Festival Gunung Jawa, fringe arts fest of local talent
Festival Gunung Jawa, fringe arts fest of local talent
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post/Magelang, Central Java
A festival of popular art and culture in the vicinity of Mt. Merapi, Mt. Merbabu and Mt. Sumbing in Central Java will highlight the month-long display of local talent in the Mendut Studio, Magelang, planned for June 2004.
Called the Festival Gunung Jawa I (Java Mountain Festival I), this alternative event is designed for art groups and communities from various cities in Java, particularly those from the fringes of urban society, according to festival organizer and initiator Sutanto, who is also an artist and owner of the art workshop/gallery Mendut Studio.
"The festival is an extension of the Five-Mountain Festival, which has been held for several years now. With troupes only from five mountain areas previously, participants will this time come from across Java," he explained.
The five communities, which will emerge as the major supporters of the first Java mountain-fest, are associated with Mountain Merapi, Mountain Merbabu, Mountain Andong, Mountain Sumbing and the Menoreh mountain range.
"(However), the mountains serve more as a symbol of rural groups that have long been sidelined by government institutions rather than a mere indication of origin. It's, thus, the festival of those on the periphery of creative activities," continued Sutanto.
The event aims at affirming that outside the government and political elite -- with their frequent mismanagement of the population -- there is an ongoing process of artistic creation in villages, or on mountain slopes, to maintain traditions and instinctive abilities.
Besides which, the festival also provides opportunity and trust to art communities to manage their own affairs, which have previously been in the hands of other circles.
"They have tremendous potential for creation in art and culture if the opportunity allows it. They are like volcanoes ready to erupt, and deserve appreciation," added Sutanto, who is also a musician and art promoter.
Various art performances, cultural talks, discussions, photo and painting exhibitions as well as cultural tours of Mt. Merapi and Mt. Merbabu are among the festival programs, which will involve Semarang's Diponegoro University rector Prof. Eko Boedihardjo and cultural observer Darmanto Yatman.
The artists joining the mountain-fest are sculptor Ismanto from Mt. Merapi, kecapi (zither) player Dedy Satya from Bandung, the Trunthong musical troupe from Mt. Merbabu, the Siswo cobra group from Mendut-Magelang, "spiritual painter" Agus Suyitno from Mt. Merapi, artist Yayat Suhiryatna from Mt. Slamet, and students of Surakarta's Indonesian Art College and Yogyakarta's State University.
In addition, performances will also be presented by special school group from Temanggung, Jakarta's non-governmental group Urban Poor Constortium under Wardah Hafidz, the Krandegan village musical band from Mt. Sumbing, Surabaya's Wilwatika Art College troupe, and glass painters from Magelang and Cirebon.
Different mass media will feature the works of their photo journalists, along with other attractions like Mas Wandi's East Java music from Sidoarjo, wayang kulit (leather puppet) shows by famous puppeteers Ki Enthus Susmono and Ki Hadi Supeno, the Cipto Budoyo group's wayang menak (Islamic wooden puppet) show and a dance performance by Surakarta's Sahita troupe.