Bali et les peintres « indonésiens » ou l'invention d'un mythe national

Jean Couteau, I.S.I., Denpasar Bali et les peintres «indonésiens » ou l'invention d'un mythe national This article analyses the discourse on painting by the Indonesian center concerning its Balinese periphery. It shows that during the post-independence period, when the Soekarnists viewed the island as a contemporary ersatz for Majapahit, the «Indonesian» painters of Bali kept the « exoticization » of representation to a minimum, while emphasizing the pan- Indonesian features of « race » and society. Balinese identity was subsumed within that of the nation. During the New Order, the opposite view was taken. Painters «exoticized» a Bali now for sale on the international market. This emphasis on « difference » went along with an upsurge in the expression of ethno-religious identity.Couteau Jean. Bali et les peintres « indonésiens » ou l'invention d'un mythe national. In: Archipel, volume 71, 2006. Autour de la peinture à Java. Volume II. pp. 123-144