SEMSAR GALERI

Semsar Siahaan (1952-2005)

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Indonesian painting art is currently dominated by the market. The aesthetic values used as reference for both assessment and creation are very much influenced by market actors and supported by collectors, art curators, observers and the artists themselves. The market actors' zeal to gain as much profit as possible has resulted in the neglect of the rules of art creation and assessment which are based on aesthetics, ethics and moral which in turn should be based on humanity and life.

Moreover, there is also the fact that art is being placed on the position of tourism support, by subordinating it under the Department of Tourism. This way, art will move within the tourism infrastructure which will turn art into a mere supporting commodity of tourism. Under such a condition, the arts which are not in line with market mechanism will be marginalized. This in turn will create an unconducive atmosphere for the growth of contemporary arts in Indonesia.

Based on the condition, here we trying to reflect the position of artist in society and in the cultural course. The first question that emerged was: do we still need to focus the art creation on social themes? In order to reach an answer, we need to look far behind - into the New Order era (Soeharto's regime). During this regime, art had been used as a political object, a medium of pasifying and depolitising the Indonesian peoples. The art activities had been the object of politics.

Here we show you the real people conditions that always hide by Indonesian regimes (from Soeharto's era untill today). About poverty - there is no poverty alleviation! About workers right to organise - still weak up to now! About barrier between the poor and the rich! Do they have their own changes...? We don't thing is happened! (goecities)
 

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