Yos Suprapto’s Controversial Paintings Finally Taken Down After Hours of Wait
After a day of anticipation, the much-talked-about paintings by Indonesian artist Yos Suprapto have finally been removed from the Galeri Nasional Indonesia (GNI). The event, which began at 11:00 WIB, saw a gathering of media personnel and the artist himself waiting for the GNI to open its doors.
The paintings, which sparked controversy earlier this week, were displayed in the Gedung A of the GNI. However, the process of removing them was delayed as the key was held by the GNI’s head, Jarot Mahendra, who was reportedly at Senayan, Jakarta Pusat.
Around 18:00 WIB, Yos Suprapto, accompanied by Jarot Mahendra and his management team, began the task of removing the paintings one by one. The process was captured by media personnel present at the scene.
Some of the notable paintings removed include ‘Konoha I’, which was previously covered with a black cloth, and ‘2019’, featuring a prominent figure leading a cow towards a large building with the number 2019. Another painting depicted a figure embracing a mother with tears, with Yos commenting, "These are tears that were shed in vain."
Yos Suprapto announced that all his paintings would be taken down and returned to his hometown in Yogyakarta. However, he acknowledged that the process might take some time due to the limited space in the moving vehicle.
Despite prolonged negotiations and mediation involving the artist, GNI, and the former curator Suwarno Wisetrotomo, a satisfactory agreement could not be reached. Consequently, Yos decided to retrieve his artwork, stating that further dispute would be futile.
The event marked the end of a contentious chapter in the Indonesian art scene, with Yos Suprapto’s paintings finally leaving the GNI after hours of wait and anticipation.