Temples, Our Cracked Pearls
Damage and new discoveries seem to take turns in emerging in Indonesias archeology. June 14 has been declared National Archeological Day. To commemorate this special day, TEMPO presents a reflection upon the nations rich record of archeology, and a discussion of how Indonesias contemporary artists have appropriated temples as a creative source.
June 24, 2003
The twin statues of Dwarapala sit heroically carrying a club. This 20-ton statue of a gigantic demon, some 4 meters tall, faithfully guards the Singasari Temple in East Java. Still, the best statues of this temple, such as the statue of Durga Mahishasuramardini, are yet to be returned from Leiden, the Netherlands (see Durga in Dutch Hands).
Hundreds of kilometers away at a similar site, on the Dieng plateau in Central Java, a state of dilapidatio
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