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