JAF'08 video - arrival of artists, opening night, jamming sessions
This is the story of the 2008 JATIWANGI ART FESTIVAL. An unusual art festival in an unusual location. Far away from traditional Indonesian art environs of Yogyakarta, Bandung, Bali and Jakarta, Jatiwangi is a village close to Cirebon on the north coast of West Java. The area is big on rice and terracotta tile production but distant, geographically and metaphorically, from the Indonesian contemporary art scene.
But not entirely….
A bit of background
In 2005, Arief Yudi and Loranita Theo, established the Jatiwangi ArtFACTORY with the support of Ginggi S. Hasyim (Arief’s brother) who, with Arief, has run a family-owned tile manufacturing business in Jatiwangi for 20 years. Arief and Ginggi agreed to set aside a space in their factory for a ceramics and sculpture studio and gallery, allowing their large tile kilns to be used by artists for the production of ceramics.
The purpose of the ArtFACTORY is to give local artists an opportunity to showcase their works, both in Jatiwangi and other parts Indonesia. They have participated in events organized by Galeri Kita in Bandung in 2006, the OK Video Festival at Jakarta’s Galeri Nasional and TIM [Taman Ismail Marzuki] Jakarta’s Group Show ‘Festival Tanda Kota’ in 2007. Since 2006, the ArtFACTORY has also offered an artist residency program for local and international artists. It is open to all genres of art-practitioners, encouraging both individual and community-based art projects.
Jatiwangi ArtFACTORY seeks to benefit the local residents by giving them the opportunity to observe, exchange ideas and work with talented Indonesian and international artists. Ginggi, who was recently elected as the head for Kecamatan Jatiwangi (a group of villages in Jatiwangi), firmly believes that art festivals, residencies and workshops play an important role in enhancing creativity within the community.
2006 Festival
The first Jatiwangi Arts Festival was organized in 2006 with 15 artists from Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Finland, Greece, Japan and Turkey. A new and unique event in Jatiwangi, focusing on sculpture, performance art and film, it resulted in a very interesting exchange of ideas between the artists and villagers from Jatiwangi, Jatisura and Surawangi.
Its success inspired the organizers to work on a second arts festival, the 2008 JATIWANGI ARTS FESTIVAL (JAF’08). Its aim was to further explore the life, culture and history of residents of Jatiwangi and surrounding villages and to bring art closer to the public; providing people with access to the art world, as spectators and participants.
JAF’08
JAF’08 took place in August 2008. It was organized through collaboration between Arief, Heru Hikayat and myself. Heru is a talented curator and writer based in Bandung, Indonesia, whom I met in Bangkok in 2005 at Asiatopia’s International performance art symposium. He also worked together with SS Listyowati and Yoyogasmana on curating the Jatiwangi Arts Festival in 2006 exploring the spaces and possibilities in Jatiwangi and the project was sort of an extension of IIPAE [Indonesia International Paerformance Art Event] held at Gallery Nasional in Jakarta, organized by Appre Room and Gallery Nasional.
The idea for JAF’08 was a short-term residency program in which 22 artists would live with villagers from the Jatiwangi area for 8 days. The guest-host relationship provided the context for the festival; artists and hosts would share life, experiences and ideas and work in collaboration to develop art-works and performances. The festival included traditional performances involving Javanese wayang kulit [shadow puppetry], dance, music and theatre as well as contemporary forms of art.
The festival took place in Jatiwangi and surrounding villages in Majalengka: Jatisura, Loji, Sutawangi, Mekarsari and Surawangi. A committee of curators and organizers worked with the villagers who had kindly agreed to host the artists and a few months before the event, the committee presented their proposal to the village-heads whose enthusiasm and generosity was instrumental to the success of the festival.
Committee members acted as a bridge connecting artists and their hosts, helping to facilitate the exploration of ideas and collaboration between the two groups.
