ITB arts festival leaves some disappointed

ITB arts festival leaves some disappointed

By Hera Diani

BANDUNG (JP): "Welcome to Pasar Seni ITB. You can shop 'til
you drop," screamed the long-haired Ariya, a student at the
School of Art and Design at the Bandung Institute of Technology
(ITB).

Last Sunday's one-day extravaganza was the ninth to have been
organized by the prestigious institute since the market's first
appearance in 1972.

It is much awaited by students and the public alike. In
anticipation of heavy traffic, the road adjacent to the campus
was blocked off to traffic.

Once you entered the campus gates, there were 200 bamboo
stalls spread out before you, selling everything from bags,
accessories, lamps, posters, comics and t-shirts. All of which
were arty, kreatif and cheap.

Bandung student Mia, 24, was one of those on a shopping spree.
One hour into the fair, and she had already spent more than Rp
100,000.

"It's okay ... it only happens once every five years," she
said, holding plastic bags full of goods, including a large batik
pillow.

Visitors who were broke or who thought the things on sale were
not worth the money could still have a good time, enjoying the
free performances of endangered traditional and modern arts.

The festival featured, among others, a rare Lais performance
-- a musical genre from Majalengka, West Java.

"Performing traditional arts has became a 'tradition' at Pasar
Seni. In 1976, we showcased the sisingaan lion dance from Subang,
which was on the brink of extinction. Since then sisingaan has
regained popularity and is often performed at circumcision
parties," said Arian, the head of the festival's organizing
committee.

Happening Art could be seen everywhere at the festival: people
with mud all over their bodies trying to kiss you along with a
guy with body paintings and fortune tellers. A show called
Cyberayammysteria featured a 10-minute film about chicken where
the audience had to lay down on the floor to watch.

The event also gave people a chance to meet famous artists
selling their work at half price.

Painter A.D. Pirous, a teacher at ITB, reported 37 of his
paintings sold, at prices far below usual: only around Rp 1.5
million to Rp 3 million, he said.

Pirous was the man who started the art festival.

"I saw many art fairs when I studied in Rochester Institute of
Technology in the United States, back in 1970. I was very
impressed and I thought 'why not hold a similar event here at
ITB?' A year later when I came back to Indonesia, I talked it
over with my colleagues," he said.

The first festival was held in 1972 and they have followed
every five years or so.

"Since 1976, it has been fully organized by the students. It's
only held every two to five years because it's not easy to stage
such an event, especially when students have more important
things to do: such as studying," said Pirous.

Ever since the first year, the event has gained in popularity,
not only among local residents but also visitors from other
cities.

Last year's event is said to have attracted around 1 million
visitors, although it was raining all day. Last Sunday's event
attracted about the same number of people, maybe because it was
in the school holidays.

Where's the art?

Many visitors may have found the event amusing, and shopping
freaks would have certainly considered it heaven, but some
thought it had missed an important point: the art itself.

"The committee has even forgot about the simplest art of all,
the decorations," said a former ITB design student who declined
to be named.

She said the decorations were plain and meaningless, unlike
previous festivals where there was a theme to them.

"Back in 1995, as you entered the campus, you were struck by
eye-catching banners and paintings. There was only one stage at
that time but it was colossal and glorious. And once a band or
another performance was going on, it got everyone's attention.
The art atmosphere was more intense back then," she said.

An ITB alumnus from another school said that it was more like
a handicraft bazaar than an art festival.

"The happening arts were pointless and the attractions were
not as funny as they used to be," he said. "Nothing has surprised
me like it used to,"

Pirous reckoned the scope of the festival was becoming too
wide to be packed into a one-day event.

"Many people prefer to shop instead of watching performances,
which is okay as it's hard to do both. But if it is held over
more than one day, it will lose its appeal," he said.

For vendors, however, the festival was very appealing. Not
least for those with an eye on their profits.

"Not bad ... not bad at all." said a ceramic trader from
Bekasi with a large smile.