JP\/18\/GARDAN<\/p>\n
Theater group sets up 'story exchange' in mall<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
\"Which one would you like to buy? If you want to hear my whole
\nstory as a political prisoner, I suggest that you choose those
\nfour photographs,\" an old man in his late 60s said as he
\napproached a couple visiting Galeria Mall here recently.<\/p>\n
Examining the list of \"merchandise\" on offer, while asking a
\nfew questions of the old man, the couple finally agreed to accept
\nthe suggestion and told the cashier on duty that they wanted to
\n\"buy\" the story behind the four photographs.<\/p>\n
After receiving the four, FX Istiadi, the old man who is a
\nformer political prisoner, then escorted his \"customers\" to a
\nmarble bench surrounding a decorative pool on the ground floor of
\nthe mall and asked them to sit next to him and relax.<\/p>\n
Shortly after the man became engrossed in telling a sad tale
\nof his life when he was a political prisoner who was exiled for
\n10 years to Buru island, one of Indonesia's renowned prison
\nislands for political prisoners during the New Order Era.<\/p>\n
He paused occasionally as his guests asked him questions, but
\nmost of the 30 minutes that the cashiers gave them were dominated
\nby Istiadi's life story.<\/p>\n
He was so engrossed with his own history that when he was told
\nthat the time was up for him and his guests to exchange stories,
\nhe had not yet had a chance to listen to his guests' stories.<\/p>\n
\"It's alright with me. If you want to hear more about the
\nstory of my life, you are welcome to visit me at my house,\"
\nIstiadi said as he left the couple to meet other customers for
\nthe same \"duty\".<\/p>\n
Istiadi was one of six players assigned that day to sell
\nstories of their own in a theater performance titled Gardanalla
\nToko Cerita (Gardanalla Story Store) produced by Yogyakarta-based
\nGardanalla Theater.<\/p>\n
The performance, on Sept. 29, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. -- was
\npart of a larger arts project named re:publik art, organized by
\nKedai Kebun Forum arts center, which uses public spaces for its
\nperformances.<\/p>\n
Gardanalla Toko Cerita is a site-specific work performed in a
\nshopping mall.<\/p>\n
All the world's a stage<\/p>\n
The stage for the performance was the ground floor of the
\nmall. Only a display counter was set up in a corner of the mall
\nwhere the \"merchandise\" was displayed.<\/p>\n
The merchandise on offer was the daily stories belonging to
\nthe six sellers. They were represented through various personal
\nbelongings such as dolls, photographs, boxing gloves, helmets, an
\nashtray, CDs, cassettes, necklaces and other objects.<\/p>\n
Some of the merchandise was also put in a transparent plastic
\nbag that each of the sellers carried. Even the articles they
\nwore, such as rings, a watch, or clothes, could also be bought. A
\ncatalog of the stories on offer was available at the counter.<\/p>\n
The six story owners or vendors comprised an ex-political
\nprisoner (Istiadi), three sales promotion girls (Indah, Febi and
\nSusi), and a teenage heterosexual couple (Zul and Nia).<\/p>\n
Visitors to the mall could buy a story from a seller in
\nexchange for one of their own. When a transaction was agreed, the
\ncashier would make note of it and establish a time frame for the
\nexchange. He would notify the seller when the time was up.<\/p>\n
\"This is a simplified version of a much larger performance art
\nproject of ours, Gardanalla Toserba. We are still looking for the
\nright format and time for its launch,\" Gardanalla Toko Cerita art
\ndirector Joned Suryatmoko told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The concept, according to Joned, was inspired by the
\nconsumption pattern of today's consumers, which, he said, had
\ndeviated further and further away from the utility principle. The
\nsame thing occurred when they watched reality TV shows.<\/p>\n
\"My question is, do they consume with empathy, or do they
\nwatch it just as a show, like other products or services that
\nthey can simply consume?\" Joned, who is also Gardanalla Theater's
\nartistic and production manager, said.<\/p>\n
Gardanalla Toko Cerita, according to Joned, was performed to
\nreexamine the process of consumption while, at the same time,
\nrestore the true value of telling or listening to a story.<\/p>\n
\"For a person like Pak Is (nickname of Istiadi), the more he
\nrelates the stories of his past life, the better he feels,\" Joned
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Istiadi was only 26 when he was arrested in 1965, following a
\ncoup attempt attributed to the now-defunct Indonesian Communist
\nParty (PKI). Without knowing what wrongdoing he had committed he
\nwas sent to prison without trial.<\/p>\n
While in prison, he was forced to sign a divorce letter and
\nlater found that his wife had been forced to marry somebody else.
\nAfter being freed, he found it was very difficult for him to
\ncontinue with his life and raise his children (he was reunited
\nwith his family later) with an \"ET\" mark on his identity card.<\/p>\n
\"ET\" stands for \"Ex-Tapol\", which literally means ex-political
\nprisoner. During the New Order Regime, it was difficult for
\npeople with an ET stamp to find jobs as employers, especially
\ngovernment institutions, would not accept them as employees.<\/p>\n
\"I come to this performance without judgment. I just want to
\ngive guidance on how critically to enjoy such a show,\" Joned
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Almost all TV stations in the country now air reality shows,
\nranging from those that exploit inter-class relationships like
\nUang Kaget and Bedah Rumah to those that are developed from
\nteenage-related problems like Playboy Kabel, Katakan Cinta and
\nHarap-Harap Cemas.<\/p>\n
\"They raise questions in me such as, why do rich people all of
\na sudden come to the poor and distribute money and why have
\npeople become very attentive to teenager's problems nowadays?<\/p>\n
\"What is behind it all ?\" said Joned, adding that only smart
\nviewers would benefit from watching such shows.<\/p>\n
As many as 49 transactions were made during the performance
\nthat day, with buyers or consumers consisting of individuals to
\ngroups of six people.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp18gardan-1447899208",
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