Artists
Participating artists came from a variety of countries (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, USA, Bosnia and Brazil) and from various disciplines, ranging from visual and performance art to film. Most of the artists funded their trips without grant support or sponsorship. While the festival received (and was grateful for) some monetary support from individual sponsors to cover artists’ materials, land transport and food, the festival relied principally on the commitment and generosity of the organizers, artists and villagers.
Structure of the Festival
The festival was held in two stages. The first stage was a 5 days residency program in which artists and villagers worked together in exploring ideas, creating works, developing performances and organizing workshops. The second stage was a 3 days festival event in which artists and hosts presented their works and performances in different villages.
The festival had a huge impact on the artists who were overwhelmed by the hospitality, generosity and support of the local community. Works presented conveyed strong messages about the lives and situations of the people living in the Jatiwangi and the social/political issues they face. The artists found these people to be traditional yet modern, spiritual and exceptionally friendly, welcoming and open to their guests. They were invited by the locals to make school visits and attend weddings and circumcision ceremonies during the festival.
Volunteers
Much of the success of the festival was attributable to 15 local volunteers who were each assigned to one or more artists to help them achieve their goals. The volunteers worked tirelessly day and night, finding materials for the artists, driving them around and assisting them in setting up works.
Works and performances
The diversity of artists and villagers allowed for the production of a remarkable and varied collection of works and performances during the festival, some of which are described below. Readers are encouraged to view the works that I've uploaded on YouTube or also here.
EZZAM RAHMAN
Performance by Ezzam Rahman, Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Video of Ezzam Rahman's work for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Ezzam created an installation cum performance in the kitchen at a house located in Surawangi. He taped boiled eggs to cut-outs from cardboard, shaped of hands and hung them from the ceiling of the kitchen. He had gone around inviting villagers to participate in his work drawing the shape of their hands on cardboard. During his performance, he allowed only small groups of people to view his work in the kitchen as the space was quite tiny. Each member of the audience had their hands tied, (connecting each person) by a string and given an egg with text written on it. The text on one egg reads 'Wake up early'
SS LISTYOWATI (Atieq) and KENTRUNG MERDEKA
'Dewi Sri Estate', installation by Atieq & Kentrung Merdeka for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Video of Atieq's collaboration with 'Kentrung Merdeka' for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
The work of SS Listyowati (Atieq), in collaboration with a local punk community, Kentrung Merdeka, involved setting up an interactive installation and performance in the rice fields of Jatisura. They tried to turn the rice fields in Jatisura into a real estate called Dewi Sri Estate. In big cities around the world, it is not unusual to find rice fields that have been sacrificed to make way for the building of luxurious residences. The idea of Dewi Sri Estate is based on a real estate concept, the installation comprised 5 small huts constructed of straw and bamboo; each designed to function as an interactive booth. The audience was invited to participate in the group’s activities. Atieq explored discrimination against punk groups – often misunderstood and stereotyped as incapable of useful contribution to society. She characterised their collaboration in creating a work for the villagers as demonstrating a sense of belonging and contribution. Together they try to get rid of society’s stigma towards the punks and to show them that they are capable and creative people. They exchanged ideas during the residency and these culminated in a series of songs and letters.
ANGGA WEDHASWHARA
Video of Angga Wedhaswhara's work for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Jatiwangi is one of main areas of roof tile production in Java. Roof tiles are manufactured using traditional methods and Angga Wedhaswhara’s work raised issues concerning the soil used for roof tile production in Surawangi. Many people in the area are farmers and soil is an essential element in the lives of the community, both for rice painting and the manufacture of roof tiles. Angga presented a performance in two parts: in the first he performed as a tour guide walking the audience through the rice fields in Surawangi from which clay also supplied for the roof tile factories. In the second part of his performance, he played host in a talk-show and invited Ginggi as the guest star. The videoed talk-show performance took place at Ginggi’s factory. The video interview was conducted by Angga with Ginggi and Pak Dawud - a pensioner and war veteran who looks after the rice fields in Surawangi. Angga concluded that there is a need for discussion about balancing the needs of farming and tile production, dealing with the dilemma of using the soil for roof tile production and providing the best education for future generations.
