Gamelan Digul

About the exhibition
This exhibition showcased the newly restored 1927 iron Indonesian gamelan Digul, presented alongside a contemporary bronze gamelan and historical documentation. The gamelan Digul was donated to the Museum of Victoria in 1946 and later transferred to Monash University in 1976.

The original set was made by Surakarta-born musician and political activist Bapak Pontjopangrawit (1893–c.1965) in the Tanah Merah prison camp in Upper Digul (in what was then the Dutch East Indies). Constructed from improvised and rudimentary materials—food tins, old doors and animal hides—the Digul gamelan is nevertheless a finely crafted instrument, promoted in the exhibition as one of a kind.

The exhibition was accompanied by three musical performances by artist-in-residence Bapak Al Suwardi.

Acknowledgement
The Australian Institute, which regards the gamelan as a symbol of friendship between the Australian and Indonesian peoples, awarded a grant to Monash University for the restoration work. This exhibition was presented by the Monash University Gallery, Monash University Department of Music, and the Monash Asia Institute.

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^{Image: Gamelan Digul performance 1999}