Sowing Hope for Public Sculpture

Name: Sowing Hope for Public Sculpture
Uploaded: 2024-04-27T04:49:06Z
Duration: 20 min 32 s
Description: Up to now, placing statues in public spaces has not been a breath of fresh air.

Up to now, placing statues in public spaces has not been a breath of fresh air.

This article has been translated using AI. See Original .

IGNATIUS NAWA TUNGGAL

· 5 minutes read

The Art Jakarta Gardens performance for the third time shows the unwavering focus of outdoor sculpture art. However, placing them as public statues is not yet a breath of fresh air. Outdoor sculptures are still a limited commodity for private collectors.

Placing outdoor sculptures as public sculptures can actually be done in city parks or social spaces that the public can enjoy freely. Regional governments have the authority to make this happen. Performances such as Art Jakarta Gardens can sow hope for the realization of this public statue.

Director General of Culture Hilmar Farid also briefly raised this issue after opening the Art Jakarta Gardens, Tuesday (22/4/2024), in the City Forest by Plataran, Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta. This exhibition runs until April 28, 2024 and displays around 30 outdoor sculptures and two-dimensional fine art works from 23 galleries.

"The outdoor statues displayed are all beautiful. If asked how they can be placed in public spaces such as open parks in Jakarta, well, that should be directed to the Jakarta Provincial Government," said Hilmar.

So far, there has been no response from any local government institutions regarding this exhibition. When Hilmar presented his outdoor sculptures which were displayed quite well, journalists chased him with questions about which artwork interested him the most.

Hilmar pointed to the work of artist commission Erwin Windu Pranata presented by digital application-based investment company PT Bibit Tumbuh Bersama or Bibit.id. Erwin presented a work entitled "The Bouquet: Fall, Grow".

This is a sculpture made of a particular layered material modeled to resemble three-dimensional large leaves or other shapes. The material can be filled with air like a balloon.

At certain times, the amount of wind can be reduced or increased, causing the shape of the statue to become dynamic. When filled with wind, it appears to be growing and standing upright. When the wind is reduced, it becomes soft like wilted and falls down collapsed.

Erwin illustrates his sculpture artwork as a balance in the cycle of life. This includes balancing in terms of finances. The journey of growth always experiences a process of falling and getting back up.

Donkey statue

Next to Erwin's work is a commission by artist Naufal Abshar which was presented by a gold investment company with the digital Treasury application. Naufal built a six meter tall donkey statue using 9,000 used spray paint cans and 2,000 glass bottles. The donkey statue is entitled "Gold is King".

"I use regular spray paint when I create my art. I have collected up to 2,000 used spray paint cans, and for this donkey statue, I bought used spray paint cans from collectors and manufacturers in Bekasi and Pamulang," said Naufal.

Since 2014, Naufal has chosen the character of a donkey in his artworks. He was inspired by the animated donkey character in the animated film Shrek. The donkey in the film has hyperactive, talkative, sociable, and strange traits.

Naufal was interested in exploring the true character of donkeys. It turns out that donkeys have a calm, loyal, and hardworking character. Compared to horses, donkeys are often considered to be of a lower rank. However, donkeys can be more relied upon for transportation of goods.

"Regarding the gold investment by Treasury company, I would like to convey historically that donkeys played an important role in transporting mining materials, particularly for gold mines. Donkeys were more commonly used," said Naufal.

After being exhibited at Art Jakarta Gardens, according to Naufal, there is a possibility that this statue will be placed in one of the Treasury office rooms. For Naufal, his work becomes a public statue although it is still limited to the scope of the company.

"I would be very happy if this statue were placed in a public space where more people could enjoy it. However, we are still faced with the issue of quite high vandalism," said Naufal.

The issue of air pollution is not a new matter. The situation of the society being threatened by air pollution has also been long occurring. There is no shortage of research evidence indicating the threat from the impact of air pollution. However, it is still unable to encourage significant efforts in controlling air pollution. Residents are increasingly suffering, living under the siege of air pollution. Sculptors are aware that it is not easy to place sculptures in public spaces. For the Art Jakarta Gardens exhibition, they have designed works that can be placed both indoors and outdoors. This is what sculptor Sumbul Pranov did with 10 animal statues that were flattened and turned into an installation titled "Vacation Edition." Sumbul's work is exhibited at CGArtspace Gallery.

"I conducted an experiment on sculptures that don't necessarily have to be enjoyed from all perspectives. I made my animal sculptures flat enough to be appreciated from just the left and right sides," said Sumbul.

Beef carcass

Among the approximately 30 outdoor statues on display at Art Jakarta Gardens, a sculpture of an upside-down hanging cow carcass is quite eye-catching. From a distance, the statue resembles a real cow carcass. The statue is the work of Joko Avianto using synthetic rattan vines as the medium. This work is exhibited at the V&V Gallery.

"This work speaks of selecting and choosing parts of beef as a change from the era of human hunting," said Wilian Robin, owner and manager of Gallery V&V.

Wilian recounted the metaphor built by Joko Avianto through his work titled "Poems of Mamals". During the time of hunting, the names of the consumed meat parts were not really a concern. Nowadays, there has been a change in consuming meat with its own specific terms.

"This sculpture specifically uses a strong medium that can be placed outdoors. It can be a public sculpture," said Wilian.

Apart from the outdoor space, Art Jakarta Gardens organizers set up two tents which were used by 23 galleries. Most of the galleries display paintings, but some include sculptures specifically for interiors.

Just like a sculpture created by Malaysian artist James Seet, which is currently being featured at Artserpong Gallery. Seet's work is quite unique as he uses ceramic to create stone sculptures with hollow interiors. In the piece titled "The Orang Asli," Seet created sculptures of Malaysia's indigenous people inside these hollowed out rocks.

Sowing Hope for Public Sculpture

About AI Translated Article

Donkey statue

Beef carcass