JakArt@ back in town, bigger than ever<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Start beating the drums and painting the town, Jakarta comes
\nalive this month with the third annual JakArt@ art festival at
\nvenues across the capital.<\/p>\n
Some 900 performances and events -- both local and
\ninternational -- will be organized in more than 150 locations
\nduring this year's JakArt@, making it one of the largest art
\nfestivals to date in the country and certainly twice as big as
\nlast year's.<\/p>\n
Although events started at the beginning of the month, the
\nofficial opening of JakArt@ 2003 was held on Wednesday with a
\nJalan-jalan di Hutan (A Walk in the Woods) at Kali Pesanggrahan
\nforest in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Who would have guessed there was a forest still standing in
\nJakarta? The opening of JakArt@ 2003 took visitors inside the
\nforest and along Kali Pesanggrahan, offering various attractions
\nalong the way, including a bottle installation exhibition by
\nMichail David and Rachmadi, a wayang kulit (shadow puppet)
\nperformance, piano recitals by Aning Katamsi and Aisha AS
\nPletcher, and an Egyptian dance performance.<\/p>\n
The first JakArt@ was held in 2001 and organized by a group of
\npeople concerned about the lack of venues for artists to express
\nthemselves, and for people in general to take a break from all
\nthe troubles brought about by the economic crisis and political
\nupheavals.<\/p>\n
"Through the festival in June, in conjunction with the
\nanniversary of Jakarta, the people are asked to forget their
\ndifferences and to prioritize equality for a better future," the
\norganizers said in a statement.<\/p>\n
From the start of its inception, JakArt@ was meant to be not
\nonly a venue for Indonesian artists to create and express
\nthemselves, but also a meeting point for artists all over the
\nworld to meet and explore each other's art. And since "art" is
\nsuch a generic term, the JakArt@ festival will showcase art as
\nwide-ranging as music, fine arts and dance as well as theater and
\narchitecture.<\/p>\n
International artists and their works will be flown in from
\nall over the world, courtesy of their embassies, such as
\njazz\/blues musicians the Bill Heid Trio from the United States,
\nthe Netherlands' Introdans dancers and Canadian artist Denise
\nHudon. Contributions from the embassies of Argentina, Australia,
\nFinland, France, Greece, India, Switzerland and the United
\nKingdom, also promise to enliven Jakarta's art scene all this
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
One of the highlights of JakArt@ 2003 will certainly be the
\nmurals created under Jakarta's bypasses and toll road overpasses.
\nThese colorful murals distract drivers from an otherwise bleak
\ndrive through the city's jammed roadways.<\/p>\n
Another welcome distraction will be the Kali Besar Festival
\nalong Kali Besar in West Jakarta, running from June 1 to June 22,
\nwhich is organized by architecture students from universities
\nacross Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Kali Besar is an old area in the city that dates back to the
\n18th century, with many of the buildings now serving as legacies
\nof the Dutch East India Company (VOC) during its heyday.<\/p>\n
Among the activities to be held is the repainting of five old
\nbuildings along the river as well as a cleanup of the area
\nsurrounding the buildings. Every Sunday, art performances and
\nsocial activities will be held in the area.<\/p>\n
Finally winning the recognition it deserves, this year's
\nJakArt@ is supported by the Jakarta administration, which is its
\nmain sponsor.<\/p>\n
For more information about the schedule of events, please
\nvisit www.jakart.org or call the organizers at 021-5265762, 021-
\n2524705.<\/p>",
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