(continuing from.. 'sepotong makassar....')
Requiem for the Departed
The maritime culture of the Macassans permeates life in the land of the Aborigines. Ancient paintings of padekawang abound in caves in Arnhem Land.
The sail at the masthead dips from side to side.
As the boat comes up from the south…
The sail unfurled at the masthead flaps in the wind.
It stands upright and flaps, as the boat goes on.
The wind tosses the sail, up on the mast,
And the masthead moves, dipping from side to side
The sail on the mast flaps, dancing, and ‘talks’ in the wind..
(Gurmatjh Clan, Yirkala)
Fresh flowers of all colors are planted at the head of the grave, flags flapping at every corner. No tombstone, except for a totem pole 2 meters tall. On its top an iron anchor stands out against the sky. "The flag and the head of the totem pole bear strong influences from the Macassan ships," Steve Westley, manager of the Galiwinku Art Center in Galiwinku, told me.
There’s a sense of liveliness, warmth and dynamism. Here is a legacy of the Macassans’ maritime tradition coloring the life of the Aborigines in Arnhem. The song of the Gumatj, originally sung to say farewell to Macassan sailors returning home to Sulawesi, turns into a requiem. They danced and sang around a bonfire in farewell parties of bygone days. Today the requiem is sung at funeral rites within the Gumatj clan from Yirkella to Elcho in Arnhem Land. "The song is sung repeatedly on the demise of a relative," says anthropologist C. Brendt.
In the beliefs of the Aborigines death is a journey home. Sails are unfurled, the flags flapping, the anchors weighed—this is a death ritual for the Aborigines. Dozens of flags and poles decorate funeral grounds in Galiwinku. "We call the poles wuramu," says Datjing Burarrwanga, a descendant of the Macassan sailors in Arnhem Land.
The wuramu takes many forms, including the totem pole, the top of which is painted and carved in the form of a human head. Set up under asam trees in Arnhem Land, the pole resembles a tombstone in Makassar. In an article titled Macassar and the Aborigines, McKnight writes: "Some poles are fashioned in the form of a tripod mast of a padewakang."
Wuramu also has another meaning in the life of the Aborigines in the spirit of the Creator. In the coming-of-age ritual among members of the Burarrwanga family, for instance, the word of praise barokallah (blessings of Allah) is repeatedly sung, the same word of praise uttered by the Macassan sailors. "If they have barokallah in Makassar, here our creator is wurakamu," says Datjing, explaining the song sung by his father Matjuwi. This proves that the Macassans, who were Muslims, never forced their faith on the Aborigines.
Macassans’ influences are evident not only in the Aborigine songs, but also in their dances, notably the dance of the flags. A dance festival held in Darwin in August featured a group called the Red Flag Dancers which stole the show with the performers, their bodies painted and dressed only in loincloths, dancing wit flags of all colors.
"Originally the flags were flown on the topmast of a ship on departure or to show the direction of the wind. No idea of flags was known to the Aborigines before," says Joanna Barrkman, curator at the Northern Territory Museum of Art and Gallery in Darwin.
Flags also feature in Aboriginal paintings, whether done on canvasses, tree bark or other media. Paintings by Matjuwi Burarrwanga, for instance, give much emphasis on images of padewakang complete with its sails and tripod masts, and pedang, parang, Macassans’ houses and teripang.
The images are depicted figuratively in two dimensions in four basic colors: yellow, brick red, black and white, typical for thousands of years of Aboriginal paintings. The basic colors are drawn from natural materials, including lime, coal, and ochre red and yellow rocks pounded into fine grains and mixed with water into paint. Each clan has its own characteristics, depending on the materials available. On Elcho Island, which is rich in lime, white is dominant in the paintings by the local artists.
Images of life in Makassar are found in many rock paintings. George Chaloupka, a rock painting researcher, discovered such paintings in Groote Eylandt, including dozens depicting padekawang the Macassans traditional sailboat. Sadly, Chaloupka could not determine the date of the paintings for lack of carbon material in them. "But judging by the theme of the paintings, one can conclude that they were done between the 17th and 18th centuries," says Chaloupka.
