Rebirth public creativity and reconciliation conflict towards mural in Solo, Indonesia (iconography-iconology analysis)

Murals recently gained popularity in Indonesia due to the case of mural bombardment in several regions in 2021 related to the effect of the covid-19 outbreak. There were a lot of murals and graffiti that criticized the President and the government in Jakarta and Surabaya. However, murals in Solo, especially on Gatot Subroto (Gatsu) street, tend to illustrate the picture of happiness rather than critics to others. Hence, people believe these murals have an impact on tourism in Solo. This case makes murals suddenly become popular, and as a consequence, people are curious about the function of the murals. This research focuses on the meaning of murals in Solo, which is different from other cities in Indonesia by using a qualitative methodology. For collecting the data, we conducted interviews, observation, documentation, and literature. Then, for data analysis, we used the Iconography-Iconology method from Erwin Panofsky which is divided into three steps such as pre-iconography, iconography analysis, and iconology interpretation. This research provides three meanings of Gatsu's murals that consist of the styles, theme, and intrinsic meaning: (1) the actual meaning is that Gatsu's murals use the eclectic style; (2) the conceptual meaning is a peaceful and positive theme which is caused by the reason that Gatsu used to be the center of the artwork; (3) the intrinsic meaning is to reborn creativity which tends to reactivate the creative mood in the city. In addition, it is an endeavor to resolve the dispute in Solo, particularly at Gatsu street, which has been traumatized by several conflicts (the G30SPKI incident, the central java riot, the revolution, and the national awakening party) that happened in the past.

Automated summary

Murals in Indonesia gained popularity recently due to the covid-19 outbreak, with many criticizing the President and government. However, the murals in Solo depict happiness and impact tourism in the city. This research focuses on the meaning of Gatsu's murals, providing insights into their styles, themes, and intrinsic meaning, aiming to resolve past conflicts and awaken creativity.