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Dibal Ranuh: Smiles for the Sake of our Humanity
Eric Buvelot is a senior reporter and writer residing in Bali since 1995. He started his career in France at the daily Libération. Writing hundreds of articles about Bali and Indonesia, in French and English for publications such as La Gazette de Bali, as chief editor for 13 years and for leading English-speaking media platforms such as The Jakarta Post, Indonesia Expat, Now Bali and Le Banian.
As a filmmaker and activist, Dibal Ranuh is considered a major multi-disciplinary visual artist in Indonesia. For the Sawidji Art Collective’s exhibition titled ‘Culmination’ at Santrian Gallery, Sanur Bali in May-June 2024, he presented a large board adorned with smiling people photographs. The board was divided into four parts, seamlessly joined together, with a central focus in a calming blue hue that contrasted beautifully against the sepia tones of the surrounding composition. This thought-provoking artwork invites us to contemplate the significance of the human smile throughout history and society…
“A smile is happiness. Some smiles do not show happiness but most smiles keep the message of a… smile, a stranger you meet with a smile, – and if it starts with a smile, it is certain to create goodness. A small gesture that is so small, but it gives birth to goodness and kindness. This is why I carry this as a principle”
~ Dibal Ranuh
Dibal Ranuh is also the founder of the Matahati Kitapoleng Foundation. An inclusive creative space for contemporary art creation that is concerned with developing new talents with disabilities in the arts. Especially those who are hearing impaired.
A Smile is Happiness
Dibal Ranuh’s concept of a smile highlights its intrinsic link to happiness. Although some smiles may not overtly express joy, the primary function of a smile is often associated with positivity. Notably, when encountered by a stranger, a smile acts as a catalyst for goodwill and benevolence. People smile for various reasons, not solely to express happiness. Scientists identify different types of smiles, including the genuine or ‘felt’ smile, fear smile, contempt smile, dampened smile, and others. Daniel McNeill, author of ‘The Face: A Natural History,’ asserts that smiling is innate and emerges in infants shortly after birth. These early smiles lack specific content but play a crucial role in parent-infant bonding.
30 Million Years of Smile Evolution
“The ongoing Smile Project, on which is based the artwork exhibited in Santrian Gallery, was initiated in 2015. It seeks to capture smiles from people. Despite the devastating natural disaster in Tambora at the time, the smile of a fisherman that I met became for me the symbol of resilience and victory for this region struck by catastrophe. I have since collected over 1200 smiles, this project aims to find happiness through the smiles of others”, recalls this native of Singaraja, North Bali.
It is interesting to know that animals can smile too. Our primate ancestors have most likely invented the smile. Primatologist Signe Preuschoft traces the smile back over 30 million years of evolution to a “fear grin” stemming from pre-human monkeys and apes, who often used silent bared teeth to portray to predators that they were harmless or to signal submission to more dominant group members. A social weapon of sorts, for the utter benefit of peace and harmony!
Image: A stump-tailed monkey “smiles” at the camera at Huangshan Mountain scenic spot in East China’s Anhui province. [Photo/Xinhua]
“Do good for many people, even with just a smile and there is a shift in the spirit. But if there is a person who doesn’t want to smile, that is a heavy burden. Doing good can come in smaller actions, we can have a lot of friends, and we can be good with many people. That is the meaning of the smile for me”
Dibal Ranuh
A Smile is Economical
Ranuh’s work has been recognised through many awards, including Best Fiction Film Director, Best Artistic Film, and Best Editing with his film The Journey of Dewi Melanting. A “shift in the spirit” that we notice ourselves every day when we send SMS punctuated with smiling emoticons, modern evolutions of the yellow smiley icon born in 1963 in the USA. When the graphic designer Harvey Ball was commissioned by Life Insurance to create a simple and efficient boost to the company image.
Indeed, the smile can have an economic impact. From this perspective, a smile is like a tool for generating positive results. It embodies a principle that encourages small acts of kindness. The power of a smile lies in its ability to ease burdens and create connections between people. At the same time, we should distinguish between genuine smiles and the performative masks we sometimes wear.
When revealed, a smile becomes a symbol of unity and collective well-being. Dibal Ranuh, who launched the book The Journey of Dang Hyang Nirartha at the Borobudur Writers & Cultural Festival in 2018, notably adheres to this idea: “I came to realise that not every human being has a smile. Many rejected it. Many refused to give a smile. Some smiles are stolen, some smiles are coerced and some smiles are negotiated. Even inanimate objects can have a smile, objects can have a spirit, so why not a smile!”
Image: Smile Calm Nation at Santrian Art Gallery May 2024. A smile generates a lot of energy. It is interesting to note the interactions of the audience and the work. Looking into the smiling faces often brought about a smile in the observer.
The Famous Greek Archaic Smile
Smiles have not always been praised indeed… In Western culture, smiling in public or in portraits during the 17th and 18th centuries was considered socially inappropriate. However, smiling gradually gained acceptance during the Age of Enlightenment. This historical period witnessed significant transformations and developments in European political, scientific, and philosophical thought.
And when it comes to inanimate objects having a smile, it is interesting to look at the “archaic smile” used by sculptors in Greek statuary BCE. Most likely to suggest that their subject was alive and infused with a sense of joy and well-being. Perfect illustrations of inanimate objects with a smile, aren’t they?
A Smile is Far From Simple
Since 2015, Dibal Ranuh has already captured thousands of people smiling with his camera. The artwork exhibited at Santrian Gallery for Culmination is titled “Smile Calm’nation” and displays no less than 676 portraits. Are those smiles all the same expression of goodness? No, without a doubt! Smiles are plural in their meanings, shapes, and intentions. Sometimes, a single smile is even almost impossible to decipher… Remember that famous lady pictured by an Italian genius in the 16th century? Yes… the Mona Lisa.
Art critics and historians describe it as enigmatic, seemingly suspended and on the verge of fading away. When observed directly, it appears to vanish, only to reemerge in peripheral vision as one’s gaze shifts to other facial features. The interplay of shadows amplifies the smile’s inherent ambiguity. Is this a smile of happiness and well-being? Or of melancholy?
The Virtual Smile!
After the camera was invented in the 19th century, images of people smiling were still unusual although smiling was much more accepted in everyday life. As a subject had to hold a pose or expression for up to 15 minutes so the camera could capture their image, it was easier for many people to maintain a blank expression rather than a smile that required them to freeze their facial muscles. Nowadays, thanks to the progress of technology and the omnipresence of social media in our lives, it’s all about selfies with our smartphones. And we never forget to show the best side of us with a big smile on our perfectly white teeth! Say “cheese”!
Culmination Art Exhibition
Explore Culmination Visual Art Exhibition. A multi-disciplinary exhibition that brings to a peak a wide range of creative voices with a message toward a positive impact on the community.
A curation of Literary Works by Dr. Mas Ruscitadewi. Literary offerings in the Culmination. Calm In Nation Visual Art Exhibition translated through a beautiful film production directed by Dibal Ranuh of Kitapoleng
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Your heartfelt article beautifully captures the essence of Dibal Ranuh’s smile and its profound impact. It’s a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and the strength found in simple gestures. Truly inspiring!