National Gallery Collections Moved to Vredeburg for Yogyakarta Exhibition

Yogyakarta's Benteng Vredeburg Museum is currently hosting a significant exhibition, "Dari Sudjojono ke Murniasih: Sepilihan Koleksi Galeri Nasional Indonesia," which brings 28 masterpiece collections from the National Gallery of Indonesia from Jakarta. This exhibition, part of the Lebaran Seni (Art Eid) celebrations in Yogyakarta, offers a curated selection of works spanning generations of Indonesian artists.

The exhibition, running from June 27 to August 30, 2026, features a diverse range of art forms, including 23 paintings, four sculptures, and one graphic work. These pieces represent the contributions of 28 artists, meticulously curated by Aminudin TH Siregar, Agung Hujatnikajennong, Citra Smara Dewi, and Dio Pamola Chandra. Notable works include Affandi's 'Potret Diri,' Hendra Gunawan's 'Pasar,' S. Sudjojono's 'Ibuku,' Kartono Yudokusumo's 'Bandung,' and Widayat's 'Kawah Dieng,' alongside installations by Edhi Soenarso, Amrus Natalsya, and G. Sidharta.

Curator Aminudin TH Siregar articulated the exhibition's critical mission: to challenge established Indonesian art historiography. He expressed a desire for art enthusiasts to engage in a process of shared learning and reflection. Siregar noted that while the state's collection, from Sudjojono to Murniasih, is built upon Indonesian experiences, the narrative methods and mediums have historically been influenced by the West. This reliance on Western paradigms, he argued, is increasingly being questioned globally.

Siregar emphasized the need to broaden the scope of art history, preventing institutions from merely preserving Western epistemological configurations. He views the collection as valuable intellectual and cultural capital but stresses that it should not remain static. The curatorial team advocates for an expansion of the National Gallery of Indonesia's historiography through "relational historiography." This approach envisions the gallery not just as an exhibition space but as an epistemological arena for testing, formulating, and rewriting art history, potentially extending the timeline back to cave paintings. The exhibition aims to provoke critical thinking about the history of Indonesian art.