Art market fetes 21st anniversary

Art market fetes 21st anniversary

By Gedsiri Suhartono

JAKARTA (JP): It was in July 1977 under a full moon that the
Ancol art market building project (Pasar Seni) was inaugurated by
the then Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin.

The event was the birth of what has become the Full Moon
Bazaar. By December of that year, 17 artists had brought life to
the market, then consisting of 114 kiosks.

Today, Pasar Seni celebrates its 21 anniversary with dozens of
artisans and craft entrepreneurs working in the market which now
has 228 kiosks on its 5.8 hectare site.

Various forms of fine arts, sculptures, handicrafts,
paintings, and souvenirs are can be found in the compound, but
has the market progressed? Has it really supported artisans in
their work and developed their talent?

Opinion is divided. Some artists contacted by The Jakarta Post
expressed dissatisfaction with the market's management especially
within the last five years.

Eugene Vlug, owner of a handicraft shop, felt that most
artists' skills and reputations are being exploited by the
management.

"We used to be given more attention before the Dreamland
expanded into the huge entertainment complex it now is and before
Ciputra diversified into other infrastructure businesses."

He lamented the lack of coordination, as well as
communication, between the artistic community and the market's
management. "There is no place for us to vent our frustration the
way we used to when this place first started."

Improvements need to happen, in Eugene's opinion, in how
management funds are being handled.

"Instead of being so profit-oriented, the management should
pay attention to helping economically disadvantaged artists," he
said and added that, nowadays, problems need to be individually
brought to the management's attention instead of everyone seeking
a solution together.

A painter, Al Badar is of a similar opinion. "It isn't quite
fair to say that the management is doing absolutely nothing. But
perhaps they have stagnated at the moment," Al said.

Sardion Saragih, Pasar Seni's manager, disagreed. "We need to
honestly assess the problem from various angles together, if we
want to seek any solution at all," he said.

Since the public's appreciation of the arts and handicrafts
has increased over the years, he said, it is inevitable that
competition is tougher now than it used to be, leaving many
artists impatient to have a turnover of their products.

The management are willing to discuss problems with the
artists, Sardion said. "The meeting sought by artists and the
management essentially evolves around how to create marketable
high quality art."

Disappointment occurs, he believes, when artists' expectations
are not met and both parties need to be realistic about their
ability to implement the ideas they have.

Management, on the other hand, feel that they have tried their
best to accommodate all the artists, "but there is always rooms
for improvement," Sudiro Pramono, head of the Taman Ancol
Dreamland management department, said.

The management has been doing its best to attract a high
number of visitors by scheduling daily events at the open arena
in Pasar Seni, he said.

Sardion said the Dreamland has an average of 3,000 visitors a
day. The number of visitors, however, does not necessarily boost
the sales of handicraft at Pasar Seni.

"Many people come here just for window shopping and enjoy the
great atmosphere," said a worker.

But Ully Sigar Rusadi, a noted folk singer and prominent
environmentalist, said that she is obsessed with Pasar Seni.

"The aura, color and variety of the market has given me
inspiration for my writings," Ully said, and added that she often
recommends Pasar Seni to her foreign guests.

Others are attracted by more than just the art on display.
"Interesting people hangs out here," Lila, a frequent visitor to
the market said.

An anniversary ceremony will be held at Pasar Seni tonight,
followed by the Black and White exhibition and a Thank You
Handicraft bazaar inaugurated by Jakarta's Deputy Governor R.S.
Museno. As a token of gratitude, the Thank You bazaar will offer
handicraft products at reduced prices.

Tonight's program marks the start of a series of anniversary
events that will last until May. (14)