Soon after Indonesia gained independence, the Dutch hitchhiked the Allied Forces trying to re-take Batavia. In an effort to maintain security, on the 4th January 1946, the capital city was moved to Yogyakarta and the Presidential Palace was moved to the Gedung Agung, in front of the northern entrance to the Yogyakartan Kraton. The Dutch, who had rejected Indonesia’s independence, were attacking on all fronts. One of the most striking photographs from this period is the meeting between (from right to left) Vice President M. Hatta, President Sukarno, General Soedirman and T.B. Simatupang. The First Lady, Fatmawati, is present through the painting by Basuki Abdullah, which is placed on the table and leans against the wall, next to Bung Karno (President Sukarno). On the wall behind where Bung Karno and Bung Hatta (the Vice-President) are seated, there is a painting of tall waves in the foreground and a calm sea on the horizon, where the bright sky merges with dark clouds. Everyone in the room is looking at Bung Karno, including Bung Hatta who is seated right next to him. The wild waves in the painting appear to represent the intensity of their discussion.

While in Jakarta, a different kind of tension is implied through a photo in the IPPHOS collection, which shows a New Year’s Eve party in 1946-47, which took place at Jalan Cendana in Menteng (now Central Jakarta). In the photo, amongst others, is the Foreign Minister, Dr Haji Agus Salim, who is in between the famous translator and owner of the house, Jane Waworunto on his left, and Emiria Sunassa, Indonesia’s first female modern painter, on his right. Half of the people in the photo are white. The people in the photo appear to be members of the elite with noble ambitions and who are caught up in the politics of enmity. They appear joyful with the coming of the New Year. Their clothes indicate their social class and the kind of party they’re holding: some kind of cocktail and dance party. In the photo, the two paintings which are present indicate the atmosphere of their shared occasion. On the left, is a portrait of Jane. While in the center of the image, is a painting by Emiria, dated 1943, which depicts a verandah with two pot plants, viewed from inside the house. A thick red curtain frames the left side of the painting. The verandah, the curtains and the fact that both are the subject matter of the painting signifies the identity and social perspective of the painter as well as the owner of the painting. 

In both photographs, the paintings underline the various inadvertent tensions which were unimagined by the photographer and the people who hung the paintings. It is difficult to discern the setting of the sea from the painting of the waves by the Dutch painter Wilhelminus Jean Frederic Imandt. The sky and the sea are entities that unite the earth. They look the same everywhere. The sky, with the dark clouds, in the painting in Gedung Agung, we can imagine as happening along the equator or during a summer in a country of four seasons. While, the dark sky in Emiria’s painting, behind the cacti and the curtain, which appears to be made from velvet, according to Heide Arbuckle, is not the sky of a tropical country. Whatever the tension that is unfolding in the two photographs, it is not difficult to imagine a moment in which all the people in the photographs would dine together as a part of their gathering itinerary. 

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The works in this part of the exhibition state or imply a moment for sharing food together, regardless of the social, economic and political conditions of the time. Everyone needs to eat. Moreover, a feast often highlights a celebration; the aim of a large gathering of people. Each occasion follows its own etiquette. In a precarious situation, even when it is uncertain whether or not the host can afford anything at all, a meal may take place simply because everyone needs it. And the host knows that no matter how simple the food is that is offered, it will be greatly appreciated. On such an occasion, modesty and openness are unavoidable. While during a celebration, eating together is a result of shared joy. Oftentimes, banquets are not just for the people who are a part of the celebration, but also for all those in the surrounding environment where the events are held. There are always other intentions during such a feast. Hospitality is essential to achieve these goals. A shared meal is able to put differences aside, even if only for a short while.