Meaning of Modern and Installation Art of Indonesia
The modern art of Indonesia may be simply defined as works of art created by Indonesian artists of the present time. These works, which bear the conception of esthetics, experiences, ideas, and reactions to the present life in Indonesia, stem from the Indonesian awareness of the artists. There’s no denying the fact that the modern art of Indonesia is a manifestation of Western modern art , which is created in the language and problems of Indonesia. It is the course of the Indonesian culture that will eventually decide its role in the life of the nation. The thread that binded the modern art of Indonesia, ever since the period of R. Saleh in the beginning of the twentieth century, to the period of Kelompok Persagi in the thirties, and to the period of Gerakan Seni Rupa Baru Indonesia in the seventies, brought values of social development of the period.
Art exhibitions of contemporary form have received wide attention from the press. The idea of installing visual elements into a major aspect is matched by the attempt to compose a work of art adaptable to the condition of the room. This process of composing with the practice of extending, assembling, arranging, and installing a work of art becomes a genre of its own in the creative process of art. The artistic moments of this process are uniquely enhanced by a ritual, which is another element in the whole unit of creation. This genre is today recognized as a tendency called Installation Art.
Installation Art is a liberation from the bondage to individualization, from the compulsion of making a work of art as an independent piece. A work of Installation Art is the whole repertoire of works exhibited in one constellation of space and time as one cosmology of expression. This genre emerged and developed in European countries, particularly in Germany succeeding the movement of Dadaism. After the sixties, Germany underwent rapid development. The vibrating movement of the German artists, Bauhaus, sent the spirit of reformation to the USA, and with it, Dadaism and Installation Art. The most mentioned name associated with this movement as in John Russel’s “The Meaning of Modern Art” (1991), and also in the articles of Andreas Franzke, is none other than Joseph Beuys.
The most interesting point that can be derived from the recent tendencies in art is that they eliminate the classifications already existed in the discipline of art. The most vivid example of this concept is found in Installation Art. When all attempts to classify a work of art becomes irksomely confusing, this genre provides the best solution because in a work of Installation Art, every medium becomes the determinative element.
The main objective of Installation Art is to present esthetics and creativity that are totally free from the rules of form. This tendency provides any young artist, including those in Indonesia, the answers to their need for a more stereotyped freedom. However, the big question is will this tendency be able to bridge the gap that exists between the artists and the public, considering the fact that up to the present. The modern art of Indonesia brings complex ideas to the common minds. There are sets of value and principles which are very often vague. It appears to have not received the appreciation it deserves.
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