SOGE AHMAD
Soge's performance at Jatisura
Video of performances by Wawan Husin and Soge Ahmad for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Soge Ahmad, an architecture student from Bandung, created a garden in a nursery school playground in Jatisura. He planted grass and potted plants donated by locals in the bare and dry ground surrounding the playground. The weather was hot and dry and there was a lack of rain and water. As part of his performance, he created a contract with the teachers, both expressing an agreement to take care of the garden.
COLIN REANEY, KAREE DAHL & ISAK BERBIC
Workshop at a school
Video of Collaborative work by Isak Berbic, Colin Reaney & Karee Dahl for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Sharjah based artists Colin Reaney, Karee Dahl and Isak Berbic collaborated with their host. During their residency, the three artists made installations of small traditional houses from canvas and batik cloth, and built a barbeque pit from roof tiles next to a roof tile factory near where they lived. They organized a barbeque one afternoon and cooked kebabs for the villagers in Loji. The trio played several games of volleyball with their hosts (losing each game!) and this inspired them to organize a friendly match between the JAF’08 artists and the villagers. One would question if such activities are considered art - the answer being: whynot?! But if this is a form of art, we would call it community collaboration and participatory art practice bringing individuals and artists together. This kind of work created intense engagement between artists and villagers, celebrating everyday life.
ASWAD AMEIR
Performance by Aswad Ameir at Surawangi, Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Video of Aswad's work for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Aswad Ameir’s work dealt with the idea letter-writing as a tool for communication. Initially, he had the idea of the villagers writing letters to people in their own community. He had found difficulties in convincing them to write, so later decided on the villagers and artists to write letters addressed to anyone. Throughout the festival Aswad, dressed in a postman’s uniform, visited villages collecting and sending letters. He would read the letters to individuals or to a large audience. Letters were presented anonymously and were often heart-rending. His work caused us to discover an insight into the lives and the desires of the local people. The letters narrated stories of dilemmas, struggles and sometimes oppression.
EMILIA JAVANICA
Emilia's work (Hand prints on projection at roof tile factory), Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Video of Emilia Javanica's dance performance for Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Emilia Javanica, an American who has lived in Indonesia for three years, presented two works for the festival; a Jaipongan mask dance (a newer traditional dance style from West Java) and a video/interactive performance. Emilia performed the mask dance at Surawangi with Anex, a local Jatawangi ArtTFACTORY member, on the first night of the festival. There was a large audience of local villagers and artists who filled the compound outside the home of ibu Yuyum’s (host of Carrie Morris). Audience members were invited to join in the dance.
On the second night, Emilia presented a video screening at Ginggi’s roof-tile factory. The video displayed a series of images relating to activities using hands. The audience was later invited to stick their hands in clay and leave their own imprints on the projected images. In doing so, she sought to create a sense of 'togetherness' among the audience.
RICHELLE SPENCE
Richelle's performance rehearsal
Video of Richelle's workshop & performance in Kapur
Richelle's work involved the community of a village called Kapur. She conducted a lantern making workshop and built a huge lantern sculpture few days before her performance. She got the community to walk with their lanterns to her performance site at sunset and all the lanterns were hung and displayed on her lantern sculpture.
CARRIE MORRIS
Workshop by Carrie Morris
Video of Carrie's performance at ibu Yuyum's
Carrie’s work dealt with story-telling through wayang shadow-puppetry. She held a shadow-puppetry workshop at the home of Ibu Yuyum and invited villagers to join in the workshop and participate in performances during the festival. The purpose of the workshop was to share knowledge about traditional and contemporary Indonesian shadow-puppetry and to enable others to utilize puppetry as a method of creative expression, communication and community building. Carrie and the workshop participants collaborated in creating a ‘contemporary’ story and performing it with cardboard puppets created during the workshop. The story told was centered on JAF'08s artists and the festival.
