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Hari Budiono's 'Memedi Sawah' exhibition scares away fear
Through his Memedi Sawah (scarecrows) art exhibition, Yogyakartan artist Hari Budiono uses scarecrows to "resist" the spread of fear in the current political climate.
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Scarecrows hold canvases featuring extracts from the lyrics of "Ibu Pertiwi" (Motherland), composed by Ismail Marzuki, in an installation art by Hari Budiono. The 'Memedi Sawah' exhibition opened on March 14 and runs through March 23 at the Balai Soedjatmoko in Surakarta, Central Java. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
Y
ogyakartan artist Hari Budiono is presenting the Memedi Sawah (scarecrows) art exhibition from March 14 to 23 at the Balai Soedjatmoko in Surakarta, Central Java.
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Indonesian scarecrows are typically made of straw, hay or grass and placed in rice fields to scare away birds. The scarecrows also have ropes that can be used to manipulate their movements to discourage birds from eating grains of paddy.
Scarecrows can also symbolize the use of fear to instill suspicion, hatred and prejudice, as well as intolerance, in people and communities.
However, instead of spreading fear, Hari's memedi sawah encourage joy and laughter. Made of alang-alang (cogon grass) from Mount Merapi, the 15 scarecrows in each of 115 installation art pieces hold canvases printed with lyrics from "Ibu Pertiwi" (Motherland) by Ismail Marzuki.
The scarecrows in another 100 installations hold sketched portraits featuring the joyous faces of renowned Indonesian figures, from celebrities to politicians and to religious figures.
Among them are the portraits of President Joko Widodo, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Nasdem Party chairman Surya Paloh, award-winning journalist Najwa Shihab, musician Kaka Slank, singer Bunga Citra Lestari, philosophy scholar Franz Magnis-Suseno and cleric Quraish Shihab – all showing expressions of mirth.
In addition to the installation pieces, Memedi Sawah also presents eight paintings that reflect on current politics, including "Manusia Bertopeng" (masked human) and "Warna-Warni Ayam Nagari" (colorful chicken).
Curator Romo Shindhunata said Hari presented the exhibition as a form of resistance against the fear spread by memedi sawah. “Scarecrows aren’t scary anymore. They’re laughing, just like how Indonesians laugh,” Sindhunata told The Jakarta Post. “Laughing together can overcome social fears.”
The exhibition was opened by Purwohadi Sanjoto, owner of Surakarta's legendary bakery Orion, and started with the Tayub dance, percussion music produced by pounding lesung (mortar) and a dance choreographed by Suprapto Suryodarmo.
A recording of "Ibu Pertiwi" welcomes guests as they enter the exhibition venue, which was decorated to evoke a rice field. Dried straw is scattered on the floor, while origami birds hang from above.
Memedi Sawah has been exhibited at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta in Central Jakarta and the Bentara Budaya Bali in Gianyar regency. The exhibition is to tour next to the Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, where it will be held from March 23 to 30. (wir/kes)
