The art of life

For the next four weeks Indonesians, especially Jakartans, will be treated to a plethora of performing and visual arts as part of the 4th Art Summit Indonesia 2004. The start of the month-long festival is a welcome respite for residents of the bustling city, which was again recently terrorized by a bombing.

After being a first-hand witness to the horrors man is capable of, the performances at the Art Summit hopefully will allow us to regain our humanity and appreciation for the human race's creative talents and goodness. More than just a breath of fresh air, this festival of human talent can serve to transform the senses, from the negative that permeates our official lives to one of positive inspiration.

But festivals of this nature do not usually attract much hype or audience in this city of over 10 million. For the masses, these performances are nothing more than highbrow novelties or the indulgences of vagrant art students. Unfortunate, but true.

Though we lament the lack of interest, most of the performances at the summit are not geared toward mass consumption. High art and avant-garde culture, such as represented in this festival, require a particular sense of aesthetics -- an appreciation usually acquired through education or a refined God-given taste for object d'art.

For more than a handful, vanity motivates their support for the festival: A need to parade their intellectual sophistication, or, for the affluent, to be seen as having a prestigious avocation.

Given its distinctiveness, we cannot expect hordes of people to attend the Art Summit, the way people flock to a dangdut concert.

While we would hope that more of us can become converts to the Art Summit, the fact that it is not a money-making venture should not tempt organizers to tinker with the formula in a bid for marketability. We are reminded of the now absent jazz festival in Jakarta, which through the years began to incorporate an increasing number of pop-oriented acts in order to attract a wider audience.

Art in its purest sense is the highest form of human creativity. It is the most faithful reflection of our lives. The greatest creations of art are driven by the human heart, not the checkbook.

Pop art is for the masses. More often than not, it is created, packaged and sold with the intent of profit. The great Andy Warhol once defined "pop" as the realm where art relinquishes its soulful reach for the bounty of commerce.

More than just something entertaining or something pleasing to look at, the Art Summit is also a celebration of our unbridled freedom to express ourselves.

Not so long ago artists, musicians and writers were abridged in their expressive thought. The sincere cry and fantasy of the heart were prostrate to a dominion of political correctness reigned over by a repressive government. The banning of works by artists, writers and journalists is the predominant symptom of any suppressive society.

Art helps define who we are and where we are going. It is the artist and philosopher -- not the politicians, clerics or businesspeople -- who question and push the boundaries toward a more humane society.

It is for these conscientious reason that the Art Summit should receive our continued endorsement and financial support from the government.

Despite the financial circumstances, events like the Art Summit should continue to acquire sponsorship from the state. It is unfortunate that state funding for the current festival has reportedly dropped by Rp 1 billion.

Private corporations too should get more involved. Throughout the world, high art has never flourished without private donations from concerned patrons. The situation here is no different.

Some may argue that the money would be better spent on things like education and health care. In the crudest of arguments, this is true. But just as our bodies need rice to survive, so do our souls need sustenance to prevail.

We hope that our Art Summit will never sell its soul, for money or politics.