Artists Launch Protest Against Freeport`s Sponsorship in Art Jog
16 June 2016 22:40 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - A group of young artists under the Alliance for Art Jog 2016 Boycott urged the Art Jog 2016 committee to return a sponsorship money worth Rp100 million (US$7,500) given by mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.
The demand was expressed in a rally launched in front of the Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, where the Art Jog 2016 was held on Thursday, June 16, 2016. As many as 30 people launched the protest that was tightly secured by police. Some of the protesters were from Papua who live in Yogyakarta.
The Art Jog 2016 was opened in May 27, 2016 and will be closed in June 27, 2016. Protest coordinator Nasir explained that the alliance was not against the art event.
“But we reject inhuman arts,” Nasir said.
According to Nasir, the event sponsorship was counterproductive with the Art Jog 2016 that features humanity-themed artworks. The alliance urged the committee to answer for their decision to involve Freeport and other environmentally-unfriendly companies as sponsors of the event. They also urged the committee to terminate contracts with Freeport and ban the company to be involved in art events in Indonesia.
Earlier, Art Jog director Heri Pemad insisted on keeping sponsorship fund from Freeport Indonesia to hold the largest art fair in Indonesia. Heri said that it would be tricky to break the contract with Freeport in the middle of the event.
"If we terminated the sponsorship [contract] with Freeport, we would have legal issues,” Heri added.
SHINTA MAHARANI
