Schools must also function as cultural centers
Schools must also function as cultural centers
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian arts schools should not only function
as learning institutions but also as art and cultural centers, an
expert said.
Mursal Esten, a professor at the University of Andalas in
Padang, West Sumatra, told the First National Arts Congress here
yesterday that many arts institutes merely produce "graduates of
arts school" but not "real artists".
"It's because they teach the theory but don't provide any room
for students to experiment and to display their creations," Esten
explained.
If this condition continues, Indonesia will soon experience a
shortage of talented artists and scholars, he said.
Held at the Kartika Chandra Hotel, the congress was opened on
Monday and will conclude tomorrow.
A good art institute is obliged to document traditional arts
as well as contemporary local and international arts to enable
students, artists and the public to study the subject thoroughly,
Esten said.
The professor also said that such an institute could be
developed into a research and development center of the national
art and cultural activities.
"Indonesia's documentation of its arts development is poor,"
Esten said. "Many local artists learn their ethnic arts in
various foreign universities which have complete references on
our traditional arts. It is saddening."
Indonesia today has a number of famous arts schools, mostly
located in Jakarta; Bandung, West Java; Yogyakarta and Surakarta,
Central Java; and Denpasar, Bali.
"If each of this school documented the traditional arts of its
region, we could preserve our valuable cultural heritage," he
said.
A number of working papers were discussed yesterday by some
500 participants from Indonesia's 27 provinces. The congress is
aimed at providing a forum for the government and local artists
to hold discussions and to share ideas on encouraging artistic
creativity.
Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri, a professor of environmental law at
the Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, spoke about the role of
the government and the private sector in the development of arts,
and about art as a commodity.
He said the government and the private sector should work side
by side to encourage local artists.
The government, he said, must create an environment which
fosters, instead of curtails, artists' creativity.
He called on both the government and the private sectors to
subsidize various art projects. In countries such as France and
Britain, the governments provide financial support for arts
development.
"Every art activity needs subsidy because it is a costly
business and most artists cannot afford to finance their own
projects," he said.
Citing an example, Indonesia now has Dana Mitra Lingkungan, a
non-profit foundation which actively raises funds to finance
environmental projects.
The foundation has successfully solicited support and
donations from large companies and rich individuals, he said.
"We should establish a similar foundation to boost cultural
activities in Indonesia," Koesnadi said.
Another interesting paper on the arts and tourism was
presented by R.M. Soedarsono, a professor of arts from Gajah
Mada University. Soedarsono said that the arts have an important
role to play in promoting a country's tourism industry.
"Indonesia is rich in art and culture, but due to poor
promotion little of it is recognized abroad," he said.
If you look at Thailand and the Philippines, Indonesia is
lagging behind in promoting its arts, he said. (raw)