People observe paintings at the Presidential Palace Painting Exhibition at the National Gallery, Jakarta, Monday (31/7). The exhibition, held Aug. 2-30, is themed Songs of the Motherland and displays 48 paintings by 41 painters.
What is Indonesia? Indonesia is a land of natural beauty, with fertile paddy fields, friendly people and traditions that are unique, religious and rich in mythology. Such a description is reflected in the Indonesia Presidential Palace Painting Collection Exhibition at the National Gallery, Jakarta, on Aug. 2-30.
The event, themed “Songs of the Motherland” held by the State Secretariat, is important to witness. Opened by Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Tuesday (1/8), the exhibition presents 48 paintings from the Presidential Palace collection. The paintings were created between 1863 and 1983, spanning up to 122 years.
Among the 41 painters whose work is on display, there are important names in the realm of Indonesia modern art. The names include a painter from Semarang, who studied in the Netherlands way before Indonesia achieved independence, Raden Salah; three pioneers of the “Mooi Indie” style, Abdullah Suriosubroto, Wakidi and Mas Pirngadi; palace painters Basuki Abdullah and Dullah; a painter who became Jakarta governor, Henk Ngantung; and a leader of the Pitamaha group in Bali, Ida Bagus Made Poleng.
There are also painters from among the people, such as Hendra Gunawan and Trubus Sudarsono, as well as an abstract painter from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Ahmad Sadali and AD Pirous. Paintings by expatriate artists also add color to our art journey, such as Walter Spies (Germany), Ries Mulder (Netherlands), Rudolf Bonnet (Netherlands), Theo Meier (Switzerland) and Lee Man Fong (China).
They are important names in the history of art in Indonesia. Furthermore, all the work displayed in this exhibition is from the collection of the state palace. Looking at the paintings is like opening the pages of a history book and witnessing firsthand famous works that are only studied on art campuses.
Indonesia-ness
What are the paintings of these painters like? Generally, their paintings depict Indonesian culture, which is represented from various perspectives. The team of curators, Asikin Hasan, Amir Sidharta, Mikke Susanto and Sally Texania, divided the paintings into four groups: scenes, health, tradition and spirituality.
Upon entering the main entrance of the exhibition hall, visitors are immediately greeted by a Basoeki Abdullah painting, Flores Beach. The painting, produced in 1942, shows a refreshing view of a sandy beach surrounded by cliffs. A mountain shrouded in clouds is in the background.
Moving to a different corner, a romantic Raden Saleh painting, Drinking Tiger (1863), is displayed. A Sumatran tiger is seen drinking from a cool river under a shady tree. The blue sky is clear.
The “Mooi Indie” or attractive Dutch East Indies landscape is also seen in a number of other paintings. This country is blessed with a richness in the form of beautiful nature.
In another group, there are paintings of the everyday lives of the people. A painting by Bonnet, Working on a Paddy Field in Bali (1954), shows a farmer working his terraced rice field. Ries Mulder painting is of a chicken seller, while Lee Man Fong with a spontaneous Chinese-style painting – painted a picture of a satay seller. The people in those paintings are unpretentious.
In the room next to the exhibition hall, a few paintings show three women wearing kebaya, some with their hair in a bun. The women are elegant and appear proud of their national identity. Artists of these painting are the likes of Trubus, Hendra and Sudarso.
Not far from there, a famous Basoeki painting, Nyai Roro Kidul, is displayed. A woman with long, loose hair wearing a kemban is pictured emerging from rough seas. The sight of the mythological creature appeals to viewers of the exhibition.
Moving on to the back room, visitors are presented with abstract paintings by Sadali and Pirous. Containing no humans or scenes, both paintings are made up of a series of planes and soft-colored lines along with Arabic calligraphy. They send out a deep and calming aura.
Looking at those paintings, we are invited to see Indonesia from a rich point of view. We have picturesque natural beauty, people living in harmony, a variety of traditions and a deep sense of spirituality. All of these things are valuable assets that have been around for a long time and have the potential to be developed for the advancement of the nation.
“These paintings are actually too sweet to comprehend in today’s situation, but it gives us a break,” said Kuss Indarto, a curator who is a graduate of Yogyakarta’s Indonesian Institute of Art, when observing the exhibition.
The break he referred to has become more meaningful because it offers a realization of the diversity of Indonesia. The representation of scenes, daily activities, traditions and spirituality in the work of painters are not all the same. They vary. And all of them are our assets.
Public access
In the rearmost part of the exhibition, there is something to note about the journey of the State Palace collection, starting from President Soekarno to President Joko Widodo. In the introduction in the exhibition catalogue, State Secretary Pratikno said the exhibition was the second State Palace collection exhibition to be held during the Jokowi era. In 2016, a similar exhibition titled Goresan Juang Kemerdekaan (Scars of the Struggle for Independence) was held.
One of the curators, Amir Sidharta, said it was hoped that the exhibition gave a taste of the works of art in the State Palace and what they meant to a head of state, starting from Soekarno to Jokowi, and whoever became president in the future. “These paintings are a window for those in the palace to see Indonesia,” he said.
Similar exhibitions will be held every year. This decision deserves appreciation because in the past the State Palace tended to keep its art collection from public view and only allowed particular groups to see it.
Through the exhibition, members of the public are given an opportunity to see the beautiful works of art that represent the history of Indonesia and the changes it has undergone over the years. Moreover, the palace collection includes not only paintings of scenes or objects of beauty, but also paintings of the struggle of various groups, all for the sake of the development of Indonesia.
The exhibition is a window for us to inhale some fresh air amid the various problems in the country. At a time when political friction, hate speech on social media, bullying among students, corruption by officials and street fights are causing the situation in the country to turn murky, then it is hoped that these paintings of beautiful Indonesia with its variety of cultures can be a breath of fresh air. We used to struggle together to fight for Indonesia’s independence and that spirit should be maintained.
