Sun, 10 Sep 2000

Jakarta festival serves up cultural treats

Text by Mulkan Salmona, photos by Bertho Wedhatama

JAKARTA (JP): For more than 20 days, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta presented a range of world-class performing arts in dance, music and theater.

As the political atmosphere heated up in Jakarta, the shows presented by local and foreign artists during the Jakarta International Festival from Aug. 19 through Sept. 9 became a refuge for the capital's art lovers.

Frightening news of bomb blasts, the fall of the rupiah, corruption cases and rumors of alleged infidelity by President Abdurrahman Wahid could be temporarily put aside for the performance of Indonesia's Gumarang Sakti dance troupe at the festival's opening.

Ten countries -- Indonesia, Japan, Korea, China, Poland, Mexico, Italy, Britain, Austria and the Netherlands -- took part.

The charm of Stephen Mottram's Puppet Theater from Britain brought a light diversion to gloomy Jakarta. Traditional dance from Heilongjiang provided an exotic window into a spring festival in a peasant village in China.

Korea's Sen Hea Ha dance presented a mixture of ancient Korean dance with modern dance and mime, while Mexico enchanted the audience with its dynamic dance performances.

There were so many other memorable performances, with Poland's eco-theater show by Wladyslaw Kazmierczak, Japan's Tokyo Harp Ensemble Concert, Keros Ensemble from the Netherlands, Austrian Heinz von Hermann Jazz Quintet and Italian opera by Nunzia Santodirocco and Guido Galterio.

No less important were the performances of the host country which presented Topeng Cirebon (Cirebon Mask Dance), Teater Payung Hitam and the Balinese traditional drama Arja Bon which closed the festival on Saturday.

During this critical period, it was indeed difficult to organize an art event, especially an international-scale one, because art activities in Indonesia have always been considered unimportant by many, the government in particular.

Yet, it is art which always binds together people from different races, culture, social and political backrounds.

The arts might be able to enhance the tarnished image of Indonesia on the international stage. Many visitors said they believed the management of Gedung Kesenian Jakarta and artists should receive great commendation for enlivening Jakarta with their artistic endevors.