Artist Yos Suprapto Exhibition at National Gallery Canceled

By Tempo.co | December 20, 2024

JAKARTA—The National Gallery of Indonesia abruptly canceled the solo exhibition of Yogyakarta-based senior artist Yos Suprapto, titled “Reawakening: Land for Food Sovereignty,” mere minutes before its scheduled opening on Thursday evening, December 19, 2024. Visitors arriving at the venue found the glass doors locked and the lights turned off, despite the exhibition being slated to run from December 20, 2024, to January 19, 2025.

Around ten minutes before the scheduled opening, Tempo Magazine received a press release from the National Gallery’s public relations team announcing the postponement. “With great regret, we inform you that the opening of Yos Suprapto’s solo exhibition ‘Reawakening: Land for Food Sovereignty,’ originally planned for this evening, December 19, 2024, in the Multipurpose Hall, has been postponed due to unavoidable technical issues,” the statement read.

Artist Blames Censorship for Cancellation

According to Yos Suprapto, the exhibition’s cancellation stemmed from a demand by curator Suwarno Wisetrotomo, appointed by the National Gallery, to remove five of the 30 paintings from the exhibition. These pieces, Yos claimed, referenced a prominent Indonesian figure. When the artist refused, he decided to cancel the exhibition entirely and return his works to Yogyakarta. “I no longer wish to work with the National Gallery or the Ministry of Culture,” Yos declared in a statement.

Although the audience could not view Yos’s works, the event continued with a speech by artist and filmmaker Eros Djarot, who expressed disappointment over the sudden cancellation. “This reflects an excessive fear on the part of the curator,” said Eros.

Curator Resigns Amid Dispute

Suwarno Wisetrotomo resigned as curator, citing disagreements over the inclusion of two specific artworks. Suwarno stated that the exhibition’s agreed-upon theme, “Reawakening: Land for Food Sovereignty,” had been well-researched and developed by Yos, including an installation featuring soil and paintings. However, he believed two paintings expressed overly blunt criticism of political power, undermining the exhibition’s intended focus.

“The works sounded like outright rebukes—too vulgar and lacking the metaphorical depth that art uses to convey perspectives,” Suwarno explained. Despite Suwarno’s objections, Yos insisted on including the pieces, leading to protracted disagreements since October. Suwarno ultimately resigned but emphasized that his decision was not meant to halt the exhibition. “As a curator, it’s my responsibility to ensure alignment between the exhibition’s theme and its content, and my perspective should matter in that process,” he said.

Artist Accuses Gallery of Censorship

Yos described escalating tensions, beginning with Suwarno’s suggestion to cover two of his paintings, Konoha I and Konoha II, with black fabric—an idea he reluctantly accepted. However, hours later, National Gallery representatives demanded that three additional works also be concealed. “I call this censorship,” Yos said on Friday, December 20, 2024.

National Gallery Defends Its Decision

Jarot Mahendra, Head of the National Gallery, explained that some works displayed in the exhibition space had bypassed the agreed-upon curation process. “Following an evaluation by the curator, these works were deemed inconsistent with the curatorial theme,” Jarot said. He added that mediation efforts between the artist and curator failed, leading the gallery to postpone the exhibition to preserve its thematic integrity.

“We aim to facilitate further communication between the artist and the curator to resolve this issue,” Jarot stated.

Artist Demands Compensation

Yos warned that the National Gallery must compensate him for the postponement, citing significant financial losses, including the costs of accommodating international guests. “I’ve incurred tens of millions of rupiah in expenses,” he said. “I’m giving them until this evening to resolve the matter; otherwise, I’ll withdraw my works and return to Yogyakarta.” Reporting by Dian Yuliastuti and Seno Joko Suyono.

Adapted from https://www.tempo.co/teroka/pameran-yos-suprapto-di-galeri-nasional-diberedel-1184010. Featured image credit: Konoha I by Yos Suprapto, https://m.kumparan.com/hidayat-adhiningrat1500207974176/konoha-telanjang-di-pameran-yos-suprapto-249KDqp0170/full

From Kumparan.com…

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