Kompas Gramedia CEO LilikOetama (fifth left) accompanied by Bentara Budaya Program Director and Curators’ Council head Frans Sartono (right) and Kompas Gramedia communications director Widi Krastawan (second right) pose for a photograph with seven artists during the award ceremony of the Bentara Budaya 35th anniversary event, held at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Tuesday (26/7). The seven awardees, recognized for their contribution to the arts, are (from left): ludruk and ketoprak player Kirun, topeng (traditional mask) conservationist Samadi, theater activist Rudolf Puspa, “mataraman” acapella activist Pardiman Djoyonegoro, dancer Luh Menek (in red kebaya), Betawi literature reviewer Abdul Chaer and wayang potehi conservationist Toni Harsono.
Starting off in a small building on Jl. Sudirman, Yogyakarta, the busy fringe arts scene found its stage. Today, after 35 years, Bentara Budaya is still loyally serving art and culture.
Humanist Sindhunata still remembers that time 35 years ago well, when Kompas chairman Jakob Oetama visited the Gramedia Bookstore on Jl. Sudirman. Because the old building it was in was too small, the bookstore was to be moved to the building next to it.
Because it was empty, the old building was to be rented out again, most likely as an airline office, a bread store, or a batik shop.
Sindhunata, who then a young Kompas reporter, asked, “Pak, what would such businesses mean to Kompas?” Jakob asked back, “Well, what do you think it should be for?”
Sindhunata answered, “For example, to exhibit fringe art and traditional artists who do not have the space to showcase their work and activities.”
Jakob then decided, “All right, you set it up with the other fellows.” This was the start of Bentara Budaya, which puts into practice its founder’s vision of “admonishing the rich, entertaining the needy” through art and culture.
The decision marked a historical vision for the Kompas daily, which was then still only in its 17th year. “Kompas at the time was still young and not too well off, but was already willing to give,” said Sindhunata.
The Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta was founded on Sept. 26, 1982, an early milestone of Kompas’s dedication to populist art and culture. The establishment of Bentara Budaya Jakarta followed in 1986, and then the Balai Soedjatmoko Solo and Bentara Budaya Bali in 2009.
The people’s art
In line with its initial intention of preserving the fringe arts, Bentara Budaya started in 1982 by holding a glass painting exhibition at the Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta. “Glass painting represents the art of the poor who were rarely given any attention in the past, their work only sold in markets at the time,” said Frans Sartono, Bentara Budaya program director and head of the curators’ council.
So, glass painting artists started to come to the fore, such as Citro Waluyo and Sastro Gambar, who often adopted themes related to the lower class such as pesugihan, tuyul, kandang bubrah and jaran penoleh.
“These works of the people apparently managed to inspire today’s artists and filmmakers,” said Frans.
Sumbar Priyanto Sunu or Toto Sunu, a glass painter from Purwokerto, Central Java, revealed how, in the 1980s, glass painting was not much known or appreciated.
“At the time, the price was still very low. But, after I took part in the exhibition with the late Rastika in 1989 in Jakarta, the public started to appreciate glass paintings,” he said.
Not wanting to forget its early history accompanying fringe artists, particularly glass painters, the Bentara Budaya is holding a glass painting art exhibition to mark its 35th birthday. The exhibition will be held from Sept. 26 - Oct. 3 at the Bentara Budaya Jakarta, and from Sept. 26 - Oct. 6 at the Bentara Budaya Bali.
Art collection
Apart from consistently providing a stage for artists to express themselves, Bentara Budaya also often collects their works. Bentara Budaya’s collection now numbers inthe thousands, consisting of 563 paintings, 1,058 ceramics, 542 wooden objects, 151 furniture pieces, 212 wayang kulit, 123 wayang rumput, 114 wayang golek, 188 coins, 80 graphic works, 33 stone sculptures, 18 posters from Poland, 18 Balinese umbrellas, 5 textiles and one Kudus longhouse.
The Bentara Budaya collection owes a lot to the role of Kompas founders PK Ojong and Jakob Oetama, who had the vision that the art works would become a part of history.
“In the 1960s, PK Ojong visited The Reader’s Digest editorial office in the United States. There, he was highly interested by a collection of European paintings displayed in the office. On his return to Indonesia, PK Ojong went to numerous regions in Indonesia, hunting for paintings,” said painter and Bentara Budaya curator Ipong Purnama Sidhi.
According to Bentara Budaya pioneer GM Sudarta and its executive director from 1986-1999, the first painting Kompas bought, which later became a part of the Bentara Budaya collection, was painter Popo Iskandar’s Flower Vase. The Bentara Budaya also collected the works of renowned Balinese painters such as Ida Bagus Made Poleng, Anak Agung Gde Sobrat and I Gusti Ketut Kobot.
Aside from searching for them, the pieces in Bentara Budaya’s collection were also acquired through painters who offered their works to the collection and as gifts from artists who had exhibited at Bentara Budaya. Over a span of 35 years, almost 1,000 artists of various backgrounds and genres have been featured at the Bentara Budaya.
To mark its 35th anniversary, the Bentara Budaya has presented awards to seven individualsin recognition of their dedication to art and culture: dancer Luh Menek, theater activist Rudolf Puspa, topeng (traditional mask) conservationist Samadi, “mataraman” a capella activist Pardiman Djoyonegoro, wayang potehi conservationist Toni Harsono, Betawi literature reviewer Abdul Chaer and ludruk and ketoprak player Kirun.