Images of monkeys climbing trees, for instance, were clearly done by an Aborigine who had been to Makassar. Other than monkeys and padekawang, he also painted light-skinned Macassan women dressed in sarongs. "It’s his way of expressing himself of what he had seen for posterity," Chaloupka says.
There’s growing appreciation of Aboriginal paintings in Australia with the annual presentation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award. The winner carries a cash prize of US$40,000, which is equivalent to Rp360 million. "Works of art have become a main source of income for many Aborigines, without which they can only rely on government aid," says Joanna.
Today many Aboriginal works of art are on display in galleries in Australia, fetching prices many times over the original paid the artists.
Sitting on the ground, the Aboriginal families gather to listen to legends recited by the elders of the community of visitors from across the seas—from an island far away in Sulawesi. The centuries-old legends tell of a seafaring tradition of the Macassan sailors who brave the stormy seas to visit the Land of the Aborigines.
It hangs down, that rigging, like falling rain.
They were looking at the rigging,
hanging down from the cross-bar,
from the top of the mast…
They looked at the rigging,
ropes dangling downward…
Looked at it,
hanging down from the cross-bar,
from the mast, like falling rain…
On top of the cross-bar,
hanging down to the deck,
the sail at the mast…
Endah WS (GAliwinku, Arnhemland Australia)
Monday, April 07, 2008
(continuing " sepotong tanah makasar..." )
A Tearful Reunion
Matjuwi Burarrwanga and Mansjur Muhayang were separated by circumstances for decades until they were brought back together in a tearful reunion.
THE old Land Rover sped through the dense forests of Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory one afternoon last August. At the wheel was Datjing Burarrwanga, smoking and enjoying the tune sung over the car radio by Bob Marley: "One love, one heart…. Let’s get together and feel all right… hear the children crying."
Suddenly everyone was jolted by the cry of a child squeezed between passengers as the overcrowded jeep shook over the bumpy road. In the car were Datjing and all members of his family: wife, children and grandchildren. "We’ll soon be in Gulumari, the gravesite of our grandma. Move the child up here," he called out as he stepped on the accelerator. Datjing was taking Tempo on a visit to the grave of Gunanong, the family’s great grandmother.
The grave is located on the coast of Gulumari, about 30 kilometers from Galiwinku. The dirt road traversed by the old jeep was the only decent road on Elcho Island. From the air the island, 50 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide, looks like an elongated snake. "The Macassan blood in my body flows from Gunanong," said Datjing as he cleared the tombstone of sand and leaves.
Gunanong was the daughter born of the marriage of Husein Daeng Rangka, a Macassan, and Yalyarrambu, an aborigine woman. Records show that Husein was among the last sailors to visit Arnhem Land. "He took Yalyarrambu with him to Makassar where she died and was buried," says Matjuwi, Datjing’s father.
Matjuwi, 74, chose to stay home and did not join the visit because of failing health. Age has also robbed him of eyesight. But the old man has a strong memory of members of his family in Makassar. "How is Mansjur Muhayang? I miss him," he said inquiring about his stepbrother in Makassar. The question was translated by one of his grandchildren. Unlike his son, Matjuwi doesn’t speak English.
Accompanied by Australian historian Peter Spillet, Matjuwi went to Makassar in 1987 to retrace the journey taken by the Macassan sailors to Arnhem Land centuries ago. In Makassar, Matjuwi rebuilt ties with the family of his ancestors in Sulawesi, paying homage to the grave of Husein Daeng Rangka, who in his aborigine tongue was called Yotjing (sometimes spelled "Ocing").
Mansjur Muhayang is a great grandchild of Yotjing. "Mansjur joined the voyage to Galiwinku on board a padewakang called Hati Marege," says Peter Spillet. Spillet described the reunion between Mansjur and Matjuwi as an emotional one with the two brothers crying in each other’s arms.
Some of Matjuwi’s children later in the late 1900s also went to see uncle Mansjur Muhayang in Makassar. At that time, Andrish Saint-Clare, an Australian choreographer, expressed an interest in producing a performance reliving the voyages of the Macassan sailors to Arnhem Land.
