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.