salomo said.

Rahwana Maling (Rahwana the Stealer) by Sundanese artist Arya Pandjalu is also an attention-grabber as he transforms the Ramayana saga by adapting the shape and technique of traditional Sundanese wayang golek (wooden puppets).

Arya said the three gigantic semi-realistic puppets were made to imitate toys, standing still in the middle of the exhibition area, but could be played with just like actual wayang golek.   

Dolorosa said the exhibition had become an interesting challenge for the artists as they were urged to dig deeper into the nation'€™s culture in order to breathe some fresh air into the country'€™s sculptural scene.

'€œI also expect the exhibition can serve as a case study for younger generations to see that there'€™s a link and discussions between the past and this present day,'€ she said.

The Journey by Taufan AP
The Journey by Taufan AP

'€” Photos by JP/Awo

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