ITALY, early winter, December 2007. The thermometer reads minus 7 degrees Celsius. Agus Budiyanto’s head is throbbing because his painting, Enigma of Color #9, cannot be removed from the piece of plywood on which it is matted. He wants to roll the watercolor painting on paper measuring 2 x 3 meters so that he can bring it home to Jakarta.

The painting has not yet been granted an official letter from the Finance Department—a letter Agus only