UNESCO invests in artistic freedom in Indonesia

On 10 May 2023, Koalisi Seni (the Arts Coalition), an Indonesian civil society organization launched a monitoring system for artistic freedom. The founders aim for the new website to become a strong tool in upholding artistic rights in Indonesia.

The launch is the result of a series of advocacy works undertaken by Koalisi Seni to foster greater understanding of artistic freedom and to improve local communities’ capacities to monitor and report violations of artistic freedom across the country. The initiative received support from UNESCO through the International Fund for Cultural Diversity and the UNESCO-Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals.

The launch event was held in Jakarta and was moderated by creative freelancer Dara Hanafi, with participation from Koalisi Seni, Director General of Culture for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Hilmar Farid PhD., and Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation Muhamad Isnur, as well as academics and members of the Jakarta Arts Council Film Committee Shuri Mariasih Gietty.

Our interview with Hafez Gumay, Advocacy Manager of Koalisi Seni, the organization leading the way to advance artistic freedom in Indonesia, dives deeper into how an artistic freedom monitoring system can help trigger the public to contribute in recording information regarding violations on said freedom.

Q: Can you introduce Koalisi Seni and tell us the story of the project that received UNESCO funding?

A: Koalisi Seni was founded in 2012 with the mission of advocating for a better art ecosystem in Indonesia. In 2016 and 2020, we were involved in compiling Indonesia’s periodic report on the implementation of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. In both years, Indonesia did not report on the state of artistic freedom because of insufficient data. Therefore, in 2021, Koalisi Seni sought UNESCO’s support to build a monitoring system for artistic freedom in the hope that by 2024, we will have gathered enough information about the state of artistic freedom across the country.

Q: Why is artistic freedom important to you personally? How did you get involved in leading support for artistic freedom in your country?

A: Art has a big role in my life. I learned to play music in elementary school and continued… Even though at that time, I considered it more of a burden than a joy. As I grew older, I realized more and more that my experiences in art opened up many paths that might not have otherwise opened. In fact it was my musical hobby that led me to work at Koalisi Seni; a friend told me that an organization was looking for law graduates with experience in the arts. Since then I have been involved in many advocacy efforts to advance artistic freedom in Indonesia, starting from drafting the law on the Advancement of Culture to intervening in a problematic music bill, to establishing an endowment fund for culture.

Q: How would you describe “artistic freedom” in your own words?

A: Artistic freedom is freedom for every person, regardless of their identity, to create and access art without any pressure, either through threats from others or financial dependency on the patron.

Q: Why do you think artistic freedom is important for people all over the world?

A: Art has an important role in every aspect of human life, no matter where they live, their religion, their political choices and so on. In Indonesia, there is art in every aspect of human life. When someone is born, coming of age, married or even passed away, there is a specific art to celebrate the occasion. So when there are restrictions on artistic freedom, you can say that she or he is deprived of their life’s fulfillment.

Q: If you had to explain the importance of artistic freedom to a child, what would you say?

A: Artistic freedom makes life more colourful and enjoyable. There is no fun when art is done with lots of restrictions; everyone has their own way and interpretation when making art.

Q: What is at stake when artistic freedom is restricted or censored?

A: Art is one of the most effective vehicles for expressing opinions. Whether it is criticism of those in power, resistance to injustice or voicing marginalized views. The more arts are restrained, the function of art as a ‘showroom’ for diverse thoughts will also be disrupted. This condition is very dangerous because it can result in the birth of a society who is not used to differences, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to conflict.

Q: What do you think are the major challenges to artistic freedom globally?

A: The strengthening of identity politics has resulted in sharper polarization in society. This makes people no longer value differences, whatever they are… As we know art always brings a certain value with it, whether it’s the value intended by the artist or the various interpretations of the public. A work of art can be seen as an inspiration or an insult at the same time. So the potential for horizontal conflict to occur due to differences in the interpretation of a work of art will become even greater in the future.

Q: How does monitoring violations of artistic freedom support greater freedom of expression, including for artists?

A: Monitoring artistic freedom is the simplest form of resistance against impunity. With the documentation of the violations that occurred, at least the actions of the perpetrators could become their ‘dark record’. And when one day the opportunity to hold the perpetrators accountable arises, the results of this monitoring may become useful to prove their wrongdoing in the past.

Q: Do you have any anecdotes or stories that can highlight the success or impact of your project to support artistic freedom in Indonesia?

A: In Indonesia, the concept of artistic freedom is not commonly understood, even by artists and civil society organizations (CSOs) working on the issue of the freedom of expression. This condition causes many people not to think that advocating for artistic freedom is also a part of the fight for human rights. For example, Koalisi Seni has often been considered as talent management for other CSOs. They contact us to ask for help to be connected with artists who could help campaign for other issues such as corruption, the environment, etc. Meanwhile, the reality is that artistic freedom is an issue that needs a lot of help from other human rights CSOs. After our project started in 2022, other CSOs are starting to realize that art has a close connection with efforts to protect and fulfill human rights in Indonesia, and they want to collaborate with Koalisi Seni to help artists maintain their rights.

Q: Do you have any words that you would like to share on artistic freedom with the global community of artists?

A: Threats to artists will always exist and freedom to perform art is not something that is given. The awareness that freedom of art is a human right and must be continuously fought for is very important to continue to instill in the minds of every artist. We can lose our freedom anytime if we let our guard down and don’t fight for it. This struggle does not only belong to activist artists but also to all artists, regardless of the industry in which they work.