Art Temple Art unites multicultural artists

Art Temple Art unites multicultural artists

By Putu Wirata

TEJAKULA, Buleleng, Bali (JP): Dozens of national and overseas
artists gathered at Pura Teja Amerta in a remote village of
Tejakula, Buleleng, North Bali, taking part in a unique
multicultural festival called Sharing Time l999 Art Temple Art,
held earlier this month.

For more than a week, distinguished artists from Indonesia,
Britain, Germany, the Philippines, Japan, Italy, the United
States and other countries displayed their artistic expressions
to pursue spiritual fulfillment.

Balinese artists performed traditional arts like wayang wong
(Balinese puppet theater), wayang kulit (leather puppet) and a
large variety of Balinese dances and other entertainment which
attracted the foreign artists and visitors at the festival.

An artist from Padepokan Lemah Putih in Surakarta, Central
Java, Suprapto Suryodarmo, said the event was a forum to unite
artists from different cultural and religious background in a
harmonious way.

Chosen as the event's venue was a pura (temple) originally
built for cultural events.

"The Tejakula villagers wanted us to purify Pura Teja Amerta
as a place of worship," said Suprapto, who organized the event.

For Suprapto and other artists at the festival, the Tejakula
villagers' acceptance was a manifestation of religious and
cultural tolerance.

Pura Teja Amerta has been used for several art and cultural
activities which brought together local and overseas artists who
are not all believers of Hinduism.

During the event, Suprapto performed a spiritual dance called
Alang-Alang Kumitir which explored the "inner act" movements.

"It is a ritual to enrich our souls," he said.

Artists from Makassar (formerly Ujungpandang), South Sulawesi,
presented Pakarena, performed by a female dancer.

The Pakarena dance contains high philosophical values for the
seafaring Makassar community.

The Pakarena dance was accompanied by traditional instruments
like drums, cymbals and bamboo flutes.

The dance was followed by a special ritual called Apanaung,
which was dedicated to honor the god of fish.

A Tejakula dancer, Nyoman Tusna, said, "It is similar to the
mapakelem ritual performed by Balinese fishermen to worship
Baruna, the god of the sea."

The Pakarena dance and Apanaung rituals are pre-Islamic arts
which are still preserved by the Makassarese Islamic society.

The rituals have similar origins to those performed in Bali,
Java and other regions in Indonesia.

"Although the Makassarese are mostly Muslims, culture and arts
inherited from ancestors and the Hindu period still flourish,"
said Suprapto.

This was an indication of the strong link between the past and
the present. It was also made clear that Indonesians are actually
tolerant people.

Most of the Western artists involved in the event were looking
to the philosophical wisdom of the East. The Yoga practice, inner
force and martial arts fascinated foreign artists.

For artists and professionals like Harada from Japan and Sarah
from Britain, the event brought new spiritual enlightenment.

In addition to performing arts and various contemplative
activities, the event also exhibited installation arts by artist
Firman Djamil from Makassar and Harada from Japan.

Firman built a stage based on Lagagilo cosmology adopted by
the Bugis-Makassar community. The Lagagilo is a legendary story
of the origin of the Bugis people.

Firman put together heaps of clay potteries, banana trees,
sarongs, plants, stones, sand and other natural items to create
his installation.

Together with other artists from Makassar, Firman performed a
ritual dance taken from the Lagagilo, an oral tradition estimated
to have existed since the 11th century and 12th century.

While preparing his installation, Firman was warned by
Tejakula villagers to be alert because the venue was surrounded
by forested areas filled with shady trees believed to be the home
of the invisible inhabitants, spirits and demons.

"We didn't intend to disturb the village's activities and the
surrounding environment, therefore, we held a ritual to get
permission from the village and the 'inhabitants' of the forest,"
said Firman.

Japanese artist Harada constructed a circle made of used
boards and wood spiraling up to form a stupa-like structure.

Concurrently, Harada's circle matched with Firman's
installation.

Firman's work reminds art lover of the work of Balinese artist
Nyoman Erawan, who is famous for blending performing arts and
religious ceremonial elements.

Through his installation, the smiling Japanese artist wanted
to tell a story of environmental damage caused by logging
activities in world's forests.

The pieces of used boards and wood in his work symbolize an
environmental nightmare. In Japan and other countries, Harada has
displayed installation works presenting trigonometric statues, as
well as other forms of installations in coastal areas, on
mountainsides and even in offices and public parks.

In Bali, he had to display his work at a scared temple with a
Hindu atmosphere. Although he was quite surprised, he admitted he
had a remarkable spiritual journey into another cultural world.

The venue incorporated Islam and Hindu (represented by
Firman's work), Buddhism-Sinto-Zenism (Harada's) and the Balinese
artists' Hindu background.

Religious and cultural differences could become sources of
conflict for many people, especially narrow-minded politicians.
The artists, however, regard them as an oasis for harmony as
clearly shown during their close collaboration during the Art
Temple Art festival.