'Appreciating the arts is only for the rich'

Jakarta will host the 2004 Art Summit from Sept. 11 through to Oct. 10, with contemporary music, dance and theater performances. The triennial event is only one of a number of art events that have or will take place in the capital this year. The Jakarta Post asked several residents about their favorite art venues in the city.

Lisa, 23, is a student at the London School in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta. She lives with her parents in Grogol, West Jakarta:

I like watching musical performances, mainly jazz. I sometimes watch concerts at Erasmus Huis and during JakArt.

I also like independent movies, like those screened at the annual Jakarta International Film Festival. I enjoy traditional performances like puppet shows or theater performances that carry a social message.

I will certainly go to watch the Art Summit.

Ica, 40, is a housewife with three children. She lives in Ciganjur, South Jakarta:

I rarely go to art venues to watch performances. But if I visit a shopping mall and run into a live musical performance, I always stop to watch.

Husein, 36, works for a company on Jl. Sudirman. He lives with his family in Duren Tiga, South Jakarta:

I remember my art teacher in high school used to tell us to enrich our souls by partaking of the arts, be it literature, poetry, painting, sculpture or music.

But, I have to admit, I don't really understand art. Even if I tried, appreciating the arts involves a lot of money. My closest encounter with the arts, I guess, is when I help my five-year-old daughter color in her drawings.

--The Jakarta Post