Netherlands' awards honors Indonesians

JAKARTA (JP): Two Indonesians will receive the 1997 Prince Claus Awards of the Netherlands here this weekend, according to the Embassy of the Netherlands.

Jim Supangkat, an art critic, and Sardono W. Kusumo, a renowned dancer and choreographer, will each receive US$20,000 (Rp 100 million) from the Dutch government through its ambassador to Indonesia P.R. Brouwer. The presentation will be held Saturday at Erasmus Huis on Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.

Jim, who is also a curator, is also being awarded for his major role in the development and promotion of contemporary art in and outside Indonesia.

He is also an active and important participant in the debate on art theory in Indonesia.

Sardono is known for his capability to combine traditional indigenous dance with modern techniques and improvisation.

His work strives to maintain the rural and ecological foundations of traditional dance, the embassy said.

Besides the two Indonesians, a number of international figures in their respective fields will also receive the award and prize money. They include Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, a music specialist and composer from Ghana; Malangatana Valente Ngwenya, a visual artist from Mozambique; Ernest Wamba-dia-Wamba, a philosopher from Tanzania; Bruno Stagno, a Costa Rican architect; and Abdeljelil Temimi, a Tunisian cultural historian.

But the first prize of US$100,000 goes to the Zimbabwe International Book Fair, which is claimed to be the biggest annual trade fair for African literature and an important meeting place for African publishers.

The book fair has been awarded the prize for its enormous contribution to the development of African literature and cultural development.

Prince Claus established last year the Prince Claus Fund to promote and support activities in the fields of culture and development. (10)