It was ironic that as I left Jakarta and sped along the Cipularang toll road in a shuttle van, I could actually feel myself slowing down.
It could be Bandung's cool air or its ultra-cool teenagers; its big shade trees or its old Dutch buildings that create the relaxed atmosphere. Whatever it is, it feels good.
It is not surprising that Jakartans like to spend their weekends in the West Java capital: The city is famous for its factory outlets and its culinary delights. It also has a number of hot springs that are popular for recreation. And, it's only a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Artists work on their notebooks at Kopi Selasar. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
However, one side of Bandung is often overlooked by tourists: its creative side.
On a three-day trip to Bandung, I planned to find out everything I could about the local art scene.
The city has a vibrant creative scene in which contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows and community gatherings regularly take place. A 2004 study titled "Creative Culture and Urban Planning: The Bandung Experience" by Ahmad Rida Soemardhi and Irendra Rajawali from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) states that the city has the potential to be the national center of creative culture.
Event flyers at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
"We can see the potential in the form of indie fashion and music as well as multi-media art," Gustaff Hariman, the head of community space Common Room Networks Foundation, said last month, his voice competing for attention with the sound of the rain on the roof.
The city has more than 15 major art galleries and numerous independent studios for multimedia, animation and music recording.
Common Room was the first art space that I visited in Bandung. Located in the lush area of Jl. Kyai Gede Utama, it is the city's hub for art communities. When I visited, there was an exhibition of pictures of the island of Nias on, to commemorate the third anniversary of the earthquake.
Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
I felt the creative vibe of Common Room just by spending one afternoon there. At 1 p.m. it was raining and Japanese artist Monno Kazue from the creative group Tochka was reading on the 70s style leather couches of common room's lounge area.
Kazue is one of the Japanese artists who are in town for "KITA!!: Japanese Artists Meet Indonesia", an art event commemorating 50 years of Japan-Indonesia friendship.
As evening fell, more people arrived. The members of the British creative group D-Fuse were talking to Bandung artists about their collaborative short film project on the city. In another corner Kazue was preparing for her Pikapika Workshop on making animation using flashlights and an SLR-camera.
One of Bandung's musicians, Dinna from pop-electronic indie band Homogenic, paid a visit to the room. After brief introductions, Gustaff, Kazue and Dinna began to chat about Homogenic's music like old friends. Not long after they agreed that Homogenic would play during the Pikapika exhibition.
"Common Room is a place where people can come together and share ideas," Gustaff said.
Common Room. (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
It's also a place to party as, according to Gustaff, they also hold concerts featuring local indie bands.
Gustaff said Bandung got its creative energy from the high number of young people living in the city. Three state universities and dozens of higher education institutions are spread around the city.
The next day, I decided to hit the art galleries.
Just a couple of minutes walk away from Kyai Gede Utama is Jl. Ganesha: the road that high school students around the country cross their fingers they'll be strolling down after they graduate.
The ITB, one of the oldest higher education institutions in the country, which Soekarno attended in his youth, is located on Jl. Ganesha 10.
Galeri Hidayat (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
In its compound is Galeri Soemardja, the oldest university art gallery in the country. This "experimental" art space allocates art students room to show their work.
Headed by Aminudin TH Siregar, the gallery offers artists who may still be finding their feet equal opportunities to "art stars".
"The unique thing about this gallery is that it is situated within (ITB) and gives students space to present their work," said gallery spokesman Albert Yonathan Setyawan.
In February this year, the gallery exhibited a collaborative work titled Apresiasi Grafis (Graphic Appreciation), in which students used various graphic techniques such as woodcut, silkscreen, watercolor and digital print.
I was unlucky when I visited Soemardja though, as there was no exhibition on. An unfinished painting of a man had been left in the center of the gallery.
"That's the work of one of the students here... When there's no activity in the gallery some students use it as a studio," Albert said.
Eddy Hermanto, Kesenian Tidak Berbatas Samudra (Oceans No Boundary to Art) (JP/Prodita Sabarini)
I knew my luck would improve when I set off for Bandung's most frequented gallery, Selasar Sunaryo Art Space. Built a decade ago by artist Sunaryo to house his private collection, it is the city's most active gallery, with 15 exhibitions per year.
Located in the Bandung hills in Bukit Pakar Dago, the gallery has contemporary architecture that accommodates an amphitheater.
After viewing the gallery's art collection, one can enjoy a cup of coffee at Kopi Selasar, which boasts a scenic view of the Bandung hills.
It is a privilege indeed to see Sunaryo's paintings and sculptures, as well as the works he owns by other artists.
I went to a number of other galleries in Bandung, such as Galeri Adira in Jl. Kiaracondong, Galeri Hidayat in Jl. Sulanjana, and Galeri Kita in Jl. R.E. Martadinata.
As I visited art galleries and talked to curators in Bandung, I learned that the works of Bandung painters had become extremely popular among Jakarta art collectors; contemporary paintings in particular.
Assistant curator at Galerikita, Anton Susanto, said young painters had also been the targets of criticism. "Some curators say their works lack depth and are painted in the same style".
However, painter Eddy Hermanto said it was good for artists to be up with the latest trends: "If we work using a specific style, like realism, while what's in now is 'contemporary art', then it's like wearing old-fashioned flared pants down the street."
Despite the criticism, for a traveler to Bandung, seeing quirky contemporary paintings by Bandung artists is a thousand times more interesting than bargain hunting in the same old factory outlets.
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