Soeharto opens Bali art festival
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto opened yesterday the 17th Balinese art festival in Denpasar, calling Indonesians to be careful in facing the negative impact of foreign culture.
The opening ceremony, which took place at Jayasabha Building in the Bali capital, was followed by a long and colorful Balinese procession displaying art creations from various districts of the tourist island.
The procession was led by a large gong and students from Jembrana regency. It was followed by a traditional drum band from the Denpasar Academy of Arts.
The emblem of the Balinese province, made of flowers, was depicted in a float while 50 pairs of twins, wearing traditional costumes were behind. It was followed by 100 primary school children wearing masks of animals living in Indonesian jungles.
Another aspect of Balinese art displayed in the parade was multi-colored wreaths combined with coconut leaves carried by 100 women, Antara news agency said.
According to the organizing committee, the theme of this year's festival is "finding and putting up magic powers from behind the masks as a prerequisite of success."
Several foreign countries are represented in the month-long festival. They are Thailand, United States and South Korea, who sent art troupes, and Japan and Scotland sent observers.
Other Indonesian provinces taking part in the festival are Jakarta, West and East Java, Yogyakarta, Central Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara.
Also attending the opening ceremony were First Lady Tien Soeharto, Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.
Soeharto said in his speech that Indonesia will not close its doors to the influences of cultural values from outside. "What we can do is to filter the foreign culture and evade those which are not compatible with our personality," he said.
But, Soeharto added, the positive points of foreign values should be absorbed to enrich national culture.
In facing the flow of alien influence, Soeharto said, Indonesian people of arts and culture should remain "creative but alert and faultfinding." (tis)