Curatorial Work in the Arts
Curatorial work in the arts has been a forgotten discipline in recent years. Although the growth of modern art since the mid-1970s has necessitated increased attempts to curate the vast amounts of fine art coming from all major countries around the world, efforts to promote and curate it has been limited. Although curatorship has been strong in Western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where high-quality museums can be found in many of the country's major cities, promotion and preservation of art have not been pursued with the same passion in Asian and African countries. Despite growing very fast, some of the most powerful countries in Asia like India and China too have failed to create museums and non-profit organizations that can curate art. Museums and non-profit organizations that can curate contemporary art not only help in the preservation of art, but also serve as a platform for artists, historians, and other interested people to discuss art.The Role of Ruangrupa
The major outcome of this utter negligence for curatorship of art is the failure to encourage young artists and preserve the art that is emanating from the emerging countries. Ruangrupa is one rare example in this sea of neglect which shines as a bright model that not only encourages the preservation of art but also served as a platform for Asian artists to express their opinions and ideas. The non-profit organization was established in the year 2000 by a group of six young artists to serve as a platform for the encouragement of modern art (Nuriani 64). The six artists who found Ruangrupa, viz. Ronny Agustinus, Oky Arfie, Ade Darmawan, Hafiz, Lilia Nursita and Rithmi Widanarko have met at a very young age when they were students studying art in different parts of the Indonesian archipelago. It was found at a time when reformation ideas were still in progress. The most important function of Ruangrupa is to study visual culture through exhibitions organized around the world. Many of the visual arts that are developed by the modern artists in Asia (and around the world) are showcased by artists around the world. Hence, rather than acting as a single museum which can showcase art, it can serve as a good platform for encouraging visual arts and artists around the world. Some of the exhibitions arranged by the organization around the world have received critical reviews by analysts. In an interview given on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of foundation of Ruangrupa, all the six founders have told that they did not even believe that an arts platform like Ruangrupa based in Asia will even survive for so long (Ruangrupa). This was in view of any encouragement for arts in Asian countries like Indonesia. What makes the success of Ruangrupa more fascinating is that it is based out of an Islamic theocracy like Indonesia where arts and literature has not traditionally received much encouragement.Ruangrupa as Curatorship at its Best
In fact many critics are now equating Ruangrupa as curatorship at its best. The main reason for this perception is that Ruangrupa also provides other platforms for authors to showcase their art. Apart from organizing visual arts exhibitions all over Asia, Ruangrupa also runs a journal and conducts workshops for interested budding artists around the world. Some of its exhibitions organized in places like Jakarta and Singapore attract thousands of keen visitors from around the world. In a seminal article in the prestigious Arts Journal Afterall, Teh (561) gives a thorough overview of the activities of the organization and applauds the initiatives taken by the members of Ruangrupa. Teh opines that Ruangrupa did a great job in showcasing the work from the Asia. The (561) cites two major media art shows organized by two different organizations which not only dared to showcase the media work from the Asian region but also dared to juxtapose it with the much matured work from the first world countries like USA and UK. The first one was organized by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) which showcased the rudimentary work done by artists from Asia. The second one was organized at the National Gallery of Indonesia (Galnas). At the even organized in Indonesia, Ruangrupa was the centre of attraction and showcased the fifth instalment of its video art biennial called OK Video. The (560) opines that both the events were visual treats for anybody who is interested in Arts. But he appreciates the work being done by Galnas in association with Ruangrupa despite the poor funding and attention it always gets from the Indonesian government. According to Teh (560), the most important aspect that differentiates Ruangrupa from other more well-funded organizations like SAM is that Ruangrupa strives for the promotion of local artists while SAM tries to merely integrate local stuff with the work of visiting artists from the rich world. At the OK Video event, the foreign content was not the main focus. Instead it carefully selected the work of local artists and tried to get some recognition to it on the global arena. The zeal shown by Ruangrupa in showcasing the work of local artists demonstrated the value of curatorial vision shared by Ruangrupa which is rare in the region. In fact, the great work done by Ruangrupa demonstrates the commitment of its members who are still active and other members of the organization. The curatorial vision shown by Ruangrupa in showcasing the work local artists proved that the interest shown by such organizations has no relevance with the budgets with which they operate.Ruangrupa's Impact on Indonesian Art
