Underground artists deplore globalization<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A usually neglected lot on Jl. Sumenep, Central Jakarta, was
\nsuddenly alive and bustling during last weekend's Street Art
\nFestival, a gathering of underground artists under a single
\ntheme: Unity in Diversity Against Neo-imperialism.<\/p>\n
The artists and activists repeatedly denounced the World Trade
\nOrganization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
\nWorld Bank as neo-imperialists in the lot bordering the city's
\nmain thoroughfares of Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin.<\/p>\n
\"F**k globalization, f**k the free market,\" shouted the lead
\nvocalist of a punk band on a makeshift stage.<\/p>\n
Introducing his songs, another musician told the audience that
\nhis Central Java hometown had become a wasteland, its environment
\ndamaged from the overuse of pesticides produced by transnational
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
The musicians and their audience -- some sporting red, blue or
\ngreen hair -- were separated only by a bamboo fence 30 cm tall,
\nand people frequently jumped onstage and joined the musicians
\nmid-performance.<\/p>\n
Punching their left hands into the air, artists and audience
\nconstantly rallied, \"Keep fighting on the streets.\"<\/p>\n
Participants of the two-day festival, organized by the
\nInstitute for Global Justice (IGJ), the Nurani Senja Foundation
\nand the Urban Poor Consortium, were mostly underground artists
\nand hailed from several cities across Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Underground artists from Malaysia and Timor Leste also
\nparticipated in the festival, which opened on Dec. 4.<\/p>\n
Drawing together from the streets of Bandung, Bekasi, Blora,
\nDenpasar, Jakarta, Jember, Malang, Semarang, Solo, Tangerang and
\nYogyakarta, the street artists charged that neo-imperialists,
\nwith their slogans of globalization and free trade, only made the
\npoor suffer.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the street was awash with graffiti, banners and
\nmurals condemning globalization.<\/p>\n
Aside from live music and visual arts, various stands selling
\n\"leftist books\" and merchandise from the Baduy people, as well as
\ntattoo and traditional ear piercing stands filled the lot.<\/p>\n
Traditional ear piercing, which is common among tribal people
\nin the hinterlands, such as remote areas in Kalimantan, has been
\nadopted as a symbol of underground activism.<\/p>\n
IGJ executive director Bonnie Setiawan said the festival was a
\ntribute to the 1999 mass rally against the WTO in Seattle,
\nWashington state.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people, including activists, artists, academics,
\ngay and transvestite groups, students and housewives gathered in
\na spirit of solidarity against globalization at the 1999 rally,
\ndubbed \"the Battle of Seattle\" and a benchmark for
\nanti-globalization movements across the world.<\/p>\n
\"In Indonesia, underground artists often take part in rallies
\nprotesting globalization,\" said Bonnie, who was at the Seattle
\nrally.<\/p>\n
He said the Street Art Festival, which took two months to
\norganize, provided a space for marginalized people who lacked the
\nfinancial means to publicize their work.<\/p>\n
The venue was selected for its proximity to the capital's
\nthoroughfares to illustrate the plight of all marginalized people
\nand victims of neo-imperialism and capitalism.<\/p>\n
\"It's a symbol of the people's struggle to reclaim public
\nspace,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Organizing the festival was no easy task, as the participants
\n-- most of whom were either marginalized or underground or both
\n-- tended to be suspicious of people from outside their known
\nenvironment or circle.<\/p>\n
\"It took days to persuade them to attend the festival. It
\nwould have been even more difficult if we did not know how
\nunderground people think,\" said Dicky Lolupulan of the Nurani
\nSenja Foundation.<\/p>\n
After gaining their trust, Dicky said information about the
\nfestival was spread by word of mouth among street artists, at
\nunderground art meetings and via Internet mailing lists.<\/p>\n
Dewa Nyoman of the Denpasar Art Community said he learned
\nabout the event from a friend, Rio \"Tupai\", who got the
\ninformation from the Net.<\/p>\n
\"We paid our own way here. We appreciate the organizer for
\nputting on the event. It's the first national gathering of street
\nartists,\" Dewa said.<\/p>\n
Underground artists, punk bands and \"anarchists\" from all over
\nthe region met at the festival in a spirit of reunion, as they
\nrarely have an opportunity to see each other.<\/p>\n
The people with red and green hair or traditional ear
\npiercings also used the event to openly express their outrage at
\nwhat they perceived as the injustices of globalization.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/underground-artists-deplore-globalization-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}