Sebuah Refleksi Hati Di Museum MACAN

Dalam sebuah ruang tepatnya bersebelahan jalur masuk Museum Of Modern And Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) terdapat instalasi karya Yayoi Kusama yang sangat populer, yang berjudul Infinity Mirrored Room – Brilliance of the Souls. Instalasi yang menjadi koleksi Museum ini, sekarang ditampilkan permanen dan sepertinya menjadi icon dari Museum MACAN. Atau pengunjung yang datang hanya untuk berfoto dalam ruang ini? Bisa jadi…

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror – Museum of Modern And Contemporary Art in Nusantara, Jakarta

Instalasi dalam ruang gelap ini penuh polka dot ini, awalnya hanya dihadirkan sementara dalam pameran perdana museum dan juga pameran retrospektif seniman unik itu yang berjudul Life is The Heart of A Rainbow. Siapa nyana, akhirnya yang sementara itu sekarang menjadi permanen sejak 26 Maret 2019 lalu?

Di Museum MACAN, pengunjung hanya bisa memasuki ruang Infinity Mirrored Room – Brilliance of the Souls setelah berkeliling museum dan ikut dalam antrian. Tidak bisa lama di dalam, hanya 30 detik! Bahkan bisa lebih cepat dari angka itu jika antriannya panjang. Apa pesonanya?

Jangankan saya, selebriti dunia seperti Katy Perry saja melakukan selfie didalamnya. Ya, karena instalasi polkadot warna warni itu dalam ruang gelap penuh cermin yang disinari memang sangat indah, menarik sekaligus menyimpan misterinya sendiri.

Namun terlepas dari kekaguman saya akan hasil karya dan kece-nya Infinity Mirrored Room itu, saya juga tak bisa lepas dari rasa prihatin yang dalam kepada sang artist. Sesungguhnya ruang gelap dan bentuk polkadot warna-warni yang terlihat terhampar tanpa batas karena refleksi cermin itu merupakan halusinasi dan ekspressi dari mental illness yang ditanggung oleh perempuan Jepang kelahiran tahun 1929 itu sejak usia 10 tahun. Kemampuan membelokkannya menjadi seni yang begitu indah, telah menyelamatkan hidupnya dari upaya bunuh diri.

Sungguh saat saya meninggalkan ruang Infinity Mirrored Room itu, saya merasa seperti ‘bukan gegar otak melainkan gegar rasa’ bahwa sebuah kekurangan manusia, sebuah mental illness, dapat menjadi sebuah berkah luar biasa yang bila dikenali dan disalurkan kearah yang positif, bisa berubah menjadi sebuah kelebihan. Sebuah gangguan kejiwaan yang di dunia sering dikategorikan negatif bisa menghasilkan karya positif yang dicari banyak orang, -dan orang yang memahami bersedia membayar mahal untuk bisa mengagumi karyanya-, serta menjadi trademark bagi Yayoi Kusama.

Bagi saya pribadi, merasakan sendiri berada di dalam Infinity Mirrored Room itu benar-benar ‘makjleb‘

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Pos ini ditulis sebagai tanggapan atas challenge yang kami, Celina, A Rhyme in My Heart, dan Cerita Riyanti ciptakan sebagai pengganti Weekly Photo Challenge dari WordPress, yang untuk tahun 2019 minggu ke-18 ini bertemakan Reflection agar kami berdua terpacu untuk menulis artikel di blog masing-masing setiap minggu. Jika ada sahabat pembaca mau ikut tantangan ini, kami berdua akan senang sekali…

WPC – The Mirror Of Nature

Last month I visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia for the umpteenth time. Angkor Wat is the place in the world which I feel I belong to; a place for recharging my energy. No matter how many other beautiful places I visit, I always feel the magical spark in me when I stand in the ancient walkway of Angkor Wat. I feel so comfortable to walk along the cozy corridors or the surrounding forest which perhaps, nothing special for other person.

Another Sunrise in Angkor Wat

So, it was early morning of Khmer New Year, -it’s in the mid of April-, and I found myself standing in front of a small pond in Angkor Wat. I joined the other people to watch beautiful sunrise there before I enjoyed my walk in the lush forest around it.

The small pond in southern part of main entrance is different to the similar pond in northern part which is full of lotus. This time I felt so lucky with the small water in it. Just perfect as a mirror of the nature with its majestic temple. I could see the small ripple of water when something disturbed it. Totally perfect for me. Right place, right moment.

Like water which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees only so long as it surface is undisturbed, the mind can only reflect the true image of the Self when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.

WPC – New Horizon

Reflection in Kodaiji Temple, Kyoto

December is here and in a couple of weeks we will say goodbye to the year of 2016. It is time for most of the people to set a new goal or make a new resolution. And for me, it is the perfect time to make a reflection, although I do it daily 😉

Last week I went to Japan and made time to visit Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto. It is one of the recommended temples in autumn which tourists must visit. Not only it has beautiful fall colors, but it was also illuminated at night during autumn season. The most preferable spot for taking pictures inside the temple’s complex was around a pond near the main temple. The clear reflection of the lit-up autumn leaves on the water made an amazing view.

Although the most of the colors is yellow and it was strengthened by the light, but I could see other colors like green, orange or red which were as beautiful as the yellow. And when I saw its reflection on the water, I saw even better view than the one on the ground. The view in front of my eyes reminded me of recent frictions in the communities in many countries. Life is beautiful with lots of colors. Perhaps in one season in one certain place there will be one colors in general, but other colors are still giving the harmony. It is true if a wise man once said, “It is not our differences that divide us, it is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences“

Life itself is not only one color. So do we. So does the reflection on the water, or in the people’s heart. I hope this harmony will be in the people’s heart all over the world. Because the beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people. God created our skin tones of beautiful variety, but all of our souls are the same color.

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In response to the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme of New Horizon

 

WPC – Be The Candle or The Mirror…

Krathong, -a container with candle inside-, floated on river

Passing years by years, I feel that life is so beautiful, decorated with lots of ups and downs, cheers and tears, sometimes smooth and easy then heavy burdens color the days but we should not to give up. We are not here to curse the darkness but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness.

And when we are in the dark I believe that a single candle can defy and define the darkness. It is small flame but enough to give light.

But I remember the nice words from Rumi. Being a candle is not easy, in order to give light one must first burn. I cannot imagine how hard to live like a candle which burns itself to give light to others. It is definitely true, it’s not as easy as said. But there is an option as Edith Wharton said,

There are two ways of spreading light, …. to be the Candle, or the Mirror that reflects it. 

A mirror or similar things that has the same function to reflect the light.

But please remember being a mirror requires many things that are not easy as well. At the end, the choice is in our own hands.

The reflection of a floating Krathong