Indonesian Art Connects the World at the World Bank and IMF Headquarters

Indonesia will host the International Monetary Fund – World Bank Group Annual Meetings 2018 in Bali this year. To promote the event, the Indonesian Government has planned art exhibitions in the IMF and World Bank Headquarters in Washington DC.

A pair of Balinese statues by Ida Bagus Panca will greet visitors at the atrium adjacent to the Main Assembly Hall of the IMF’s Head Quarters 1. The statues are  in the form of Cili, effigies symbolising Dewi Sri, the Goddess of Rice, signifying prosperity. The statues are made of perforated old coins called uang kepeng, known to have originated from China as early as the 10th century and quite widely used in Bali as a medium of exchange and as part of religious ritual. The historical and cultural aspects of the statues, made of kepeng coins which were monetary tokens, should be of particular interest to those visiting the IMF.

An exhibition of Indonesian Contemporary Art will be installed at the “Gallery” atrium of IMF’s HQ 2. Featuring the works of Made Wianta, Nyoman Erawan, Agung Mangu Putra, Made Wiradana, Made Arya Palguna, Erianto, Soni Irawan, Sinta Tantra, Naufal Abshar, Iabadiou Piko, and Ida Bagus Sindhu Putra, the exhibition will provide a glimpse of the contemporary art scene in Indonesia, including art by many artists of Balinese heritage.

Three giant lanterns by Eko Nugroho will be suspended above the pools below the main atrium of the World Bank building. Entitled Tropical Bouquet, the giant lanterns are painted with images conveying the messages of co-habitation, diversity, and  tolerance. They will brighten the lower levels of the building, providing employees and visitors a fresh and colourful atmosphere.

Placed on a large wall usually separating the Main Atrium of the World Bank from the work areas on the southern part of the building which also is the main passageway connecting it to the IMF, a large artwork entitled Wall of Connectivity will be a prominent feature of the exhibition. The mural-like piece, demonstrates the importance of diversity, cooperation, communication, and tolerance in shaping and building a peaceful and prosperous society.

Starting with the brushstrokes of Marishka Soekarna— the only woman in this group— this work was then responded to by other artists, Yudi Andhika , Miko , Rizky Aditya Nugroho, Oldy Jurakli, Adi Dharma, Muchlis Fahri and AAG Airlangga, whose work primarily uses spray paint.

Each artist contributed to this mural, enriching the artwork with their characteristic artistic elements. Strokes of spray paint that one artist has applied on to the painting (often dubbed as “piece”) are often painted over either accidentally or deliberately by their colleagues. Every artist are expected to be able to accept this act, known as “buff” among graffiti artists. On the other hand, when an artist buffs his colleague’s “piece” work, he must also make sure his partner can accept it. Communication, tolerance and cooperation are needed to produce great artwork together, dynamic but also balanced. This work was done in a multipurpose building at Cikal School, in Cilandak, South Jakarta on 4 March. It was completed in less than 12 hours.

Fourteen canvases of different modular sizes which were configured into a single large mural-like medium measuring 330 cm in height and 810 cm in width, much like bricks laid together to form a wall, also interconnected, complementary and strengthen one another. The configuration of the mural of modular canvases also enable it to be portable, easily sent from one venue to another.

The Wall of Connectivity was the centrepiece of the Indonesia Connecting the World exhibition held from 12-14 March at the Jusuf Anwar Building of the Ministry of Finance, opened by Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani. In April 2018, the Indonesian art presented in Washington DC will have an entirely different audience including economic leaders, bankers, decision-makers as well as the general public coming through the city for the IMF-World Bank Group’s Spring Meetings. There, Indonesian art will connect the world.

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This article is originally from paper. Read NOW!Jakarta Magazine April 2018 issue “Money and Finance”. Available at selected bookstore or SUBSCRIBE here.

Amir Sidharta

Amir Sidharta leads Sidharta Auctioneer, an auction house specialising in fine arts that he founded in 2005. He is also co-founder and chairman of Yayasan Mitra Museum Jakarta. A writer and photographer, he has published several books and his work has appeared across several media outlets.