Salihara Festival an artistic feast

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 10/19/2008 11:00 AM  |  Headlines

LOVE OF TRADITION: Prominent choreographer and dancer Didik Nini Thowok performs Dewi Sarag Jodang Gandrung at the Salihara Festival. (JP/P.J. Leo) LOVE OF TRADITION: Prominent choreographer and dancer Didik Nini Thowok performs Dewi Sarag Jodang Gandrung at the Salihara Festival. (JP/P.J. Leo) 

Boasting 19 events involving dozens of artists from Indonesia and abroad, Salihara Festival will spice up life in the capital at the newly established compound of Komunitas Salihara in South Jakarta from Oct. 17 to Dec. 6.

The series of events - an exhibition, dances, plays, a lecture and music performances - are the first programs hosted by Salihara since its opening ceremony on Aug. 8, 2008.

"...we begin our work at Komunitas Salihara with a festival," Goenawan Mohamad, one of the festival's board of curators, wrote in the festival's program book.

"Different elements are present: A contemporary dance with Papuan ambience, a 19th-century Javanese dance, an avant-garde dance from Japan, monologues by two female actors and an opera by a famed Indonesia composer featuring American and European singers and musicians," wrote Goenawan.

An art exhibition, titled "Dari Penjara ke Pigura" (From Prison to Frame), marked the opening of the festival on Friday. The exhibition, lasting from Oct. 17 to Dec. 6, presents historical texts written by figures like Tan Malaka, Rohana Kuddus, Sukarno, Mohamad Hatta and R.A. Kartini.

The curators of the exhibition invited 30 renowned visual artists like Ugo Untoro, Dadang Christanto, Agus Suwage, Mella Jaarsma and Oky Arfie to interpret the texts and to produce works of art based on them.

"Salihara is under the management of the Utan Kayu Foundation," said Asty Leonast, Salihara's staffer to The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

According to Asty, the East Jakarta-based Utan Kayu community is growing, therefore needing a larger place to accommodate its diverse activities. Hence, it is working with Komunitas Salihara, which stands on 3,237 square meters of land at Jl Salihara No. 16 in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. The compound has three main buildings: a theater, a gallery, and offices for artists and staff.

"The community will present diverse works of art representing new and fresh visions in term of idea and form," said Toni Prabowo, a Komunitas Salihara curator.

Most entry tickets are Rp 30,000 (US$3), and Rp 15,000 for students. (naf)

Some of the performances:

Tuk
Teater Lungid, Surakarta
Oct. 24-25
8 p.m.

Bedhaya Dirada Meta
Tari Mangkunegaran, Surakarta
Nov. 1-2
8 p.m.

Truth, Religion, Literature
Public Lecture by Adonis
Nov. 3
7 p.m.

Progressive Music Concert
Discus
Nov. 4
8 p.m.

Ophelia; the Secret of her Death Pond -Monologue
Citra Pratiwi (Teater Garasi)
Nov. 7-8
8 p.m.

Four Indonesian Choreographers
Fitri Setyaningsih, Hanny Herlina, Hartati, Indra Zubir
Nov. 11-12
8 p.m.

More information: www.salihara.org

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