Skepticism lingers over benefit of Art Summit<\/p>\n
By Rita A. Widiadana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The closing of the second Art Summit Indonesia
\nlast week was perceived by the local art community with mixed
\nfeelings from enthusiasm to skepticism and even to suspicion.<\/p>\n
The one-month long international contemporary performing arts
\nevent was expected by its organizer, the Ministry of Education
\nand Culture's Directorate General of Culture, to enlighten the
\nlives of the Indonesian people currently entangled in a very deep
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
No doubt, the recent performances of 15 theater, music and
\ndance groups from France, Germany, Spain, Finland, the
\nNetherlands, the United States, Japan and Indonesia, had
\nenergized domestic art activities.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, a lot of people considered this government-
\nsponsored festival, which cost about Rp 2 billion (approximately
\nUS$250,000), to be simply a waste of money and energy, especially
\nin a time when the country was undergoing the worst social,
\neconomic and political upheavals in the last three decades.<\/p>\n
Although the curtains of the Graha Bhakti Budaya at Taman
\nIsmail Marzuki arts center and Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Jakarta
\nPlayhouse), where the performances took place, were already
\nclosed, many people including some vocal artists were still
\nguessing the impact of this festival on the development of the
\narts, in particular, and the lives of common people in Indonesia,
\ngenerally.<\/p>\n
Poet Sitok Srengenge, for instance, sharply criticized that
\nthe event neither enlightened the domestic artists' lives nor
\nimproved the people's shattered lives.<\/p>\n
\"This art festival was just an artificial project mainly
\nintended to conceal the country's devastating situation and to
\nshow to the world that Indonesia is as normal as ever in order to
\nregain international trust,\" Sitok wrote in Tempo weekly
\nmagazine.<\/p>\n
Sitok continued to argue that the organizers of Art Summit
\nIndonesia, consisting of senior artists and bureaucrats, lacked
\nprofessionalism in handling such an international event.<\/p>\n
The selection of participants, he said, was very subjective.
\nHe cited examples that the performances of a number of groups
\nincluding Spain's Diez Diez Danza, Japan's Butoh dancer Yukio
\nWaguri and the Kohzenza, W.S. Rendra and his Bengkel Teater, were
\nbelow people's expectations in terms of artistic skill and
\nbeauty.<\/p>\n
\"The festival's committee members preferred to choose this
\nyear's participants based on seniority rather than artistic
\nachievements,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Quite a few cynics have aired their views about these matters
\nand it is indeed their right to voice their own opinions in this
\nfree country, commented Slamet Abdul Syukur, a noted contemporary
\nmusic composer.<\/p>\n
\"I have always believed that all activities, including this
\nArt Summit Indonesia, have negative and positive points,\"
\nexplained Slamet, chairman of the Indonesian Composers
\nAssociation.<\/p>\n
It is interesting to note that the organizer of the Second Art
\nSummit decided to present contemporary performing arts in this
\ntriennial event instead of mainstream forms, he said.<\/p>\n
Contemporary performing arts are quite difficult to watch and
\nto comprehend, therefore it was natural that only a few people
\nwere able to enjoy all the performances presented at the Art
\nSummit Indonesia, Slamet explained.<\/p>\n
Such views reflected that people's taste in art forms have
\nbeen shaped to conform to conventional Western tastes.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, local contemporary art emerged in opposition to
\nconventional ideas and values to create new and different forms
\nof art, he said.<\/p>\n
\"It must be hard for people who usually listen to classical or
\neven pop music, set by Western trends, to appreciate Alvin
\nLucier's music which treats music sound and instrument in very
\ndifferent ways,\" Slamet noted.<\/p>\n
The works of Tony Prabowo and Sukahardjana also offered
\nenrichment to the local music world, he said.<\/p>\n
Other experimental music presented by Finish composer Kaija
\nSaariaho and the Petals Ensemble or the music of Japanese Toshi
