Pangeran Diponegoro is mostly known as a national hero who fought againts the Dutch colonies in the Java War (1825-1830). Most of Indonesian today’s generation know Diponegoro as a national heroes who often appears on school’s history books or whose picture often seen hanging on the classrooms’ walls. Goethe-Institut Indonesien with Galeri Nasional Indonesia invite us to revisit the story of Diponegoro through an exhibition called Aku Diponegoro: Sang Pangeran dalam Ingatan Bangsa , dari Raden Saleh Hingga Kini (A Prince for All Seasons: Diponegoro in the Memory of the Nation, from Raden Saleh to the Present). The exhibition will present Diponegoro from the perspective of classical painters, contemporary artists, as well as the general public.

Curated by Dr. Werner Kraus, Jim Supangkat, and Dr. Peter Carey, this exhibition is a combination of historical paintings, contemporary arts, and everyday’s culture with Diponegoro as the link that connects the three elements. Galeri Nasional Indonesia has been massively redesigned especially for this exhibition, and various ambiance has been created to make it possible for us to have our own appreciation of the exhibited works. This exhibition offers possibilities for visitors to be intensively involved and feel the presence of Diponegoro.
The exhibition has three sections. The first section’s called Diponegoro in the Mouth of Indonesian Art History: the Making of a Hero. This section displays art works from classical artist including Raden Saleh, Basuki Abdullah, Harijadi Sumodidjojo, and many others. The second section, Raden Saleh and History in the Eyes of Indonesian Artists, presents Indonesian contemporary artists’ approach to Diponegoro. The third section’s titled Beyond Diponegoro. It displays various types of item that are related to Diponegoro including photography, woodcuts, playing cards, comic books, political posters, and bank notes.

Aku Diponegoro will be opened for public from February 6th to March 8th 2015 between 10.00 until 19.00 at Galeri Nasional Indonesia.

For more information regarding Aku Diponegoro, visit www.akudiponegoro.com

article written by: Elsa Hestriana