Schmidt to address batik conference

Schmidt to address batik conference

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt is
scheduled to address a batik conference and exhibition held here
on Nov. 2 to Nov. 6, organizers say.

Muljarto Tjokrowinoto from the International Conference on
Cultural Tourism (ICCT) said over the weekend that Schmidt's
speech will focus on the importance of cultural identity in
globalization.

Vice President Try Sutrisno will officially inaugurate the
"Dunia Batik" conference next Monday at Gadjah Mada University's
Graha Sabha Pramana Conference Hall. Minister of Tourism, Post
and Telecommunication Joop Ave and Minister of Education and
Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro are expected to attend.

Participants are expected to number over 300, with 100 of them
foreigners from 11 countries.

The exhibition will be divided into three main categories:
ancient batik, today's batik and contemporary batik.

The ancient batik exhibition will present no less than 150
ancient batiks, made between 1850 and 1950, from all over the
world. Among the exhibition's participants are the national
textile museum, Danar Hadi batik gallery, Ardiyanto batik gallery
and Italian Sergio Feld Bauer.

About 33 booths will exhibit today's batiks representing a
number of batik designers, the Indonesian Batik Foundation, and
the Association of Indonesian Fashion Designers.

The contemporary batik exhibition is for those who use batik
technique as a reference for their art. About 35 participants --
including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the UK and USA
-- will display their works here. Among Indonesian participants
is batik painter Amri Yahya. (23/swa)