\nTsuchitori were difficult to digest, he added.<\/p>\n
However, Art Summit Indonesia invited the audience to view
\nperforming arts from different perspectives. Contemporary
\nperforming arts provides ample room for pluralistic
\ninterpretations and experimentation, he said.<\/p>\n
\"You don't have to say, think or act similarly in this world,\"
\nmaintained Slamet. \"We are often shocked to see things or speak
\nin conflicting ways because we are used to uniformity in every
\naspect of our lives including music, politics and social views
\nshaped by the New Order regime,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Dance critic Sal Murgiyanto added that contemporary arts
\nrequire people to appreciate the originality, innovation,
\ncreativity and individuality of an art form.<\/p>\n
Citing an example, many people said Butoh dances performed by
\nYukio Waguri and the Kohzenza dance troupe were not as beautiful
\nas that presented by Japanese Butoh dance troupe Sankai Juku at
\nthe First Art Summit in l995.<\/p>\n
But when people expected to see Waguri perform similar kinds
\nof Butoh dance to those performed by other artists, this meant
\nthat Waguri's works lacked creativity and originality, Murgiyanto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of lessons to be drawn from this Art Summit's
\nperformances, he said. In contemporary performing arts, it is
\napparent that there are strong collaborative works among artists
\nof multicultural backgrounds, Murgiyanto noted.<\/p>\n
\"Working with artists from different cultures is not an easy
\ntask, but in the festival we saw multicultural groups performing
\nharmoniously,\" Murgiyanto said.<\/p>\n
A sense of solidarity and modesty are the most important
\nrequirements for any artist if she\/he wants to work on cross-
\ncultural projects.<\/p>\n
\"People, especially artists, often tend to be reluctant to
\nreceive other cultural values especially in an art work,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In the recent Art Summit, several groups including Alvin
\nLucier and the Wesleyan Gamelan Ensemble, Jin Hi Kim and No world
\nImprovisations, Toshi Tsuchitori and musicians of Surakarta Arts
\nInstitute, and the Bremer Tanztheater were the best examples of
\ncross-cultural projects.<\/p>\n
\"It is (Bremer Tanztheater leader) Susanne Linke's open-
\nmindedness that allows her to appreciate Indonesian dancer Ditta
\nMiranda Yasfi's achievement to join the prestigious group,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Music composer Rahayu Supanggah, rector of the Surakarta Arts
\nInstitute, also commented that Indonesian artists could learn
\nmany valuable things from their foreign counterparts.<\/p>\n
\"Musicians like Toshi, Jin Hi Kim and Alvien Lucier are very
\nmodest and tolerant despite their international reputation,\" said
\nRahayu, who collaborated with Toshi and the Spiral Arms at the
\nArt Summit.<\/p>\n
They are very serious and sincere in their music and they are
\nnot easily satisfied with what they have achieved, something that
\nIndonesian musicians lack, he said.<\/p>\n
\"It is unfortunate that not many Indonesian musicians, the
\nyounger generation in particular, came to see the performances of
\nthese international artists,\" she complained.<\/p>\n
Unlike concerts of pop or other mainstream music, which are
\nalways packed by enthusiastic audiences, only some of the
\nperformances at the Art Summit were full-housed. They attracted
\nfew local artists and celebrities, let alone commoners who could
\nnot afford the tickets.<\/p>\n
Playwright Putu Wijaya, who presented Ngeh at the festival,
\nadmitted that holding Art Summit Indonesia in this critical time
\nmight upset many people.<\/p>\n
To convince people of the importance of the Art Summit
\nIndonesia, the organizer must be open-minded to all criticism and
\ncynical views lodged both by artists and media, he said.<\/p>\n
To better manage the event, it is important to involve as many
\nartists and professionals in the organizing committee's members.
\nWith the current management system, which is dominated by
\nbureaucrats, it is doubtful that the organizer will be able to
\nsuccessfully hold the next Art Summit Indonesia in the year 2001.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/skepticism-lingers-over-benefit-of-art-summit-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}