FAJAR ABADI
Performance by Fajar at Kapur
Video of Fajar's workshop & Performance
Fajar Abadi’s work dealt with moral/religious values in human relationships. He set up a workshop with school children from a religious school, the Madrasah Ibtidaiah in Kapur, and they made painted windsocks. Fajar performed with the children and their teachers and they marched along the main street in Kapur singing and holding their windsocks. He and the children also made trophies for the children to present to their teachers during the performance, showing their gratitude and sincere appreciation.
MONGKOL PLEINBANGCANG
Audience eating at Mongkol's performance
Video of Mongkol's performance
Mongkol read poetry and then got the locals to perform before he invited the audience to a meal.
SULAEMAN AKHBAR aka BEBE
Bebe's work reminds us of memories from our childhood. He created a game involving the artists catching ducks in an irrigation canal in Surawangi.
NATASHA WEI
Performance by Sophi Natasha Wei, Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Video of Natasha's performance, Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
Natasha is interested in creating art that penetrates the heart of the community, engaging the public in her art-making and merging the visual language of her practice and art teaching career in Singapore. In Jatiwangi, she spent time making clay works with children and learning Bahasa from the locals. In her performance ‘Makanan merupakan bahasa persatuan’ (Food represents the language of unity) she involved food and language to express communication and to deal with language barriers.
DEAN LINGUEY
Performance by Dean at Jatiwangi ArtFactory
Video of Dean's performance, Jatiwangi Arts Festival 2008
The inspiration for Dean’s the work was a description given for the wayang kulit puppetry character Semar. The character “takes 3 steps and stops, 3 steps and stops.... “ throughout life, not wanting to behave improperly towards people and desiring to see the world properly. During his stay with the people of Jatiwangi, Dean was inspired by their generosity. He wished to reciprocate this and endeavour to illustrate his desire to see them and their world properly. While not entirely confident he would be able to achieve this ideal, he thought it important to at least try.
His idea was to have himself photographed, taking 3 steps and stopping, 3 steps and stopping, through various parts of Jatiwangi. He edited the photographs with images of Jatawangi life that had had emotional impact upon him and combined these images with his recordings of Jatiwangi’s sounds and rich and varied music.
His aim was to reveal himself to the people of Jatiwangi somehow, and his performance became a journey. Back-lit from behind the screen, he slowly emerged as a shadow, running on the spot, slowly and then faster, while his video representations were projected onto the front of the screen. In this manner, he sought to reach and connect with the people and share his experiences. While exhausting, he found barriers disappeared and felt he could give something, through images and sounds, in a way the people had given to him.
Conclusion
The festival far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Despite budget constrains and lack of publicity, it was a remarkable success. For several reasons. One being the effort and hard work by everyone involved. Second, in the organizational skills of Arief as festival director and Ginggi, as village head of Jatiwangi, being sensitive to and understanding the needs and the desires of the community. The third reason was the creation of relationships between the artists and villagers, leading to new, profound and continuing friendships.
During the residency, the artists experienced the life, traditions and culture of the people of Jatiwangi and used local materials from Jatiwangi for their works. Artists, in turn, shared their own cultural backgrounds and perspectives with their hosts. Those unfamiliar with Bahasa or Sundanese, used body language to communicate and learned simple phrases and words in Bahasa from their hosts. Ari Taher volunteered as the official translator for the festival and although she had no professional experience in translating, her job became a whole new
experience for her.
The artists felt overwhelmed by the whole event. There were so many moments when we cried as a result of the touching messages conveyed through the performances. There was a sense of community when everyone came together, either to ‘chit-chat’ or just have a meal. Overall, there was a wonderful sense of energy and togetherness.
Community art is a growing local, regional, national, international phenomenon. It is a collaboration that often requires far more effort than independent work. In JAF’08, artists were honoured to be given an opportunity to create their art and engage with the community in the most rewarding and meaningful manner possible. It was a privilege for all of us.
