The art of life

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.