The artists in Indonesian Sculptor Association (Asosiasi Pematung Indonesia/API) Jakarta held an exhibition with material process, concept, and respond to social politic situation.
An installation is standing high and proud close to the Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki. The installation work of the group named 12PAS is a cube made of iron frame. There are two windmills ‘on a roll’ caused by the wind. There is a metal plate and hitter at the back of each windmill.
Due to the different spinning interval, each windmill’s spin creates various sounds from the hitters and metal plates. Below the set, a white cloth is put in such a way to fill the empty space. The sounds of propellers and white cloth greet the audiences on their way to the exhibition room. The artwork is named Gaung (Echoes) size 6 x 6 x 6 meters (2013).
“The “Echoes” is meant to capture the purpose of exhibition through its emitted sounds, to strengthen the stance and consistency of the participating sculptors,” said Jack S Riyadi from 12Pas group.
Themed TraX. 13, the exhibition held from 1 – 15 November 2013 is curated by Benny Ronald Tahalele. The event itself is held by Asosiasi Pematung Indonesia (API) / Indonesian Sculptors Association in cooperation with PKJ-TIM. The participating artists are not only from Jakarta, but also Yogyakarta and Bandung.
Other than in Cipta II Gallery, API’s sculptures take the gallery’s inner space with interesting get-up. The exhibition room is divided into two sections with a make-shift border in the middle, formed of horizontal sculptures. People will see that the exhibition slopes in the middles with vertical sculptures on the boulder’s left and right sides.
The horizontal artworks are given a name Oracle, a courtesy of Gabriel Aris; a young graduate of Bandung Technological Institute. He has focused on railings and padding since 2011. In his concept, the railing is drawn curved with no end, forming a circle. The 300-centimeter artwork is fascinating due to its eternal vortex.
On the left side, a sight of clean, white baby sculpture in normal size is displayed in a wall dispatched with a black cloth. The black and white contrast elicits attention despite its medium size and corner position. The artwork titled SUCI kah? (SAINT?) with its crucified pose represents the baby as incubator material of woman’s womb. The artwork of Ali Robin, made back in 2011, is to criticize the present women who seem to forgot their wombs’ natural function.
At the left side of the exhibition room, Hardiman Radjab’s artwork is a suitcase; hanged 1.5 meters in diagonal position. In the installation titled Remember “Drive Inn” (2013), mini-cars are lined facing a monitor displaying pieces of a movie with seventies popular music.
In line, this installation takes the audiences to a trip down memory lane of a community entertainment named moving cinema or famously known as layar tancap. Hardiman let the audiences feel the sensation of watching a movie from a car by seeing directly the scenes in a monitor through a little hole at the right side of the suitcase.
Benny Messa, on the other hand, plays with terracotta. His artwork named Awas Ati-Ati (Caution, Be Careful) whose size is 80x23x13 centimeter (2013) is an intact skateboard, equipped with four wheels on its downside.
The thing is that the surfboard is cracked all the way, added with the terracotta material used to make it. Benny’s artwork tickles, to say the least.
Another interesting artwork comes from Arsono. The senior artist who works well with metal presents an artwork titled Bahtera #2 (Ark #2) which is 230 centimeter high (2013). It is quite conceptual, even with its abstract style. The work is done tidily, with clear weld details.
Since the concept is well-prepared, the weld supports the unity of the artwork instead of makes it apart. Curved iron is absentmindedly put, along with the rust it acquires. In the middle of the curve, reflecting irons similar to mirror in various sizes are installed with various installation.
There is a melody out of the set-up in the middle of strong; powerful; and exact curves of iron. The artwork manages to let the metal free which is usually absolute, and dynamic.
Conceptual, conversely, may not be found in some artworks. Some others are responding to the current social politic situations. An artwork of Agus Widodo titled Balada Selompret KPK (Bugle Story of Corruption Eradication Commission) (2013). The fiber-based artwork is made in 2013 as a response to the boisterous corruption cases revealed by KPK.
These cases frightening and disgusting for the community. KPK is the only hope as Agus stated in the artwork as a man blowing a bugle in front of mice bathing with money.
“The artwork takes the sculptors free to express their creativity. There is no demand from the organizer nor the curator. Working integrity underlined in this exhibition,” said Budi L Tobing from Indonesian Sculptors Association, Jakarta branch as the organizer.
