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)