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After a tough election, Yogya artists build bridges
Fire breathers: According to Sindhunata, one of the initiators of the ritual, only through such a method of art can the bonds of brotherhood be restored
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span class="inline inline-center">Fire breathers: According to Sindhunata, one of the initiators of the ritual, only through such a method of art can the bonds of brotherhood be restored.
The recently concluded presidential election divided the nation into two camps. A similar schism also separated the nation's cultural community, leaving tensions among friends and collaborators in the wake of the democratic exercise of the franchise.
In Yogyakarta, local artists have developed their own solutions to close ranks, reunite with their peers and restore harmonious ties.
In the home of writer and cultural observer Sindhunata in Wonorejo village on the slopes of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, artists recently convened for a ritual they called a sukerto, a ceremony to remove feelings of depravity, hatred, wrongdoing and misfortune.
It began with a parade of traditional soldiers carrying a giant effigy resembling a Balinese ogoh-ogoh, which was taken to Sendang Bagong.
Bayu Wardhana, a painter representing artists and cultural circles, then bathed in Bagong spring, which has its source on Merapi, to symbolize the purification of the body and soul. His hair was then cut by Oei Hong Djien, the nation's most prominent art collector.
The ritual reached its climax in a fire dance, in which the giant effigy was burned as a symbolic elimination of evil ' and to dispel tension among artists in the post-election period.
According to Sindhunata, one of the initiators of the ritual, only through such a method of art could the bonds of brotherhood be restored. 'By this ritual we made no mention of our peers winning or losing or their favorite candidates, and by performing together we forgot all the opposing views between us,' said the author.
Sindhunata said that the ceremony cleared the way for artists to resume working together to welcome a new Indonesia, so that there would be no more need to blame each other, despite previous disagreements and contrasting visions.
The sukerto refers to a tradition of ruwatan sukerto, a Javanese ceremony to drive away sin and disgrace in individuals that might bring misfortune unless purified.
The basic elements of a ruwatan sukerto were represented by the bathing and haircut, as well as prayers for all artists in the country. 'We expressed our hope that Indonesia's future will be better, which is the challenge to be faced by elected leaders, who'll have to fulfill the aspirations of Indonesian people,' Sindhunata said.
The sukerto ceremony was also attended by art observers and activists such as Butet Kertaradjasa, Tellyando and Nasirun.
' Photos and text by JP/Tarko Sudiarno
