Nivell Rayda

An artist draws his feelings about Indonesia's antigraft controversy at Hotel Indonesia circle on Sunday morning. "We had to do something to show that we care about indonesia's drive against corruption," said the organizer of the art protest. (Photo: Nivell Rayda, JG)

Artists Express Support for KPK in Paintings, Sketches

The recent battle between the Corruption Eradication Commission and the National Police has inspired a group of local artists in their latest works.

“Watching national television news programs being dominated by the gecko versus crocodile story has inspired us to make our contribution,” said artist Luqman Hakim on Sunday, using the popular term coined for the powerful agencies.

“I immediately made a few phone calls to my fellow artists because musicians and poets had already done their bit. We feel we had to do something to show that we care about Indonesia’s drive against corruption,” he said.

Luqman managed to gather at least 12 fellow artists — most of whom have made corruption a recurring theme in their artwork — to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Sunday and express their grievances using canvases and sketch books.

While short of being masterpieces, their works gained praise from passing cyclists and bystanders. Police officers, who were portrayed as crocodiles, the main antagonists, were also present in the area. Police have been under intense criticism ever since they arrested Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M Hamzah, two deputy chairmen of the anti-corruption commission, known as the KPK.

Millions of Indonesians have joined an online movement to support the pair. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono also set up an independent fact-finding team to analyze police handling of the case. The team has said that the case was fabricated.

Amateur artist Heri Hito depicted Anggodo Widjojo, a businessman believed to be at the center of the alleged plot to undermine the KPK, as a sinister monkey slipping paper bills into the crocodile’s pocket while staying on top of it.

Heri said the depiction symbolized Anggodo’s attempt to fabricate testimonies against Bibit and Chandra.

Agam, another artist, chose to express his hopes by depicting the gecko as the victor, squashing a black crocodile with the help of workers and farmers.

“This is what I believe will happen,” Agam said. “People cannot be lied to. Sooner or later the truth shall be exposed and justice will be served.”

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