Before going to Makassar, Matjuwi knew of his roots in Sulawesi only through stories recited by Nona, a name by which Husein addressed Gunanong. "Nona is a Makassarese name given by Yotjing to Gunanong," Datjing explained. Datjing itself is a corruption of Daeng Gassing, a Makassarese name which means a big daeng. Daeng is a name by which a male person is called in Makassar.
It was Spillet and Michael Cook, lecturer at Batchelor College in Darwin, who brought the idea of taking Matjuwi to Makassar. "Without such a visit, little of the puzzle would have been solved," writes Michael Cooke in his report. In his book A Voyage to Marege, McKnight writes that Gunanong was born and died in Makassar and never returned to Galiwinku. On the contrary, Matjuwi says his grandmother never went to Makassar. She was born and died in Galiwinku when Matjuwi was about 10 years old.
Datjing said he has a good record of the family tree. His father never ceased to recount stories about his roots in Makassar in songs and paintings. Matjuwi is a gifted painter. His works have been displayed in exhibitions in many countries, including America, Canada, and Japan.
One of his most famous paintings is on display at the Museum Art and Gallery Northern Territory in Darwin. It’s a painting about the abduction of an aunt by Macassan sailors. "My aunt was abducted to Makassar and never returned. They are all members of the family," Matjuwi writes in the synopsis of the painting.
Matjuwi’s painting talent is inherited by his children. Only the Burarrwanga clan seems to possess such talent on Elcho Island. Their paintings, done on all kinds of media, from tree trunk, bark to canvas, are on regular display at the Galiwinku Art Center. Buyers come from all over Australia.
The Matjuwi family lives a relatively comfortable life in a well-furnished house complete with electronic goods and home appliances: television, video player, refrigerators, gas stove. No sofas, however, are seen in the house because by tradition aborigines generally sit on the floor.
On return from their visit to the grave in Gulumari, Datjing and members of his family later in the afternoon joined Matjuwi for the initiation of one of the boys into manhood in a ceremony held under the jamblang trees at the back of the house.
Matjuwi, who has been elected chief of the Gumatj clan—consisting of the Burarrwanga and Yunupinju families—sat on an iron bed with an old mattress. Bare-chested and with a bottle of Sprite in his hand he began singing. Accompanied by yidoki, an aborigine wind instrument, and the beats of two pieces of wood called bilmark. Members of the clan, coming from all parts of Arnhem Land, then joined Matjuwi singing and dancing. "The songs tell of the myths of our ancestors, including those from Makassar," Datjing told Tempo in whispers.
As the beats from the bilmark intensified and the singing reached a crescendo, a sense of sacredness and mysticism filled the air. Red paints were rubbed all over the boy’s chest and back as the women danced around. Suddenly one of the women seized the hands of this reporter and shouted: "Come join the dance. You are part of the family. Indonesians are the family."
Endah WS (Galiwinkku, Arnhemland Austalia)
A Tearful Reunion
Matjuwi Burarrwanga and Mansjur Muhayang were separated by circumstances for decades until they were brought back together in a tearful reunion.
THE old Land Rover sped through the dense forests of Arnhem Land in Australia’s Northern Territory one afternoon last August. At the wheel was Datjing Burarrwanga, smoking and enjoying the tune sung over the car radio by Bob Marley: "One love, one heart…. Let’s get together and feel all right… hear the children crying."
Suddenly everyone was jolted by the cry of a child squeezed between passengers as the overcrowded jeep shook over the bumpy road. In the car were Datjing and all members of his family: wife, children and grandchildren. "We’ll soon be in Gulumari, the gravesite of our grandma. Move the child up here," he called out as he stepped on the accelerator. Datjing was taking Tempo on a visit to the grave of Gunanong, the family’s great grandmother.
The grave is located on the coast of Gulumari, about 30 kilometers from Galiwinku. The dirt road traversed by the old jeep was the only decent road on Elcho Island. From the air the island, 50 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide, looks like an elongated snake. "The Macassan blood in my body flows from Gunanong," said Datjing as he cleared the tombstone of sand and leaves.
Gunanong was the daughter born of the marriage of Husein Daeng Rangka, a Macassan, and Yalyarrambu, an aborigine woman. Records show that Husein was among the last sailors to visit Arnhem Land. "He took Yalyarrambu with him to Makassar where she died and was buried," says Matjuwi, Datjing’s father.
