TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Originated from the anxiety towards the 2014 Presidential Election, five cartoonists Tommy Thomdean, GM Sudarta, Jitet Koestana, Rahardi Handining and Didie SW, displaying cartoon artworks with the theme “Serangan Fajar Kartun Politik” (The Dawn Raid of Political Cartoon) in Bentara Budaya, Jakarta.
The exhibition held displayed 63 artworks.
“The exhibition actually starts from the will to show problems in Indonesia for the new Presidential candidate,” Tommy Thomdean said on Tuesday.
According to Tommy, the exhibition is inspired from several writings of Garin Nugroho that were published in a national newpaper that concerns the Work of Indonesian President in 2014 to 2018.
“Of the many works, two of my works display an ear with cap and a hand given a cap, those two works are similar to the new presidential candidate,” he said.
The Purbalingga-born cartoonist said that visitors were given the freedom to interpret the works in display.
“They will realize that there are many problems in Indonesia that haven’t be solved and a President carries a heavy burden relating to the matter,” he added.
The same matter is expressed by one of the visitors, Aling. According to Aling, the cartoon exhibition is a good way to educate people.
“A great work doesn’t come from the one that is full of words, but to express words,” Aling said.
According to Aling, in creating literature, there is always a tendency in it and this exhibition containwd lots of symbolic meanings eventhough it did not directly show, like “Number One” and “Number Two” by Tommy Thomdean.
ANTARA | HEPPY RATNA