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Indonesia Bertutur celebrates the past in modern artforms
From video mapping to theatrical showings, artists across disciplines reinterpret Indonesia’s culture at the country’s biggest art exhibition in Magelang, Central Java.
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Social commentary: Choreographer Fitri Setyaningsih performs her work 'Kinjeng Tangis' on the third day of Indonesia Bertutur, on Sept. 9, in Magelang, Central Java. (Courtesy of Indonesia Bertutur) (Courtesy of Indonesia Bertutur/Courtesy of Indonesia Bertutur)
F
rom video mapping to theatrical events, artists across disciplines reinterpret Indonesia’s culture at the country’s biggest art exhibition in Magelang, Central Java.
Right at the merging point of two rivers, high on the ground above, an enraged poet blasted out a stream of praises and prayers as traditional dancers circled around him.
“The Progo river contains the mystery of a long history,” he chanted in Indonesian. “Its clear water reflects the light of the sun. The river runs in a winding stream.”
The monologue was part of the opening of a brand-new art-and-culture festival, Indonesia Bertutur (Indonesia Speaks), kickstarted by the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry and planned to be a biennial event henceforth. It was held in the Magelang regency, Central Java, from Sept. 7 to 13, and for its grand start, local-artist Sucoro orchestrated a water ritual with the art community Brayat Panangkaran at the Eloprogo Art House.
“When we’re talking about Borobudur Temple, it means that we’re also talking about water,” Mbah Coro said to the audience on Sept. 7. Not many people know that Borobudur used to be surrounded by lakes.
The Eloprogo Art House is a landmark that sees two mystical rivers, Elo and Progo, meet. This was one of the places that Indonesia Bertutur chose to highlight because, in the era of endless streaming services and short-lived Twitter trends, it asks the audience: What was our history, and why should cultural remnants exist in the first place?
“Borobudur was initially a place to meditate, to pray,” Mbah Coro said. Now, it has become Indonesia’s biggest tourist attraction instead. “So who is in charge of guarding its spiritual values?”
