Songs of the Motherland: Fatigued but with a Surprise
This year, 72 years since Indonesia’s independence, is the second time the public could view the presidential palace painting collections. Last year was the first—and almost sacred—public viewing of Sukarno’s collection, which he began accumulating even before he was president.
August 29, 2017
This year’s exhibition at the Indonesian National Gallery, titled Senandung Ibu Pertiwi (Songs of the Motherland), features fatigued works that may feel like lullabies and do not seem to depict a lively land. Even the Mooi Indie (Beautiful Indies) paintings hardly evoke the country’s rich natural and cultural landscapes.
Comprising 48 works by 44 artists, the works are arranged by theme, such as landscape, tradition, mythology and religion.
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