An important and world-renowned Indonesian artist who died in 2005 will be the spotlight for a show at a Singaporean gallery. The artist was both a creative and an activist, his work offering commentary on political happenings in both his home nation of Indonesia and around the globe. Visitors will get an opportunity to see a collection of his meaningful and cerebral works at the gallery show, including a piece that is rarely exhibited. It’s a show that fans of the artist — and of political and activist art in general — should take care not to miss. The show extends through the middle of January.
One piece that will be on display is a highly popular work that takes on global leadership. The octagonal artwork separates into eight slices, looking like a pie or a pizza, and along with the title, examines the Group of Eight. Instead of thoughtful leaders this political gathering should include, it looks like a scene from a dinner in hell. Behind the figures seated around a table, faceless masses lurk. Are they people who the leaders represent? Or people they have forgotten? It is up to the viewer to decide, aided by shadowy, winged figures behind each chair.
In another highly emotional, visceral piece, a Christ-like figure hangs on a cross, but upside down, denoting an upheaval of expectation. Beside the fallen figure, whose face is obscured from the viewer, the partially butchered body of a pig hangs, hooks through its legs. The title of the piece references a tragedy in Genoa, but viewers can take away their own interpretations of the painting — as well as what transpired to inspire it.
Another oil painting uses bright colors to highlight its subjects. A blond, light-skinned nude woman reclines in front of a number of darker-skinned people surrounding her. Many of the people seem agitated, though she is in complete relaxation — sunglasses covering her eyes, a single strand of pearls around her neck, and red stilettos on her feet. She’s even drinking something refreshing out of a flower-decorated watermelon.
A piece of found art — art where either part of the medium or the artwork in general has been scavenged or reclaimed from nature or even a garbage dump — is also included in the exhibit. The artist found a piece of cardboard, and then used charcoal to draw workers with an abstract series of lines and shades to denote them. The resulting effect is both eerie and evocative, causing the viewer to wonder where, exactly, the artist found the cardboard and what it was once used for.
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To read more about the exhibition, and to see a sneak peek of the works that will be on display, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2704896/semsar-siahaan-art-liberation-at-gajah-gallery-singapore.