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.