Flaneur Exhibition, from Herbal Medicine Packaging to Cultural Diplomacy of Indonesian Artists
reported: Liu Setiawan
Jakarta, October 24, 2024/Indonesia Media – Visitors to the Flaneur exhibition were amazed and stunned by one of the installation artworks that was shaped like the letter A but filled with hundreds of herbal medicine packaging waste from various brands, especially those produced in the 1960s – 1970s. Several visitors wondered what the herbal medicine packaging waste had to do with the painting collection at the Flaneur exhibition. In addition, in the A-shaped booth, there were two male faces with rather high and prominent cheekbones. Visitors were also amazed by the herbal medicine which is useful for aphrodisiacs, for couples in bed. “Maybe, it (herbal medicine packaging waste) is interpretative with the development of the era at that time (1960s – 1970s), where people drank herbal medicine every day, consumed by the lower class. Not all of it (herbal medicine packaging waste) is for aphrodisiacs, but for health and staying energetic ,” exhibition guide Nunik told the editorial team.
The Flaneur: Kembara Lintas Dunia exhibition highlights the journey of Indonesian artists who travel from East to West, bringing their values and identities in cross-national, cross-world conversations through works from the late 19th century to the 21st century, this exhibition explores how Indonesian artists interact with the dynamics of global art, both through education, residence, participation in international forums, and various other cross-cultural exchanges. They are travelers – flaneurs -, world citizens who explore national borders, observe social phenomena in various cosmopolitan cities in the world and voice their comments through their works. “Not only (installation art) herbal medicine, but also several contemporary works of art that have emerged in Indonesian art. The installation of herbal medicine packaging waste with two male faces in the booth, like a symbol of the development of herbal medicine consumers as a medicine for strength and health,” said Nunik.
The journey of Indonesian fine arts to the international stage reflects courage and perseverance in cultural diplomacy. Starting from the education of Indonesian artists, they slowly penetrated geo-political boundaries and began to introduce their works through international exhibitions. An important milestone began in 1951, when S. Sudjojono, Henk Ngantung, Basuki Resobowo and Hendra Gunawan together with LEKRA, attended the world youth and student festival in Berlin. They used fine arts as a tool for cross-cultural dialogue in the midst of the cold war, with works that were later exhibited in Moscow and Beijing. “The journey of Indonesian fine arts at Flaneur, their works are in the form of paintings, installations, sculptures, and so on. The end of the 19th – 21st century, they were Indonesian artists, the maestros; Emiria Sunassa, Sudjojono, Affandi and Agus Djaja ‘wandered’ East – West. Some participated in Biennales in various parts of the world, participated in exhibitions and even lived in parts of the world. They created works and finally returned to Indonesia,” said Nunik. (LS/IM)
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