Ruangrupa has shown that one can make arts bloom even in the unlikeliest places. While many European capitals have a tradition in arts, Asian capitals like Jakarta and Beijing are not known for their artistic heritage. Since the days it was the seat of power from the times of Sri Vijaya, Jakarta has been one of the busiest places in the country and centre of industry and commerce. However since the objective of Ruangrupa has never been commercial, it has made Jakarta as its physical and spiritual base. Teh (552) says that the decision speaks volumes about the unique approach taken by a budding organization in being part of the current art boom of Indonesia. Ruangrupa has made a profound commitment to artists from in and around Jakarta despite having some smaller art hubs to the south of the country. Ruangrupa has been influenced by all the distinctive phases of the development of contemporary art in modern Indonesia. The first stage clearly reflects the atrophy under the authoritarian new order between the years 1965 to 1998 under the second president of independent Indonesia during the post-colonial times, Mr. Soeharto. While the art that originated during the authoritarian times gave limited freedom to the artists, the second phase of artistic development which is still ongoing enjoyed artistic freedoms similar to the ones enjoyed by artists in other countries. The result of this new found freedom was that many of the artists who became part of the movement have worked for the over throw of the authoritarian regime. The journal of Ruangrupa, viz, Karbon which was published since the year the organization was founded, worked for the promotion of urban visual culture. It has actively promoted criticism by kept the knowledge it has created within the reach of everyone by using simple language. Understanding an organization like Ruangrupa with a distinctive objective and background is difficult. Teh (58) opines that profiling Ruangrupa is similar to that of describing an event which is time-based and loosely structured. Organizations like Ruangrupa have played a very important role in organizing art in places where art has not received much attention traditionally. In a recent article by one of the most art historian or our times, Thomas Berghuis praised Ruangrupa for lassoing the vast diversity of modern art that is flourishing since the end of authoritarian rule in Indonesia. Art organizations like Ruangrupa can also help in increasing the soft power of countries. It is beyond doubt that countries like USA, Italy, and France owe much of their soft power to their art and institutions that successfully publicize it. Ruangrupa has helped in promoting the image of Indonesia in direct competition with more well-funded organizations like SAM from countries like Singapore. The organization has not limited its activities to any one specific place. Its headquarters in sub-urban Jakarta houses a collection of modern art originating from Indonesia. But it acts more like club whose doors are open to all the interested artists and art fans. Ruangrupa is like shareware of modern times. It never discriminated between artists and strived for providing equal opportunity to all. However more needs to be done to increase the range of influence of Ruangrupa. Working in this way will help in showcasing Indonesian art in particular and Asian art in general on a global stage like it was never done before.The Importance of Curation and Encouragement for the Arts
The achievements of the group of founders and other artists who have come together to found Ruangrupa shows the importance of conserving art in any location. Lack of proper curation will not only lead to the permanent loss of valuable heritage of a country, but can also lead to the discouragement and disillusionment of the young artists who do not get any encouragement. Every emerging country in the world should take some encouragement from the success of organizations like Ruangrupa and encourage organizations that work for the promotion of arts. In case there is no encouragement from the local governments, it is the duty of the aspiring artists to take matter into their own hand and work for the creation of organizations that can serve art. Ruangrupa is still thriving to show the path to aspirants.Works Cited
Juliastuti, Nuraini. “Ruangrupa: A Conversation on Horizontal Organization.” Afterall 30 (2012): 62-69. Print.
Ruangrupa. “Ruangrupa 15 Years Anniversary.” Ruangrupa 15. n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Teh, David. “Who Cares a Lot? Ruangrupa as Curatoship.” Afterall 30 (2012): 530-570. Print.
