Museum Puma

I do realize that much time is consumed and many difficulties are endured in collecting these primitive art items, given the rise and changes endured by the faithful believers as owners of these items in embracing one among the many religions. Allow me to quote remarks from the speech of the honorable Vice President of Republic of Indonesia Adam Malik, during the grand opening of the Adam Malik Museum in Jakarta in the early 1980s. He stated that his deep passion and great interest in ancient ceramic art items, are not solely because the aesthetic values projected and purported from within, but also because the containment of immense historical values. Malik asserts further that ancient ceramics, especially the pieces that are unearthed during archeological digs can be used as complementary information in the construction of political, economical and cultural history of Indonesia.

The worldwide popularity of Indonesian primitive arts commenced and continue to augment following continues arrival of researchers and missionaries to Indonesia, that later brought about those art items to their home country, as part of the collections of world class collectors. These primitive artworks were initially regarded representing the works of alien and foreign tribes, to which later instigated conflicting views among art observers in Europe. One party regards these art items a ethnographic objects, while the other half views them as items projecting qualities of art masterpieces. Despite these conditions, there is great evidence that such artifacts have given inspirations to Western artists, and even gave birth and rise of Modern Western art.

In the perspective of art history, Pablo Picasso asserts that "For me there are neither past nor future in art. If the artwork does not survive until present times, it could never be regarded as a work of art. Greek artworks, Egyptian artworks, and other masterpieces from painters living in another era, are not representations of a past era; yet maybe the likelihood of those artworks are more vibrant today in contrast to the past. Art does not voluntarily engage itself, but in fact it incorporates ideas from others, and within and ambience from artistic expression subsists. " Since then, primitive artworks including Indonesian primitive art became collectable items by great collectors of the world.

This condition has allowed and delivered Indonesian primitive art pieces to be accepted and displayed as highly rated collections of reputable and prestigious museums within Europe and the United States of America. Such state of consciousness is an honor and luxury that has yet to be enjoyed by the realms of Indonesian fine art, given the vitality of the modernism-universalism view and understanding that cast offs modernity outside the so called Western world. In the other hand, such acceptance has made the 28 cm "Adu Zatua" statue from Nias Island to be sold in 1999 at Sotheby's New York for the price of Rp. 799.000.000, and a pair of "Anadeo" statue from Flores to be sold for Rp. 970.000.000 at the trading floors of primitive art circulations in Bali; such a fantastic value achievement for a piece of Indonesian art.

Among the many stimulus, the endless passion and effort of Ir. Made Gde Putrawan to preserve and uphold the national culture, must be highly appreciated and should be supported by all of us, so that this endeavor can become an inspiration and example for art lovers and collectors alike to do the same. Lastly, I yearn and hope that the collections of Puma Museum can be enjoyed and cherished by the art community, especially as an education medium for the next and upcoming generation.