The colossal KAWS statue, created by the artist Brian Donnelly, which has become an icon of contemporary art, now graces the courtyard of the Brahma Temple within the Prambanan Temple Complex, Yogyakarta.
Spanning a length of 45 metres and rising 15 metres in height, this pink statue will remain on display until the 31st of August 2023, in alignment with the global exhibition tour titled “KAWS: Holiday“.
Numerous visitors at Prambanan Temple are joyfully taking turns to capture photographs. Nevertheless, some protests have emerged online, given that Prambanan Temple is a place of worship for Hindus.
Certain art activists are questioning why enormous statues unrelated to Hindu religious values have been permitted for installation. A number of art activists, including the founder of the Lima Gunung Community, Sutanto Mendut, singer Agnes Serfozo, and painter Satya Cipta, have expressed their objections on their respective Instagram accounts.
Meanwhile, Jusman Mahmud, the Prambanan Unit Manager of the Cultural Preservation Centre for Region X (Special Region of Yogyakarta-Central Java), has indicated that the permission to use the Prambanan Temple area for the art installation was directly granted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology through the Directorate General of Culture.
“Cultural Preservation Centre for Region X does not possess the authority to issue permits; this is the purview of technical implementers in the field,” Mahmud stated.
Additionally, a permit was also issued by PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko (PT TWC).
“Since TWC manages the land where ‘KAWS: Holiday’ is situated, the location is within the Brahma field,” he noted.
Furthermore, Ngakan Ngurah Mahendrajaya, a prominent Hindu priest who is also an art activist in Yogyakarta, has affirmed that there are no issues with the installation of the giant statue.
“The statue was installed in Ring II, meaning it is not within the Utama Mandala and therefore does not disrupt Hindu worship activities, as it is situated in Ring I,” he elucidated.