Exhibition on Torajan art opens to the public
Exhibition on Torajan art opens to the public
JAKARTA (JP): A fierce cry from men dressed in orange payu
pa'tanun toraya, a Torajan costume, welcomed visitors to the
opening of an exhibit on Toraja art last night.
It wasn't a call to war, but the local heartfelt greeting
delivered to new acquaintances.
Around 100 guests watched the welcoming dance called the
pagelu, and some followed the custom of slipping money notes into
the dancers' headbands.
The cultural exhibition, entitled "Tammuan Toraya," is held at
Bentara Budaya and runs to May 5.
The event on Jl. Palmerah Selatan, Central Jakarta, is
organized in conjunction with The Jakarta Post's 13th
anniversary.
A surprise gift was presented by Jonathan L. Parapak, a leader
of the Association of Toraja People in Jakarta. He delivered a
special "happy birthday" singsong shortly before opening the
exhibit.
"It's in English with a Toraja rhythm," said Parapak, also the
Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and
Telecommunications.
Parapak, dressed in black and bright red traditional clothing,
is also a counselor to the Ke'te' Kesu' foundation which
specializes in preserving Toraja culture.
The Post's General Manager, Raymond Toruan, said the event is
a way of expressing gratitude to the Indonesian public, by trying
to help preserve the culture of one of the country's ethnicity
groups.
Many of these groups are without a written culture, which
could easily fade away, he said.
The exhibit follows earlier ones on the Sentani, Sumba, Timor
and Dayak arts and culture.
Parapak said although rich in culture, as a tourist attraction
Toraja still needs to develop accessibility to the areas.
Torajans live in five regencies across South and Central
Sulawesi, but many potential tourist spots are only accessible by
hours of trekking.
The items exhibited were gathered and selected in cooperation
with the Ke'te' Kesu' foundation, which has a museum in a village
by the same name.
Baskets, sacred cloths, jewelry, carvings and pottery are
among the exhibits. Household items are also on public view.
Various carvings reflect details of Toraja symbolism which are
widely used in the local architecture.
The proceeds of the exhibition will go to the Foundation.
Apart from a brochure, guests to the display can gain first
hand information from the artisans. These include Tinting
Sarungallo, who has been invited to Japan to construct Torajan
houses for museums in Maesawa and Osaka. (anr)