ITB arts festival leaves some disappointed<\/p>\n
By Hera Diani<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): \"Welcome to Pasar Seni ITB. You can shop 'til
\nyou drop,\" screamed the long-haired Ariya, a student at the
\nSchool of Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology
\n(ITB).<\/p>\n
Last Sunday's one-day extravaganza was the ninth to have been
\norganized by the prestigious institute since the market's first
\nappearance in 1972.<\/p>\n
It is much awaited by students and the public alike. In
\nanticipation of heavy traffic, the road adjacent to the campus
\nwas blocked off to traffic.<\/p>\n
Once you entered the campus gates, there were 200 bamboo
\nstalls spread out before you, selling everything from bags,
\naccessories, lamps, posters, comics and t-shirts. All of which
\nwere arty, kreatif and cheap.<\/p>\n
Bandung student Mia, 24, was one of those on a shopping spree.
\nOne hour into the fair, and she had already spent more than Rp
\n100,000.<\/p>\n
\"It's okay ... it only happens once every five years,\" she
\nsaid, holding plastic bags full of goods, including a large batik
\npillow.<\/p>\n
Visitors who were broke or who thought the things on sale were
\nnot worth the money could still have a good time, enjoying the
\nfree performances of endangered traditional and modern arts.<\/p>\n
The festival featured, among others, a rare Lais performance
\n-- a musical genre from Majalengka, West Java.<\/p>\n
\"Performing traditional arts has became a 'tradition' at Pasar
\nSeni. In 1976, we showcased the sisingaan lion dance from Subang,
\nwhich was on the brink of extinction. Since then sisingaan has
\nregained popularity and is often performed at circumcision
\nparties,\" said Arian, the head of the festival's organizing
\ncommittee.<\/p>\n
Happening Art could be seen everywhere at the festival: people
\nwith mud all over their bodies trying to kiss you along with a
\nguy with body paintings and fortune tellers. A show called
\nCyberayammysteria featured a 10-minute film about chicken where
\nthe audience had to lay down on the floor to watch.<\/p>\n
The event also gave people a chance to meet famous artists
\nselling their work at half price.<\/p>\n
Painter A.D. Pirous, a teacher at ITB, reported 37 of his
\npaintings sold, at prices far below usual: only around Rp 1.5
\nmillion to Rp 3 million, he said.<\/p>\n
Pirous was the man who started the art festival.<\/p>\n
\"I saw many art fairs when I studied in Rochester Institute of
\nTechnology in the United States, back in 1970. I was very
\nimpressed and I thought 'why not hold a similar event here at
\nITB?' A year later when I came back to Indonesia, I talked it
\nover with my colleagues,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The first festival was held in 1972 and they have followed
\nevery five years or so.<\/p>\n
\"Since 1976, it has been fully organized by the students. It's
\nonly held every two to five years because it's not easy to stage
\nsuch an event, especially when students have more important
\nthings to do: such as studying,\" said Pirous.<\/p>\n
Ever since the first year, the event has gained in popularity,
\nnot only among local residents but also visitors from other
\ncities.<\/p>\n
Last year's event is said to have attracted around 1 million
\nvisitors, although it was raining all day. Last Sunday's event
\nattracted about the same number of people, maybe because it was
\nin the school holidays.<\/p>\n
Where's the art?<\/p>\n
Many visitors may have found the event amusing, and shopping
\nfreaks would have certainly considered it heaven, but some
\nthought it had missed an important point: the art itself.<\/p>\n
\"The committee has even forgot about the simplest art of all,
\nthe decorations,\" said a former ITB design student who declined
\nto be named.<\/p>\n
She said the decorations were plain and meaningless, unlike
\nprevious festivals where there was a theme to them.<\/p>\n
\"Back in 1995, as you entered the campus, you were struck by
\neye-catching banners and paintings. There was only one stage at
\nthat time but it was colossal and glorious. And once a band or
\nanother performance was going on, it got everyone's attention.
\nThe art atmosphere was more intense back then,\" she said.<\/p>\n
An ITB alumnus from another school said that it was more like
\na handicraft bazaar than an art festival.<\/p>\n
\"The happening arts were pointless and the attractions were
\nnot as funny as they used to be,\" he said. \"Nothing has surprised
\nme like it used to,\"<\/p>\n
Pirous reckoned the scope of the festival was becoming too
\nwide to be packed into a one-day event.<\/p>\n
\"Many people prefer to shop instead of watching performances,
\nwhich is okay as it's hard to do both. But if it is held over
\nmore than one day, it will lose its appeal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For vendors, however, the festival was very appealing. Not
\nleast for those with an eye on their profits.<\/p>\n
\"Not bad ... not bad at all.\" said a ceramic trader from
\nBekasi with a large smile.<\/p>",
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