Affandi Museum

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2.5 ( 4 Voter(s) )

A. Overview

Affandi Museum is one of tourists’ preferred cultural tourism destinations in Yogyakarta. The museum reminds us of how strenuous the Indonesian painting maestro, Affandi, was in his efforts to develop and promote the art of painting. The artist, who was favorite of Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia, held an exhibition in many places across the world many times. As he did, either in Asia or Europe, many awards were given to him as an appreciation to his works. Among the awards are The Dag Hammarskjoeld Peace Prize in Italia in 1977, Bintang Maha Jasa Utama from the government of the Republic of Indonesia in 1978, and Honoris Causa doctorate from the National University of Singapore in 1977.

Built aesthetically as a display area for Affandi’s paintings, the museum hides in between leafy frangipani trees, has a banana-leaf-shaped roof, lies at the west bank of Gajah Wong River, and across the State Islamic University (UIN) of Sunan Kalijaga campus. The galleries—the museum has four—are not less unique. The buildings are crowned with banana-leaf-shaped rooftops. The colors are mostly green and yellow, strengthening artistic atmosphere of the buildings, which is made dominantly of wood.

The banana-leaf-shaped rooftops have their own stories. People say that Affandi was once caught in the rain when painting. Having no umbrella or other things to shelter him from the rain, he cut a banana leaf and its frond altogether. Unexpectedly, the painting he painted then was touted as one of his best. After that, Affandi made a vow to himself that when he built a house, he would shape the roof like a banana leaf.

The architecture of the museum as a whole will ring a bell in our mind of Affandi’s figure, a simple and humble artist. People say that in his daily life, Affandi liked to wear a sarong and a white t-shirt that was torn here and there while smoking his favorite pipe. It is quite often that in such humble clothes, Affandi went out on foot to a sidewalk stall nearby and hung out there with the people without them knowing that there was a renowned painter with a worldwide reputation with them.

Affandi was born in Cirebon, West Java, in 1907. Nobody knows, including Affandi himself, about the date and month of his birth. At the age of 26, precisely in 1933, Affandi married Maryati, a Bogor-born girl. All his life as a painter, Affandi painted almost all subjects his eyes could catch, including human life, animals, and nature. However, painting subjects that attracted him the most, and for that they were frequent in his paintings, were the sun and his self-portrait. Nevertheless it would not be exaggerating to say that Affandi’s self-portrait paintings are a kind of visual biography that enabled the painter to express his understanding of his self. Not only do Affandi’s self-portraits reflect his life progress, they also show his artistic development. It is then understandable that Affandi never got bored of painting his own self from his debut in 1930s until his death on May 23, 1990. This all will certainly make it possible for people now to see how Affandi’s presence in the past affects his presence later chronologically.

There are four galleries in the complex. The first building was the 314,6 m² wide Gallery I. The Gallery was built upon a 3.500 m² wide area, designed by the maestro himself, and using money from the sellings of Affandi’s paintings. The construction of Gallery I was completed in 1962. It was used by Affandi as his own showroom. The Gallery was authorized in 1974 by Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra who was then Director General of the Department of Culture.

In 1987, President Soeharto paid a visit in the museum and acting for the Indonesian Government, he gave a financial aid for the construction of Gallery II which was 351,5 m² wide. The Gallery, which was then officially opened on June 9, 1988 by the Minister of Education and Culture, Prof. Dr. Fuad Hasan, was used as a showroom for the works of Kartika Affandi (Affandi’s daughter) and other well-known painters. While Gallery III construction was carried out by Affandi Foundation in 1999 and was authorized by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X (Sultan of Yogyakarta) on May 2000. The Gallery was built to the last request of Affandi before he passed away. He wanted to have a room for storage of all his works as well as other famous painters’ of his collection. In 2002, Gallery IV was built to display the works of Affandi’s family, including those of Didit, his grandchildren.

Despite starting from being private, as time went by under the management of Affandi Foundation, the museum was opened publicly as a cultural heritage. It was even once visited by Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammad in 1988. Furthermore, as a form of its concern on education and tourism, since 1985 the museum joined the Museum Association (Barahmus) of Yogyakarta and since 1997, it has become a member of Indonesian Museum Association (BMMI).

B. Features

As you visit Affandi Museum, you will find an indescribable beauty. Happiness and amazement are what you will feel seeing the museum’s collection of paintings. Nowadays, Affandi Museum displays over a thousand works, about 300 of them are Affandi’s. The museum has four galleries, which are all alike architecturally, yet content and arrangement wise, each of them has its own uniqueness and characteristics. Tourists will notice the resemblance as well as difference when entering the galleries one by one.

Gallery I

Entering the complex, visitors will encounter Gallery I. In the asymmetrically-doored gallery, visitors will be amused by many of Affandi’s paintings which are sketches as well as water color, pastel, and oil paint paintings upon the canvasses. Affandi’s paintings displayed in the gallery are retrospective works that hold historical values of the artist, from the start of his career until the end. Here, visitors can see the oldest collection that was created in 1936, a top collection entitled “Belajar Anatomi Duduk Telanjang (Affandi’s self-portrait) dated 1948, and “Potret Diri Menghisap Pipa” which was painted in 1977.

