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View all search resultsYe, Bocelli asymmetry
While Andrea Bocelli faces boycotts and Kanye West gets a pass in Jakarta, Indonesia reveals an uncomfortable truth: Separating the art from the artist isn't dead, it's just selectively enforced by local politics.
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Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli delivered his world-first performance from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Al-Hajar in Al-Ula. (The Jakarta Post/Twitter)
F
or decades, cultural consumption relied on a convenient sanctuary: The doctrine of “separating the art from the artist”. It posited that aesthetic genius possesses an intrinsic dignity, shielded from the moral flaws, political sins, or commercial entanglements of the creator.
However, in an era defined by ethical consumption and geopolitical polarization like today, that reservation is rapidly collapsing.
This fracture is visible in Indonesia’s divided response to Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Celebrated globally as a master of classical crossover, Bocelli’s planned performances at Jakarta International Expo on Nov. 3, part of his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour—should have represented a high-water mark for the nation’s arts scene.
Instead, the event has triggered public backlash and boycott calls spearheaded by civil society and the conservative-leaning Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). The outcry did not target Bocelli’s bel canto vocal technique or his sacred repertoire; rather, it aimed his past participation in fundraising galas associated with the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF).
In a nation whose Constitution mandates a foreign policy of unwavering solidarity with colonized Palestine, Bocelli’s concert is politically and morally indefensible for many. For them, buying a ticket ceased to be an act of cultural appreciation, it becomes an implicit endorsement of Israel’s military occupation of Palestine.
In a majority-Muslim country, such humanitarian crises unfolding in Palestine are potent touchstones, easily mobilized for broader political or electoral alignment. We saw this dynamic during the rejection of Israel’s participation in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2023, slated to be held in various Indonesian cities a year ahead of the highly-contested presidential election. The boycott, spearheaded by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), forced FIFA to relocate the tournament to Argentina.
Yet, the collapse of the "art from the artist" defense applies with stark asymmetry on Indonesian soil. The intense scrutiny facing Bocelli stands in jarring contrast to the reception of Kanye West, who is also scheduled to perform in Jakarta, the only Southeast Asian stop of Ye Live Concert Tour 2026.
