The Pesta Kartun Akhir Tahun (End of Year Cartoon Party) exhibition puts political issues into fresh perspective through comic strips, posters and interactive installations.

Marking the 24th anniversary of the Indonesian Cartoonists' Association (Pakarti), the exhibition, opened on Wednesday at the Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) arts center in Central Jakarta, offers works of talented cartoonists from many regions in Indonesia. The event runs until Dec. 29.

As cartoon fans gathered in anticipation, the exhibition was officially opened by Pakarti founder Jaya Suprana, Pakarti president Jan Praba and the head of management at TIM, Bambang Subekti.

Jan Praba congratulated the Pakarti community on their achievements over the past two decades.

'We've come a long way. You can see the development if you look at the number of talented young cartoonists here, some of whom have even won international cartoon competitions,' he said.

Established in December 1989, Pakarti brings together cartoonists from all over Indonesia, aiming to provide a supportive environment in which they can develop their work. Pakarti member and exhibition curator Joko Luwarso expressed his excitement about the exhibition.

'Usually we hold small competitions among ourselves, but this is the first time we have put on a big exhibition like this,' Joko told The Jakarta Post during the opening.

Joko said participating cartoonists were given absolute freedom to create works on any theme and in any material.

The result is an extremely varied and fascinating collection of artwork. In one piece, visitors are invited to bang on homemade drums surrounded by satirical political posters for the Partai Galau (Confused Party).

Several works offer dark musings on the environmental future of Earth, featuring people clad in gas masks as pollution engulfs the world. Moving upstairs, beautiful flowers and butterflies inexplicably sprout from a toilet bowl in
the center of the room, while in one corner three corruption criminals drink from a coconut filled with money.

The variety of themes is striking, from local culture to national politics to global environmental issues. What is most remarkable, however, is the large range of mediums being used, with cartoonists utilizing paints, pencils, prints, sculpture and performance to share their messages. Visitors will undoubtedly appreciate the broader definition of 'cartoon' at work here, a definition that goes far beyond newspaper comic strips.

Bambang remarked that 'hopefully this event can teach the wider community that there is much more to cartoons than just caricature'.

Pakarti president Jan Praba expressed similar sentiments and explained that 'it's a cartoon party not just because we're celebrating our anniversary, but because there are so many different types of cartoons here, including installations and performance'. As visitors of all different backgrounds, from the very young to the very old, pass through the gallery enjoying the festive atmosphere, it is clear that curator Joko Luwarso is right when he points out, 'cartoons are a universal language ['¦] they are a visual communication form that everyone can understand'.

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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