Contesting A Cultural Style (Makassar Painting And Local Socio-Cultural Adaptation)

Cita Pratiwi; Karta Jayadi; Arlin Adam; Abdul Ahmad

doi:10.47134/diksima.v2i4.298

Authors

Cita Anggun Pratiwi Universitas Negeri Makassar
Karta Jayadi Universitas Negeri Makassar
Arlin Adam Universitas Negeri Makassar
Abdul Aziz Ahmad Universitas Negeri Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47134/diksima.v2i4.298

Keywords:

Makassar Painting, Art Arena, Local Cultural Adaptation, Symbolic Contestation, Sociology of Art

Abstract

This study aims to analyze: (1) the social mechanisms of contestation in the Makassar painting arena) ((2) the process of adaptation of local cultural symbols and values in the creative practice of Makassar painting) ((3) the social and artistic strategies of Makassar painters in negotiating local cultural authenticity with the demands of the art market) (and (4) the impact of art commodification on local cultural representation, symbolic meaning, and the sustainability of visual traditions. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design to gain an in-depth understanding of painting as a social practice. The research subjects are Makassar painters who are active in various art activities, supported by accompanying informants such as curators, academics, and art enthusiasts. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, observation, documentation, and analysis of artworks. To ensure data validity, this study uses source and method triangulation techniques. The results show that Makassar painting operates as an arena of symbolic contestation that is not yet fully institutionalized in a stable manner. In this arena, artistic legitimacy is formed through social relations, informal networks, and symbolic recognition mechanisms. Makassar painters adapt local Bugis-Makassar cultural symbols and values as part of their creative and social strategies to maintain their position in the art arena. The adaptation of local culture is not static, but rather undergoes a process of negotiation and transformation of meaning in line with the entry of the logic of the art market and the cultural industry.This study also found that the process of commodification of art influences the way local cultural symbols are represented in paintings. On the one hand, commodification opens up economic opportunities and the sustainability of art practices) (on the other hand, it has the potential to reduce the symbolic meaning of local culture to commercial value. Using Pierre Bourdieu's theory of practice, this study asserts that Makassar painting is a social practice that reflects the dialectical relationship between arena, habitus, and capital, and is a form of local socio-cultural adaptation in the context of contemporary society.

References

Adorno, T. W. (2002). The culture industry: Selected essays on mass culture. London: Routledge.

Becker, H. S. (1982). Art worlds. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Bourdieu, P. (1993). The field of cultural production: Essays on art and literature. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

British Council. (2021). Cultural cities: Makassar. British Council Indonesia.

Faisal, M., Hamdat, S., Basir, M., & Latief, H. (2018). Identity contestation of contemporary painting art in Makassar. Scientific Research Journal, 6(6), 18–27.

Garland, S. (2016). We are all Merantau: Macassan journeys. Garland Magazine, 13(1), 1–10.

Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Hasan, L. (2025). Art as identity: Integrating keris blade pattern features into modern abstract painting. Panalungtik, 4(2), 101–118.

Hesmondhalgh, D. (2019). The cultural industries (4th ed.). London: Sage.

Iqbal, M. (2022). Kearifan lokal Sulawesi Selatan sebagai ide penciptaan karya seni lukis figuratif. Jurnal Seni Rupa, 10(1), 45–59.

Iqbal, M., & Yusuf, A. (2020). Local wisdom and contemporary visual culture in South Sulawesi. Journal of Indonesian Visual Culture, 4(1), 29–41.

Jayadi, I. (2013). Kebudayaan lokal sebagai sumber inspirasi: Tinjauan antropologi visual pada pelukis di Kota Makassar. Gelar: Jurnal Seni Budaya, 11(2), 123–135.

Koentjaraningrat. (2009). Pengantar ilmu antropologi. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

Latief, H. (2019). Medan identitas seniman kontemporer di Indonesia Timur. EMIK, 2(1), 45–58.

Makassar Arts Council. (2019). History of the establishment of the Makassar Arts Council. Sign: Social Sciences Journal, 4(2), 55–66.

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Nur, A. (2024). Komparasi estetik seni graffiti karya Aliastiga di Makassar (2006–2022). Harmoni, 3(1), 1–14.

Pabbajah, M. (2021). Pilgrimage to Bawakaraeng Mountain among the Bugis–Makassar: Contestation of Islamic identity and local traditions. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 9(1), 86–98.

Pancasila: Jurnal Keindonesiaan. (2024). Author guidelines: APA 7th edition referencing for Indonesian studies. Pancasila: Jurnal Keindonesiaan, 5(1), 120–128.

Pratama, R., & Sari, N. (2024). Visual communication in public space through mural art in Indonesian cities. Sinergi, 8(1), 12–25.

Prior, N. (2022). Popular music, digital technology and society. London: Sage.

Pusat Inovasi Kota. (2022). How does adaptive socio cultural digital innovation model support creative cities in Indonesia? Conference on Urban Innovation Proceedings, 55–66.

Pusat Penelitian Kebudayaan Makassar. (2015). Cave artists of Sulawesi: Tracing prehistoric visual culture. Sulawesi Heritage Press.

Rahman, A. (2023). Innovative practice of cultural identity in contemporary art. Compendium Paper Asia, 5(2), 33–47.

Rumata’ Artspace. (2019). Recurring themes in contemporary art from Eastern Indonesia. TAASA Review, 33(3), 7–9.

Siregar, D. (2023). Visual symbolism and the art design nexus in madness: A critical study. ViperArts, 2(1), 20–34.

Sodiqin, A. (2023). Contesting Indonesia’s national identity in post colonial discourse. Al Jamiah: Journal of Islamic Studies, 61(1), 155–182.

Spradley, J. P. (1980). Participant observation. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Subagio, F. (2020). Art and identity in Southeast Asia. Journal of Asian Arts, 9(2), 99–115.

Subagyo, P., & Pramudita, A. (2023). The style of Indonesian contemporary art gallery in West Jakarta. Journal of Contemporary Art and Media, 5(2), 67–79.

Tassygozhina, G., & Astuti, K. S. (2024). Intricate patterns of Indonesia and Kazakhstan: Threads of art and cultural heritage. Journal of Cultural Studies, 12(1), 55–72.

Taufik, R. (2023). Stigma and representation: Disability, urban space, and public perception in Makassar. Sosiohumaniora, 25(3), 201–219.

Thompson, J. B. (1995). The media and modernity: A social theory of the media. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Waluyo, J. (2020). Radicalized nationalists? Ideological contestation, the state, and visual narratives in contemporary Indonesian film. Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 43(2), 210–227.

Williams, R. (1981). Culture. London: Fontana Press.

Yusran, A., & Nurdin, M. (2015). Visual aesthetic of Petta Puang theater group performance. Jurnal Seni Pertunjukan, 6(2), 77–90.