Some of Affandi’s personal stuff are also displayed in the gallery, such as a The Raleigh bicycle (made in 1975), a Mitsubishi Gallant classic sedan (made in 1975), sandals, brushes, buckets, clothes, a sarong which wears cubicle motif, newspapers clippings, Affandi’s memorial photos, and his favorite pipe. In addition, there are also Affandi’s appreciation certificates and a collection of 1997’s PT. POS Indonesia stamps of Affandi’s painting series.

It is in this gallery where visitors can see Affandi’s works, bronze statues that takes him self as objects. There are three statues there, “Affandi and Kartika” (made of cement, 1943), “Self-Portrait I” (clay, 1954) and “Self-Portrait II” (clay covered with cement, 1954). The three statues are the only of Affandi’s works remaining among others that are broken, not finished, or lost. It is quite proper to say that walking around Gallery I is like getting into Affandi’s life tens of years ago.

Gallery II

The Gallery is only five meters away from Gallery I. It was planned to be a showroom for Kartika Affandi’s paintings before turned into a place for displaying works of various well-known painters such as Basuki Abdullah, Popo Iskandar, Hendra, Rusli, Fajar Sidik, S. Sujoyono, Barlim, Wahdi S., Bagong Kussudiarjo, Mochtar Apin, and so on. The Gallery comprises two floors. The first floor contains abstract paintings, while the second floors realist paintings.

Gallery III

The three-floored gallery has a similar architecture with Gallery I and II, which take shape of a circle with a banana-leaf-shaped rooftop. The first floor is used as a display room for the works of Affandi’s family, such as Kartika Affandi’s new paintings. Among them are one that is called “Apa yang Harus Kuperbuat” (January 1999), “Apa Salahku? Mengapa ini Harus Terjadi” (February 1999), “Tidak Adil” (June 1999), and “Kembali Pada Realita Kehidupan, Semuanya Kuserahkan Kepada-Nya” (July 1999). In the room, displayed also are the works of Rukmini Yusuf and Juki Affandi, and a wool embroidery painting of Maryati, Affandi’s wife. The second floor is a place for painting upkeeps, while the basement is a room for collection storage.

Gallery IV

Gallery IV is a showroom for many works of Didit, Affandi’s grandson. The place is actually nice with its roof made of cane work (gedhek). However, the room is too narrow, dark, and damp that it feels like stuffy in there.

C. Location

Affandi Museum is located at Laksda Adi Sucipto Street, No. 167, Depok, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. At the south of the museum, there stand the campus of State Islamic University of Sunan Kalijaga and Mandala Bhakti Wanitatama Building. At its north, there are the campus of the Institute of Agriculture, Sanata Dharma University, State University of Yogyakarta, and Gadjah Mada University. Gajah Wong River is on the east while V-Art gallery stands at the west of the complex.

D. Access

Affandi Museum is relatively easy to reach. It is 4 km away from Adi Sucipto Airport, 8 km from Giwangan Bus Station, 5 km from Tugu Train Station, and 2 km from Lempuyangan Train Station. Tourists who set out from Adi Sucipto Airport can take Trans Jogja Bus heading to Yogyakarta downtown. The bus fare costs Rp 3.000,-. It will likely take about 15 minutes by the bus before reaching the museum. Tourists from Giwangan Bus Station can go to the museum by taking any bus of route 7 or 10 at a fare of Rp 2.500,- and stop right at the front gate of the museum. From Tugu Train Station, tourists can take a taxi at a rate of around Rp 15.000,- to Rp 20.000,- . From Lempuyangan Train Station, tourists can reach the museum by a pedicab or andong (traditional horse cart), which will likely cost around Rp 10.000,-.

E. Ticket

The museum entrance tickets varies, Rp 20.000,- per person for domestic tourists and Rp 25.000,- per person for foreign tourists. To take a picture in the museum, there is an additional cost of Rp 10.000,- and to shoot a video Rp. 20.000,-

The museum is open seven days a week, except for holiday or by prior reservation. In workdays, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

F. Accommodations and Other Facilities

Not only does it a museum display monumental paintings of the maestro, Affandi Museum is also a place for many activities. There is a regular schedule of the activities, arranged neatly and carried out professionally. Visitors can go to the museum management office to know the agenda. The activities are mostly related with painting or exhibition. Here is the list of the routine activities: Tonny Holsbergen Painting Exhibition (every February), Affandi’s Birthday Celebration (every May 23), Sorrandy Exhibition (every June until July), Kartika Affandi’s Individual Exhibition (every November).

Among the museum facilities are library, mushalla (small mosque), bathroom, swimming pool, viewing tower, panggung house, cart, exhibition gallery (indoor and outdoor), guide service, meeting hall, showroom, souvenir shop, Loteng Café, and Gajah Wong Studio.

For those who are curious about how Affandi paints, visitors can request the museum staff to play a video presenting Affandi working using miscellaneous media and equipments. In addition, for visitors who adore and consider Affandi as their inspiration, it seems to be a duty for them to have a pilgrim at Affandi’s grave at the back of the museum, next to his wife’s, Maryati, who passed away earlier.

Text: Tasyriq Hifzhillah
Photo(s): Collection of Jogjatrip.com
Translation: Reza Daffi
(Primary data and various sources)

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If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
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