Present Encounters : Papers from the conference of the Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, 1996

abandoned building and he converted the interior of the building into an expressive work of art. The execution of the work involved the digging of the ground to a certain depth and beneath the ground lay 'dead ' bodies which , according to Siahaan, represented human oppression . The surrounding wal l was fi lled with drawings related to socially relevant issues such as Marsinah 1 and land expropriation, human rights and the oppressive power of the government. Condition of Dilemma Since the advent of the New Order in 1 967, I ndonesia has experienced rapid change i n economic conditions. The development o f t he cu rrent economic situation in I ndonesia has created extensive social constraints, and also created social problems. On the other hand , the development of I ndonesia's economy has given new opportun ities to artists, but at the same time, also created a new problem regarding the value of expression . Owing to the development of society, works of contemporary art have experienced a better reception from the community through formal institutions, galleries, art i nstitutions, cu ltu ral centres, and the mass media. Despite the government policy with regard to the implementation of the Five Year Development Program (we call it the security approach) , the involvement of artists in social issues nowadays has made a great impact on the development of the execution of ideas. New forms of expression are implemented in their works. To some extent there are works that a re about social and political conditions in I ndonesia and as a result, some exhibitions have been closed by the government. On the other hand there is also a great deal of support g iven by the government to contemporary art activities such as the exhibition 'Contemporary Art of the Non Aligned Countries, 1 995' hosted by the I ndonesian government in Jakarta. This was an important exhibition because it reflected the fact that alternative works a re being l egitimised and acknowledged by the government. By this I want to say that restriction i n the field of fine art must i ndeed be comprehended as i ndirect because to my knowledge, there a re many artists who are able to express their ideas. However, these restrictions subconsciously become known to the artists since there are many government acts such as the banning of magazines, newspapers and exhi bitions and the restriction of performances and performing g roups, including the labor theatre. Furthermore, government censorship is conducted on televisi on programs, radio stations and all matters which are considered to have potential for mass provocation. I want to close this session by explain ing that the conditions i n I ndonesia have had both a positive and negative impact on society. Another important result of the present social condition has given birth to a cu ltural meeting point geared by contemporary artists from d ifferent backgrounds, and a close-knit relationship formed between individuals in regard to sharing experiences and together opening themselves up towards social and political issues and friction. Editor's note: 1 . A case involving an I ndonesian woman trade unionist who was raped and brutally murdered. 61