he Jakarta International Contemporary Dance Festival (JICON), the Jakarta Arts Council Dance Committee’s annual festival, returns for 2023 as the main event of the Dance Committee’s 2023 program of "Dance and Spiritualism in an Urban Context".
Held from Nov. 14 to 18, JICON 2023 takes the theme of "SPHERE" in its third year, with festival curator Rebecca Kezia describing a sphere as a large space.
“In my opinion, when creating, speaking about or enjoying art, especially dance, a work is often interpreted narrowly; that's why this year's JICON aims to see the breadth of choreographic practices. We offer a variety of programs throughout the festival to see how urban spirituality sits within a broad body of work,” she said.
Chair of the Dance Committee of the Jakarta Arts Council, Josh Marcy, expressed his hope that JICON 2023 would serve as a collective reflection on the works in a new way.
“This year's JICON is the Dance Committee's way of expanding its mindset. In the previous year, we had the ‘Dance in Space’ program, which presented specific performances in a certain location. This program was expanded with a new name, namely Meruang, which not only can be enjoyed as a spectacle, but also involves the surrounding space and community, who experience a sense of togetherness in their expression,” he said.
Josh said it was appropriate to reread Telisik Tari, a study and archive-based program, by looking at the body as a living archive that grew in each locale. Meanwhile, Imajitari, an international competition-based dance film festival, saw 849 films from 94 countries participate this year.
JICON 2023 has received support from the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry’s Directorate of Film, Music and Media.
Ahmad Mahendra, director of film, music and media, said there was a need for various mediums and new ways of looking at behavior and events so as not to have just one viewpoint.
“The pandemic we have just experienced has taught us to adapt to new situations. The Jakarta International Contemporary Dance Festival is a brilliant idea for interpreting newness and expansion. With various collaborations, we not only reflect changes, but also welcome various new situations," he said.
JICON 2023 is held in collaboration with the State Film Production (PFN) group, the Jakarta provincial administration, the Jakarta Cultural Agency, the Taman Ismail Marzuki Management Unit, PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), Kineforum, the University of Indonesia Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Komunitas Utan Kayu, Kedai Tempo, The Ballet Academy, Kafe Bedjono Solo, Gerakan Indonesia Kita, Eksotika Karmawibhangga Indonesia Foundation and Prakarsa Media Parakata.
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