•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Judgement day for German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust — two exhibitions at the Umahseni Gallery at Menteng Art Space in Central Jakarta recall one of the darkest chapters in history in chilling, satirical depictions that seek justice and redemption through art.

In The Final Judgment, veteran artist Ronald Manullang from North Sumatra denounces Hitler in a series of four paintings that portray him as a woman.

The paintings aim to achieve justice for the systematic slaughter of millions of Jews during World War II, crimes for which Hitler was never punished.

“Hitler committed a lot of sins, Ronald said. “He killed many people. But he was never punished. The main point of my paintings are to punish him.”

Ronald’s jarring portraits of an emasculated Hitler show the Fuhrer as a female figure wearing nothing but an unbuttoned black coat.

“The ruthless, macho and powerful leader is depicted as a woman. I’m sure Hitler wouldn’t like that,” Ronald said. “He would have suffered physically and emotionally.”

“The Annunciation” recalls the biblical account of the Virgin Mary and the Annunciation, when the angel Gabriel announced that she has been chosen by the Holy Spirit to carry the baby Jesus. Hitler is shown sitting on a chair holding an infant while looking upward at an angel in flight.

Hitler is also portrayed as a mother holding a Jewish child. In “The Fuhrer and the Child,” Hitler holds the Jewish infant on his lap in a maternal manner.

“This is a scary, powerful man who has to breastfeed, [sing a] lullaby and caress a baby who he really hates,” Ronald said. “This is a fitting punishment for his past sins.”

“Experiencing New Born Child” depicts a pregnant Hitler, posing with his female breasts exposed, hands over his growing belly and legs crossed like a well-mannered lady.

“The Crucifixion” portrays a man wearing a general’s cap, seated sideways in a feminine pose with both hands on his lap, while a man points a crucifix at him from behind as if it was a gun.

“Hitler would hate being a woman, especially if he has to give birth to someone that he hates,” Ronald said.

Also on display at the Umahseni is Holocaust, a group exhibition that also tackles the same theme.

“Through artistic expressions, these artists have reinterpreted the sinister event of the Holocaust,” curator Rifky Effendy said.

“To them, a significant event that took place along the journey of human civilization must be commemorated, but from a certain temporal, cultural, and spatial distance.”

This exhibition’s theme is best exemplified by Hamdan Omar’s gloomy, “Are We Just Numbers,” a charcoal and acrylic painting that portrays three black-and-white Jewish figures, with a serial-numbered patch stitched next to each figure.

In “Batman vs. Badman,” Hamdan depicts Hitler with an earring and devil horns next to Batman.

“Historia Fantasia,” a painting by Yogie Ahmad Ginanjar, shows Mickey Mouse from the 1940 classic “Fantasia,” surrounded by Nazi military officers in safari uniforms.

“Symphoni of Destruction” by Reggie Aquara is an oil painting of a scene taken from Quentin Tarantino’s war movie “Inglourious Basterds.”

“With these works, the artists reinterpret history and create new meanings,” Rifky said. “We do this not to dwell on a dark fragment of our history, but rather to bring a breeze of fresh air to life.”
The Final Judgment and Holocaust



Umahseni at Menteng Art Space

Jl. Suwiryo No. 11, Central Jakarta



Tel: 021 392 0542



Both exhibitions run until March 20.