Puppets as art

Puppets as art

The Indonesia-Europe Wayang Week which lasts from May 24 to June 2, 1994, is being held jointly by the cultural centers of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and Switzerland in cooperation with the Senangwangi (Secretariat of Indonesian National Wayang Arts), the Jakarta Arts Council and the Jakarta Art Center.

An earlier seminar on puppetry held in Yogyakarta revealed the strengths and the weaknesses of the world of wayang as viewed from various aspects. The seminar discussed the philosophy contained in the wayang shadow puppet stories, although many opined that wayang is not a philosophy, but an art. However, it is not to be argued that any art is a philosophy. The issue actually is that philosophy is contained in the wayang stories.

The wayang being discussed now include the flat leather puppets and the three dimensional wayang golek wooden puppets.

The wayang themes are taken from the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, which are regarded as depicting all aspects of humankind, and which many would regard as "sacred books." They can be used as a reference in the solving of human problems.

Our concern about the present wayang presentations at this festival is that too much emphasis is being put on the entertainment aspects of puppetry. This tends to lower the quality of the performances as art. It is under this circumstance that institutional or individual authority and dignity are needed, not regulations and permits.

--Kompas, Jakarta