A double act voyage of shadows, luminosity and skilful play

ARTS SELASAR SUNARYO ART SPACE ANNIVERSARY

A DOUBLE VOYAGE OF SHADOWS, LUMINOSITY AND SKILFUL PLAY

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HE Selasar (verandah) Suna-

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| OCTOBER 21, 2012

ryo Art Space is a verandah in the sense that it is an important cultural organization in Indonesia in general and in Bandung in particular, from where we can travel into the wondrous world of the contemporary arts.

Recently, the gallery founded by wellknown artist Sunaryo, celebrated its 14th anniversary. But Selasar Sunaryo Art Space is more than an exhibition venue, it also includes a café, a bookshop, a library and various programs complementing the exhibitions (such as art discussions and book discussions, seminars, workshops, dance and music performances, film screenings). Perhaps, one day, Sunaryo’s son Arin Dwihartanto, a visual artist in his own right, will

take over his father’s torch so that the Selasar Sunaryo Art Space will continue to illuminate a variety of paths into the contemporary art world. It is difficult to imagine Indonesia’s cultural landscape without this gallery playing its many illuminating roles.

From the Beginning to the End is the current exhibition featuring the father and son —Haryadi Suadi (b. 1939) and Radi Arwinda (b. 1983)—duet. The opening on September 22 was officiated by artists Tisna Sanjaya and Muhammad Zico Albaiquni, who also happen to be father and son. Tisna and Zico presented a moving performance titled ‘tradition-art-relation-today.’ Father and son washed and kissed each other’s feet after which Tisna gave a passionate speech while Zico made a charcoal drawing on a huge canvas accompanied by songs

played by a troupe of traditional musicians.

The performance was concluded by Tisna washing and kissing the feet of his former teacher, Haryadi Suadi, as a public display of respect of a pupil towards his mentor.

An artistic path does not start from a tabula rasa. Each artist is influenced by many predecessors, however, each artist will also come to a point where she or he will start creating her or his own footsteps, and, perhaps, influence others to meander down a similar road. The history of the arts is marked by inter-generational influences as well as figurative patricide. However, in Indonesia, generally speaking, particularly in Java, seeking consensus and harmony are favored over open confrontation. Stepping out of one’s predecessor’s shadow—especially if that is one’s father’s and he is a

well-known and widely-respected artist— might then be a delicate matter of walking a tight rope between politeness and one’s own blossoming creativity.

Haryadi Suadi was born in Cirebon, a coastal city on West Java’s northern coast, at the border of Sundanese and Javanese culture. Cirebon has for centuries absorbed external influences, being a port town, as well as from its hinterland. Traces of different cultures can still be found in Cirebon—the sultan’s palace with its beautiful juxtapositions, perhaps to signify the power and cosmopolitanism of the sultan.

It is a tradition—often sweepingly called syncretism—that is very much alive today.

For many Westerners, tradition is something locked-up in the past, on display in museums. British sociologist Anthony Gid-

dens even speaks of post-traditional modernity, which is an alien concept in Indonesia, a country that became postmodern before it could become modern, to paraphrase French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard.

It is this hybrid tradition full of juxtapositions that inspires the work of Haryadi Suadi. Graphic and printmaking artist Haryadi Suadi studied art at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and thereafter, became its long-time faculty member. In the printmaking studio, humble and soft-spoken Haryadi Suadi was a father figure to his many students. Although he has retired as a lecturer, he remains productive as an artist and still exhibits his work. Haryadi Suadi’s son also studied art at ITB, but in the painting studio.

Radi Arwinda’s work has been influenced

by Japanese artist Takeshi Murakami. Superflat, a concept developed by Takeshi Murakami, refers to the techniques used in manga and anime, with their emphasis on flat planes. However, at the same time, Takeshi Murakami uses this concept as a social criticism towards Japan as he sees his country becoming more and more homogenous. But is Indonesia becoming more homogenous? I don’t think so. If anything, perhaps it is becoming even more complex.

For Indonesia’s art scene, though, Takeshi Murakam’s criticism is valid as Indonesia’s art scene is kept flat by a dominant art market and absent support system subsidized by the state (Indonesia lacks a public art museum, for example). Radi Arwinda and four curators—Rifky Effendy, Aminudin TH Siregaror, Heru Hikayat and Agung Hujatnikajennong—and two other artists—Ariadhitya Pramuhendra and Wiyoga Muhardanto—founded Bandung-based alternative art space Platform3 in 2010, to offer artists a platform in which to experiment. In 2011, Radi Arwinda, represented Platform3 at Art HK2011.

Haryadi Suadi collects wayang puppets, old records, masks, books and batik textiles. Radi Arwinda is an avid collector as well, of manga comic books, action figures, books on popular culture and contemporary art. Their collections are shown alongside one of the exhibition spaces at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space, as if we are visiting their home: we sit on their couch, flip through their books, watch their TV and we are in awe of the many curios there: from action figures to batik. When we connect the dots between the seemingly disparate items, we find an art that is an essential part of everyday life, as it should be.

In the remaining exhibition spaces, the father-son collaboration feature their paintings, prints, objects and installations.

This exhibition challenges, so writes the curator Agung Hujatnikajennong, “the notion of ‘origin’ in today’s Indonesian visual culture. Hybridity, syncretism and complexity are obvious in their way of juxtaposing ideas, iconographies and idioms.”

As true as that may be, it is also a duet that is performed in such a skilful manner and shown in such a way that the impression one gets is that the artists executed their intimate collaboration with a healthy dose of humor and joie de vivre.

It is an exhibition I returned to again, and again. ● ROY VORAGEN, A CONTRIBUTOR IS BASED IN BANDUNG

OCTOBER 21, 2012 |

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