Special agency needed to promote batik

Special agency needed to promote batik

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Participants at the closing of the 1997
International Batik Conference issued a declaration yesterday
asserting the need for an agency on batik promotion and
development.

The agency would be created to help promote batik in the world
market and strengthen Indonesia's position as the center of batik
design and production.

The nine-point declaration was read by conference participant
Michael Hitchcock of the University of North London, England.

The declaration acknowledged that the conference was not able
to determine the origin of batik, citing it required extensive
historical research.

"The origins of batik are diverse," the declaration said but
at the same time noting that batik has always been associated
with Indonesia.

To retain Indonesia's identity as the world center for batik,
the three-day conference suggested that the government properly
recognize top Indonesian batik artists.

Although Yogyakarta is considered an international batik
center, the conference expressed regret that the city did not
have a world-class batik museum.

"We recommended that an innovative batik museum containing
comprehensive information and a professionally trained staff be
established in Yogyakarta," Hitchcock said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of students who had been participating in
the Batik Youth Forum, called on older batik lovers to give the
youth more freedom to experiment in batik designs.

"We respect the concept and values in traditional batik, but
we want a freedom of expression to create something which would
be more suitable with our youth spirit," said Edi Iskak, a
student of the Indonesian Art Institute.

The conference was officially closed yesterday by Rosediana
Suharto, head of the research and development agency of the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, while the batik exhibition, held
in conjunction with the conference, was scheduled to end today.
(23/10)