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Yearender: World artists, biopics mark 2013 art scene
Ariah: In June, the National Monument was home to a colossal production of Ariah, which tells the tale of Ariah, an emancipated Betawi woman during the Tambun farmersâ rebellion in the 19th century
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span class="inline inline-center">Ariah: In June, the National Monument was home to a colossal production of Ariah, which tells the tale of Ariah, an emancipated Betawi woman during the Tambun farmers' rebellion in the 19th century. More than 200 dancers performed on a multi-tiered stage that spanned more than 70 meters, accompanied by an orchestra of more than 100. JP/P.J. Leo
Ada gula ada semut is an old Indonesian proverb, but 'where there's sugar, there's ants' also describes the concert scene in the capital this year ' as least as far as the international artists who descended on Jakarta in 2013 were concerned.
For three days in March, for example, Java Jazz Festival featured hundreds of musicians, including British singer Lisa Stansfield; while in June, Java Rockin'land brought the crowds out to Pantai Carnaval in Ancol, North Jakarta, to hear Collective Soul, Hellogoodbye, Sixpence None the Richer, Sugar Ray, Suicidal Tendencies and glam metal band Steelheart.
The year's most monstrous concert, though, was staged by Metallica on Aug. 25 at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan.
More than 60,000 black-clad fans were on hand to hear 'The Ecstasy of Gold' as the metal titans made a triumphant return to Indonesia after a 20-year absence.
Solo singers also performed in the capital, including American Idol winner Adam Lambert on March 10, Carly Ray Jepsen on May 27, Snoop Dogg on Sept. 20 and Grammy winner Alicia Keys on Nov. 29.
Hallyu superstars swept through Jakarta to the delight of local fans, who were thrilled by the Super Junior concert in June and by Girls Generation in September.
The capital is also making its mark in the international electronic dance music (EDM) scene, with top DJs such as Tiësto and David Guetta making bows, as well through hosting the Djakarta Warehouse Project.
The choice of venue for the DWP ' outdoors at the Ancol EcoPark in North Jakarta ' ensured that the rave was the largest in Southeast Asia, as well as its muddiest.
Local fans, of course, also thrilled to local acts, most notably Noah and Slank.
Noah, led by former Peterpan vocalist Ariel ' free after two-and-a-half years' imprisonment in a sex scandal ' emerged as a force. Meanwhile, Slank showed that it was still alive in the hearts of fans after decades, performing a 30th anniversary gig Bung Karno Stadium.
Times have also changed for promoters, who face a more competitive environment in Jakarta due to the emergence of new players.
Adrie Subono, who founded Java Musikindo in 1994, said that he welcomed the challenge. The promoter, who handled the Alicia Keys' concert, said that the more promoters there were in business here, the more recognition Indonesia would gain as an entertainment destination.
In fine arts, the works of S. Sudjojono ' some of which had never before been publicly displayed ' received an exhibition at the Pakarti Center in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, capping a year of events marking the centennial of the maestro's birth.
However, the rarity of the (exquisite) exhibition underscores a problem: There are only a few galleries, fewer art museums and no contemporary art museums in the capital.
Keeping art safe has also been a challenge, as evinced by the brazen theft of gold antiquities from the National Museum's permanent collection in September.
Sections of the museum remained closed for long periods as authorities sorted through the security problems, including, apparently, poor CCTV coverage and a lack of proper alarms.
Despite these woes, the nation's contemporary artists are basking in interest from curators and collectors in Asia and Europe, as interest in the Chinese art market slowed in 2013.
The Indonesian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, for example, included works by Entang Witarso and Eko Nugroho, among others, and was proclaimed one of the best at the world-famous exhibition.
Closer to home, the Singapore Biennale also chose to prominently feature Indonesian artists and Jakarta hosted its own biennale.
On the silver screen, the nation's filmmakers made more than 100 movies in 2013, according to Film Indonesia. Period pieces and biopics dominated local productions.
While not a blockbuster, Sang Kyai, the story of the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation's largest Muslim social organization, won the Citra award for Best Picture at the nation's 'Oscars', the Indonesian Film Festival in Semarang, Central Java.
Meanwhile, Hanung Bramyanto, now established as one of the most important directors of the Reform era, came out with a pair of historical films in 2013, the legendary 16th century epic Genting Sriwijaya and Soekarno.
Although the former evoked sweeping productions from the past such Roro Mendut (albeit in a populist way), Soekarno offered a depiction of the political struggles behind Indonesian independence and a charismatic presentation of the nation's first president by Ario Bayu.
Some have taken exception with how the film has simplified (or glossed over) a complex story. However, producer Raam Punjabi deserves kudos for bringing the nation's history to the screen in a vivid way.
Similarly, the tragic period romance Tenggelamnya Kapal Van der Wijck (The Sinking of the Van Der Wijck), offered a luscious Titanic-meets-Moulin Rouge reinterpretation of the 1938 novel.
Separately, accolades for the nation's cinema came from an unexpected corner when the Busan International Film Festival ' again, one of the world's finest ' awarded author and long-time Indonesia resident Daniel Ziv top honors for his long-anticipated documentary Jalanan, about street performers in Jakarta.
Mouly Surya's accomplished and charming What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love also had a premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival.
Unquestionably, though, the most important film of the year was Jagal, or The Act of Killing in English, which told the stories of those behind the massacres that followed the New Order's ascent in 1965.
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer and made with Indonesian filmmakers who remain anonymous for safety reasons, The Act of Killing has been proclaimed the year's best documentary ' if not the best film of any sort ' by dozens of critics around the globe.
It has prompted soul searching by a younger generation that knows almost nothing of the violence outside of propaganda ' and has stimulated rare popular discussion about a grim period in the nation's history that some would forget.
However, as in the case of fine art, finding a chance to watch films remains problematic. The Act of Killing, for example, was by necessity shown at private 'invitation-only' screenings around the nation.
Although events such as NETPAC Jogja and Jakarta's own beloved JiFFest, back in 2013 after an extended absence, screen foreign and local films that would otherwise go unseen here, the festivals are not enough.
Film used to be a populist medium and Indonesians watched movies layar tancep style, projected on sheets outdoors across the nation. Today, films are screened in theaters that are almost exclusively inside shopping malls in large cities, creating a significant bar for entry for a majority of the nation's citizens.
Laddy Caddy Who Never Saw a Hole in One was another Indonesian film that won at Busan. Its director, Yosep Anggi Noen, summed up the plight of local filmmakers succinctly.
'This film has been screened in 20 places abroad,' Anggi said. 'The most challenging factor today is getting honorable money from government and finding a proper place for films to meet an audience in our own country.'
