In the midst of the Indonesian War of Independence in 1947, director Willem Sandberg organized the first exhibition of Indonesian brothers Agus and Otto Djaya at the Stedelijk Museum in the Netherlands. This marked the first time that non-Western contemporary artists were given a solo exhibition at the Stedelijk. The Djaya brothers’ work was fueled by their involvement in the Indonesian struggle for independence after the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The Stedelijk Museum’s research over the past year into the presence of the two brothers in the Netherlands sheds new light on their accomplishments. These new insights will be featured this summer at the Stedelijk in a thought-provoking exhibition spanning two rooms, a symposium, and other activities.
New research by independent curator and researcher Kerstin Winking into the work of the Djaya brothers in the Stedelijk’s collection reveals that there is a wealth of information about the brothers in Dutch archives. Agus and Otto Djaya were in Europe from 1947-1950, mostly in the Netherlands, where they secretly worked to promote Indonesian independence. The Stedelijk will showcase a selection of paintings from this period. In addition to works from the collections of the Stedelijk, the National Museum of World Cultures, and Leiden University Library, the exhibition will include revealing archival material demonstrating the entanglement of art and politics, as well as the brothers’ surveillance by the Dutch secret service and support from Dutch intellectuals for their efforts in the struggle for independence.
www.ftn-books.com has now the Willem Sandberg designed catalog from 1947 available.
