Presented by the Humanities Research Centre, School of Art and Design, Research School of Humanities and the Arts and Indonesia Institute ANU in association with the National Gallery of Australia and in conjunction with the exhibition ‘Contemporary Worlds: Indonesia’.

Image: FX Harsono, Writing in the Rain , 2011, National Gallery of Australia

In this public lecture distinguished Indonesian artist FX Harsono discusses his art and the inspirations behind his art. Harsono’s work has been acclaimed in his own country and internationally. During the New Order of President Suharto (1966-1998) his art utilised compelling symbols to indicate the silencing of dissent and was concerned with issues of justice and injustice, the destruction of the environment, democracy, human rights and giving a voice to the powerless. In recent years his work has also explored the erasure of history and loss of cultural identity for Indonesians of Chinese descent such as in the work Writing in the Rain. The end of Suharto’s New Order enabled the emergence of a new democratic political system in Indonesia and Harsono has continued to advocate for a truer version of history so that younger generations can learn from the failures of the past and create a more inclusive society for all Indonesians.

For details and registration see: http://hrc.cass.anu.edu.au/events/contemporary-worlds-indonesian-art