Expectations were set high for the exhibition “Ethnicity Now”, currently on show at the National Gallery — particularly because of the tagline below the title linking Ethnicity to Indonesian Contemporary Art.But sadly, the show turned out to be a disappointment.
It seems the organizers and the show’s curator were carried away by an increasingly strong vision in the art world that acknowledges the cultural and the local in contemporary art.
For me, the local, traditional or ethnic for that matter, must challenge the creative, innovative, imaginative and artistic forces of an artist to create fascinating forms and shapes that, while breathing a touch or trace of its original heritage, are basically new, d