Matjuwi, 74, chose to stay home and did not join the visit because of failing health. Age has also robbed him of eyesight. But the old man has a strong memory of members of his family in Makassar. "How is Mansjur Muhayang? I miss him," he said inquiring about his stepbrother in Makassar. The question was translated by one of his grandchildren. Unlike his son, Matjuwi doesn’t speak English.
Accompanied by Australian historian Peter Spillet, Matjuwi went to Makassar in 1987 to retrace the journey taken by the Macassan sailors to Arnhem Land centuries ago. In Makassar, Matjuwi rebuilt ties with the family of his ancestors in Sulawesi, paying homage to the grave of Husein Daeng Rangka, who in his aborigine tongue was called Yotjing (sometimes spelled "Ocing").
Mansjur Muhayang is a great grandchild of Yotjing. "Mansjur joined the voyage to Galiwinku on board a padewakang called Hati Marege," says Peter Spillet. Spillet described the reunion between Mansjur and Matjuwi as an emotional one with the two brothers crying in each other’s arms.
Some of Matjuwi’s children later in the late 1900s also went to see uncle Mansjur Muhayang in Makassar. At that time, Andrish Saint-Clare, an Australian choreographer, expressed an interest in producing a performance reliving the voyages of the Macassan sailors to Arnhem Land.
Before going to Makassar, Matjuwi knew of his roots in Sulawesi only through stories recited by Nona, a name by which Husein addressed Gunanong. "Nona is a Makassarese name given by Yotjing to Gunanong," Datjing explained. Datjing itself is a corruption of Daeng Gassing, a Makassarese name which means a big daeng. Daeng is a name by which a male person is called in Makassar.
It was Spillet and Michael Cook, lecturer at Batchelor College in Darwin, who brought the idea of taking Matjuwi to Makassar. "Without such a visit, little of the puzzle would have been solved," writes Michael Cooke in his report. In his book A Voyage to Marege, McKnight writes that Gunanong was born and died in Makassar and never returned to Galiwinku. On the contrary, Matjuwi says his grandmother never went to Makassar. She was born and died in Galiwinku when Matjuwi was about 10 years old.
Datjing said he has a good record of the family tree. His father never ceased to recount stories about his roots in Makassar in songs and paintings. Matjuwi is a gifted painter. His works have been displayed in exhibitions in many countries, including America, Canada, and Japan.
One of his most famous paintings is on display at the Museum Art and Gallery Northern Territory in Darwin. It’s a painting about the abduction of an aunt by Macassan sailors. "My aunt was abducted to Makassar and never returned. They are all members of the family," Matjuwi writes in the synopsis of the painting.
Matjuwi’s painting talent is inherited by his children. Only the Burarrwanga clan seems to possess such talent on Elcho Island. Their paintings, done on all kinds of media, from tree trunk, bark to canvas, are on regular display at the Galiwinku Art Center. Buyers come from all over Australia.
The Matjuwi family lives a relatively comfortable life in a well-furnished house complete with electronic goods and home appliances: television, video player, refrigerators, gas stove. No sofas, however, are seen in the house because by tradition aborigines generally sit on the floor.
On return from their visit to the grave in Gulumari, Datjing and members of his family later in the afternoon joined Matjuwi for the initiation of one of the boys into manhood in a ceremony held under the jamblang trees at the back of the house.
Matjuwi, who has been elected chief of the Gumatj clan—consisting of the Burarrwanga and Yunupinju families—sat on an iron bed with an old mattress. Bare-chested and with a bottle of Sprite in his hand he began singing. Accompanied by yidoki, an aborigine wind instrument, and the beats of two pieces of wood called bilmark. Members of the clan, coming from all parts of Arnhem Land, then joined Matjuwi singing and dancing. "The songs tell of the myths of our ancestors, including those from Makassar," Datjing told Tempo in whispers.
As the beats from the bilmark intensified and the singing reached a crescendo, a sense of sacredness and mysticism filled the air. Red paints were rubbed all over the boy’s chest and back as the women danced around. Suddenly one of the women seized the hands of this reporter and shouted: "Come join the dance. You are part of the family. Indonesians are the family."
