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While the graffiti scene in the United States and Europe has been around for decades, it is a relatively new phenomenon in Indonesia.
According to Alia Swastika, curator of the graffiti exhibition “Wall Street Arts” at Salihara Gallery in South Jakarta, graffiti has gained pop
ularity over the last five years, especially among young people.
“Graffiti started to be part of Jakarta’s contemporary art scene only recently,” she said. “Maybe the interest in graffiti was already there before that. But now, the artists have started to become more serious about it and participate in exhibitions.”
The Salihara exhibition, which will run through Aug. 2, showcases the works of seven graffiti artists from Indonesia, five from France and one from the United States.
In addition to exchanging ideas, these artists have also collaborated and created new graffiti artworks to brighten up the streets of South Jakarta. One of the works is visible on a wall in front of Cilandak Town Square and another on the overpass in front of Taman Ria.
According to exhibition catalog for “Wall Street Arts,” Jakarta graffiti artists express themselves on street walls as a form of rebellion.
With public spaces increasingly dominated by commercial billboards and campaign posters, graffiti is a resistance of sorts against rules and the establishment.
These artworks are by anonymous people at unexpected places, like blank walls, overpasses or construction sites.
Olli Fraenkel, a Bali-based German graffiti artist, says the graffiti scene in Indonesia is still in its early stages. “Even though the scene might not be very visible yet, there is great potential,” he said.
“Indonesia has many talented artists and I am sure that the graffiti scene will change and eventually thrive in the coming years. I think Indonesia could be the leading country in Asia when it comes to graffiti.”
Fraenkel, however, added that Indonesian graffiti artists were still looking for their own style, with most still heavily influenced by foreign graffiti culture.
“Graffiti is a subculture that has its roots in American hip-hop and breakdance,” he said. “It took years until that scene reached Europe. But Indonesia missed out on that development. That’s why the artists here look to artists from abroad, which is easy to do via Internet nowadays.”
On the question of vandalism, Alia said that compared to other countries, Indonesia was definitely more flexible on the matter.
“Of course it’s forbidden to go out there and paint on random walls,” she said. “But here, it is not a big problem, because if you get along with the security guards or the police, maybe bribe them with some money, they won’t say anything.
“But for me, it is not so much about the vandalism,” Alia added. “These kids want to go out there and do something different. Instead of just going to the malls and clubs, they want to be creative.
“And they seem to follow their own rules as well: they don’t go and spray on mosques or churches.”
The Jakarta Globe, July 15, 2010 | Katrin Figge
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