I have said many times that Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is very important to me and is critical to our country. In some respects, it is our most important relationship given Indonesia’s size, proximity and potential as the emerging democratic superpower of our region.
This exhibition gives us a window into the soul of our friend and neighbour, so I congratulate the National Gallery of Australia and in particular Robyn Maxwell on curating such a vibrant exhibition and I also congratulate Ron Radford for his work over many years.
Now, it’s often said by families who have lost their homes that the one thing that is irreplaceable is the family photo albums, our photos, our children’s drawings when they were younger; the snapshots into where we come from, who we are and what we value. The National Gallery is that to Australia, and as we are discovering, it’s also that to Indonesia – it is an irreplaceable treasure.
Art is the thoughtful reflection of our human experience and it’s so right that in this place we display and honour the art of our most important neighbour. I’m pleased to say that this exhibition is certainly not an afterthought. The Gallery has been building its Indonesian and its vast Bali collection for over 50 years.
We have the foresight of the erstwhile Commonwealth Art Advisory Board to thank for much of what we see today and the board was ahead of its time. The fact that a substantial portion of the collection was acquired in the late 1960s says a lot about art and the dimension that it adds to our national story. This collection helps to illustrate how our focus in the arts, as in so much else, has broadened from Europe and to the wider world, but particularly to our neighbourhood.
For some Australians this repositioning was a wrench, but the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board saw the value of learning about our regional neighbours and this collection continued to grow even after the Board ceased to exist in 1973.
It may be the first exhibition in this country devoted to Bali, but it’s certainly not the first time Indonesian art has figured in the National Gallery and as Ron has already mentioned earlier this year, the NGA exhibited Garden of the East: photography in Indonesia 1850s – 1940s and I was delighted to personally send the catalogue of that marvellous exhibition to President Yudhoyono.
We all know that Australians have a love of Bali and more than 800,000 of us travelled to Bali last year alone.
For most Australians, Bali is a place to have fun, but twice, Bali has been a place of anguish. But even in the bad times the kindness and the goodness of the Balinese people shines through and this exhibition reflects that. It reflects a rich culture and a timeless spirituality.
As we know, Indonesia is a Muslim country, but it is a pluralist society and it’s to Indonesia’s great credit that so many cultures have been able to flourish in peace throughout its vast archipelago.
Bali holds a special place in the hearts of many Australians and so I hope thousands and thousands will get the chance to see this magnificent collection.
I am delighted to be here, I really am.
I wish Bali: Island of the Gods every success and it is my pleasure and an honour to declare this exhibition officially open.
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