Endah WS (Galiwinkku, Arnhemland Austalia)
Jejak Affandi di Venesia
Venice, 23rd December 1953
".. I wish to tell you how interesting the stand of your country has been for me. This is why I would like The Exprezione Internazionale Biennale d'Arte at Venetia to be the first to show to Italy such a high level artist as Affandi. The Biennale di Venice will put your disposal a room, if you are willing to accept our offer. "
The Secretary General
Prof. Rudolf Palluchène
Potongan surat di atas seperti menjadi saksi. Datang dari salah seorang kurator di Venesia untuk Affandi, setengah abad lalu. Saat itu kota air ini akan disesaki seniman dari segala penjuru dunia. Pembicaraan orang-orang di gondola pun tak jauh dari sebuah hajat besar yang sedang digelar di kota itu, "La Biennale di Venice". Bienal Venesia, sebuah ajang pameran seni internasional dua tahunan, tertua, dan terbesar. Tak kurang dari pelukis-pelukis besar seperti Picasso hadir di sana.
Jauh dari keriuhan nama-nama besar itu, seorang pelukis dari sebuah negara Asia yang baru merdeka hadir di sana. Affandi mendapat undangan langsung untuk mengikuti Bienal Venesia dari sang profesor seorang. Potongan suratnya menunjukkan bagaimana minat Rudolf terhadap karya-karya Affandi, yang sebelumnya sukses mengikuti Bienal Sao Paulo di Brazil. Surat itu sendiri terekam di buku Corat-coret Affandi, yang ditulis Mochtar Apin.
Menurut Kartika, putri sulung Affandi, saat itu ayahnya sedang berada di London, mengunjungi Kartika yang melahirkan cucu pertamanya. Ia menerima dua undangan: dari profesor itu dan dari Menteri Kebudayaan Indonesia saat itu, Priyono. Mereka ingin Affandi mengikuti Bienal Venesia, mewakili Indonesia.
Berangkatlah Affandi ke Venesia. Menurut Kartika, Affandi membawa sekitar 40 lukisan. Semua merupakan hasil garapannya sepanjang 1938-1953, tatkala si pelukis melawat ke India dan Eropa. Semua bergaya ekspresionis, di antaranya Gadis Inggris, London Bridge, dan Kelahiran Cucuku Pertama.
Seingat Kartika, di acara bienal itu Affandi tidak mendapat penghargaan dari penyelenggara. Tapi opini publik yang diperlihatkan dari media massa justru mengatakan seharusnya Affandi yang menerima penghargaan. Namanya, menurut Kartika, memenuhi media massa setempat saat itu. Penghargaan datang juga dari Bung Karno untuk Affandi, yang setelah bienal itu menetap di Italia. "Bung Karno mengirim telegram kepada Affandi, mengucapkan selamat dan terima kasih karena sudah membawa nama bangsa," cerita Kartika kepada TEMPO.
Sayangnya, tidak ada dokumentasi sejarah yang menegaskan kehadiran Affandi di acara bienal itu. Misalnya, selain undangan dari sang profesor, tidak ada katalog atau catatan kurator Affandi saat itu. Inilah yang membuat ragu pengamat seni Jim Supangkat. "Buktinya hanya undangan profesor itu," ujar Jim Supangkat. Menurut Jim, kemungkinan besar, kalaupun Affandi berangkat ke bienal, dia tidak mengikuti pameran utamanya (core exhibition) yang biasanya diikuti oleh maestro dunia sekelas Picasso. Ada kemungkinan Affandi hanya ikut pameran di sebuah galeri di Venesia.
Apa pun itu, yang pasti Affandi memang pernah mewakili Indonesia dan tidak pernah merasa minder berada di tengah seniman dunia, apalagi di sebuah perhelatan bienal internasional. Seperti yang ditulis Affandi dalam surat kepada sahabatnya, Muhamad Arsath Rois, pada 15 Juni 1954 di Amsterdam. Surat itu ditulisnya dari Roma setelah bienal itu: " tetapi ondanks det allis, kesenian Indonesia tida kalah dengan negri-2 ketjil seperti Portugal, Sweden, Noorwegen, Finland, Egypt?."
