cata odata: wall of Indonesia

WOI (Wall of Indonesia) is a progressive art exhibition that showcases the work of 18 artists. This four-phase project began on May 7, 2016 and concluded on July 14. One of the objectives of this  project is to address the following question: what is an Indonesian artist? WOI includes traditional and modern art styles, given the influence of western culture, which according to popular belief, began as early as the mid-19th century.

Cata Odata, is a Bali-based art space and management organization specialized to promote emerging Indonesian artists. Ratna Odata is the creative director, owner and co-curator. For two years, Cata Odata was entrusted to manage Bloo Art Space, in Bloo Lagoon Village. Founded by Tony Gwilliam, a British architect, Bloo Art Space has been promoting both local and international artists.

What began as a single white wall at the Bloo Art Space — a gallery in the Bloo Lagoon Village resort in eastern Bali — has evolved into a campaign to define and contribute to the collective identity of Indonesian artists. WOI’s goal is to enhance the cultural heritage of Indonesia within the creative arts, by emphasizing the artist’s journey, and to help preserve cultural diversity in the world by offering a shared platform where artists can trace common geographical backgrounds and exchange artistic responses beyond the technical quality of their work.

Before European exposure of Christianity, Indonesia was a prominent culture, thriving with trade. The archipelago possessed a large indigenous population, descendants of the Malay people, spread throughout the various islands. These people created distinct social, political, and economic customs with many beliefs, cultures, tribes and languages. After Europeans appeared, the development of Indonesian art was dominated by western theory.

HAF: Ratna, what would you say defines an Indonesian artist?

ratna: We have to acknowledge that this is a rather ambiguous question since identity is fluid and changes over times. WOI 2016 is taken place in Bali, just one of the many dozen main islands of Indonesia; each island has a different cultural background. Maybe it is best to ask us again in 5 years time when we have covered more of the islands. This question, however, has been reassessed many times in the globalized era, where local essences are often sacrificed from the journey of an Indonesian artist.

It becomes more perplexing due to the fact that the Indonesian visual arts were built on the basis of western theory being taught in every formal art institution in Indonesia. Is it appropriate for an artist to bear a geographical title where the social, economic and political climates must be put into context in order to appreciate the work of art? Is it not enough for an artist to commit to personal values and honesty so that the artwork can be universal before the eyes of the world? These are some of other questions that we want to explore.

HAF: How has WOI influenced this dialogue on the role of the Indonesian artist in recovering from the devastation of early colonization?

ratna : Our mission through WOI is too focused on what the artists have to say because when artists are able to proclaim ‘Indonesian’ as their national identity, that means they have liberty in mind. Soon the big, invisible hole that lingered within us for the lack of self-confidence to embrace Indonesia as our national identity will slowly decrease. However, WOI 2016 is really just the beginning.  If you want a thorough insight, I believe you have to follow our journey for a couple more years, where we are going to have more solid standing to explore this further. Right now, we are setting up www.blooartspace.com, where we are going to have a specific page for WOI, where all of the related developments—including a full conversation transcript—will be available for public.

 

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