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Jakarta Post

Les Grandes Personnes takes art to the streets

Giant puppets were brought to life on the streets of Jakarta as they shadowed a fascinated crowd from the scorching sun.
 

Yun Kyung Kim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, July 14, 2017

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Les Grandes Personnes takes art to the streets The puppet troupe will travel to Surabaya in East Java to perform at the Cross Culture Festival on July 15. (JP/Yun Kyung Kim)

Giant puppets were brought to life on the streets of Jakarta as they shadowed a fascinated crowd from the scorching sun.

The puppet performance was staged on Sunday in the heart of Jakarta by French giant puppetry collective the Les Grandes Personnes in collaboration with the French Institute in Indonesia to bring an artistic experience at the public space.

Sunday’s puppet parade kicked off the collective’s tour in Jakarta. The puppet troupe held its second performance in the old town in West Jakarta on Thursday before traveling to Surabaya in East Java to perform at the Cross Culture Festival on July 15.

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Although this is Les Grandes Personnes’s first time in Jakarta, the group was invited to Bali last year. This year, it continued its collaboration with Balinese artistic groups like Yaya Putra Sedana and took part at the Bali Art Festival.

The four puppets paraded in Jakarta were unique in size and design. They ranged in weight from 15 kilograms to 25 kg and were around three meters in height. 

Dancing giants: French puppet troupe Les Grandes Personnes puts on a show on Jl. M. H. Thamrin in the heart of Jakarta on Sunday. (JP/Yun Kyung Kim)

The puppet of an old man with wrinkles, dressed in a modest vest, was shown dancing together with a group of younger-looking puppets dressed in soccer jerseys and colorfully printed shirts.

“The different representations of the puppets is a reflection of the spirit of our cosmopolitan society. The diversity seen around the world is emphasized through the different ages and expressions of the puppets,” said Pauline de Coulhac, director of the puppet performance.

The puppets were created in different parts of the world. This international collaboration means each puppet adopts aesthetics defined by different rural and urban settings as well as different techniques ranging from ancient to modern

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For example, the three lighter-skinned puppets were made to represent the team of their creators in France, while the darker-toned puppet was created in Haiti. The team of creators has given each puppet a name.

Despite their differences, the collective believes it is the diversity of the puppets that resonates with the large audience. It creates a sense of togetherness by including people from different demographics to experience the aesthetics and beauty of the art.

The puppet dressed in a soccer jersey stretched out his arms to a group of giggling children, who embraced his arms closely as their mother tried to snap a photo.

The puppeteers animated their puppets gracefully, despite the significant weight. Every move of the dancing giants told a narrative specific to the puppeteers.

“Part of our job is to interact with the people and be responsive to the situation. Playing with the people, urban architecture and just improvising in the context is our main performance,” said Caroline Brillion, one of the Les Grandes Personnes puppet artists.

During the performance, the puppets were coincidentally joined by giant Betawi ondel-ondel effigies. The two types of puppets bridged their different cultural heritage with a spontaneous dance.

“The unintended encounter with the ondel-ondel is an example of how we try to interact spontaneously with the situation. It was great to meet up with puppets from Indonesia,” said Brillion.

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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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