Endah W.S.
Venice, 23rd December 1953
".. I wish to tell you how interesting the stand of your country has been for me. This is why I would like The Exprezione Internazionale Biennale d'Arte at Venetia to be the first to show to Italy such a high level artist as Affandi. The Biennale di Venice will put your disposal a room, if you are willing to accept our offer. "
The Secretary General
Prof. Rudolf Palluchène
Potongan surat di atas seperti menjadi saksi. Datang dari salah seorang kurator di Venesia untuk Affandi, setengah abad lalu. Saat itu kota air ini akan disesaki seniman dari segala penjuru dunia. Pembicaraan orang-orang di gondola pun tak jauh dari sebuah hajat besar yang sedang digelar di kota itu, "La Biennale di Venice". Bienal Venesia, sebuah ajang pameran seni internasional dua tahunan, tertua, dan terbesar. Tak kurang dari pelukis-pelukis besar seperti Picasso hadir di sana.
Jauh dari keriuhan nama-nama besar itu, seorang pelukis dari sebuah negara Asia yang baru merdeka hadir di sana. Affandi mendapat undangan langsung untuk mengikuti Bienal Venesia dari sang profesor seorang. Potongan suratnya menunjukkan bagaimana minat Rudolf terhadap karya-karya Affandi, yang sebelumnya sukses mengikuti Bienal Sao Paulo di Brazil. Surat itu sendiri terekam di buku Corat-coret Affandi, yang ditulis Mochtar Apin.
Menurut Kartika, putri sulung Affandi, saat itu ayahnya sedang berada di London, mengunjungi Kartika yang melahirkan cucu pertamanya. Ia menerima dua undangan: dari profesor itu dan dari Menteri Kebudayaan Indonesia saat itu, Priyono. Mereka ingin Affandi mengikuti Bienal Venesia, mewakili Indonesia.
Berangkatlah Affandi ke Venesia. Menurut Kartika, Affandi membawa sekitar 40 lukisan. Semua merupakan hasil garapannya sepanjang 1938-1953, tatkala si pelukis melawat ke India dan Eropa. Semua bergaya ekspresionis, di antaranya Gadis Inggris, London Bridge, dan Kelahiran Cucuku Pertama.
Seingat Kartika, di acara bienal itu Affandi tidak mendapat penghargaan dari penyelenggara. Tapi opini publik yang diperlihatkan dari media massa justru mengatakan seharusnya Affandi yang menerima penghargaan. Namanya, menurut Kartika, memenuhi media massa setempat saat itu. Penghargaan datang juga dari Bung Karno untuk Affandi, yang setelah bienal itu menetap di Italia. "Bung Karno mengirim telegram kepada Affandi, mengucapkan selamat dan terima kasih karena sudah membawa nama bangsa," cerita Kartika kepada TEMPO.
Sayangnya, tidak ada dokumentasi sejarah yang menegaskan kehadiran Affandi di acara bienal itu. Misalnya, selain undangan dari sang profesor, tidak ada katalog atau catatan kurator Affandi saat itu. Inilah yang membuat ragu pengamat seni Jim Supangkat. "Buktinya hanya undangan profesor itu," ujar Jim Supangkat. Menurut Jim, kemungkinan besar, kalaupun Affandi berangkat ke bienal, dia tidak mengikuti pameran utamanya (core exhibition) yang biasanya diikuti oleh maestro dunia sekelas Picasso. Ada kemungkinan Affandi hanya ikut pameran di sebuah galeri di Venesia.
Apa pun itu, yang pasti Affandi memang pernah mewakili Indonesia dan tidak pernah merasa minder berada di tengah seniman dunia, apalagi di sebuah perhelatan bienal internasional. Seperti yang ditulis Affandi dalam surat kepada sahabatnya, Muhamad Arsath Rois, pada 15 Juni 1954 di Amsterdam. Surat itu ditulisnya dari Roma setelah bienal itu: " tetapi ondanks det allis, kesenian Indonesia tida kalah dengan negri-2 ketjil seperti Portugal, Sweden, Noorwegen, Finland, Egypt?."
Endah W.S.