American Batik Design Competition and Batik Fashion Show in San Francisco

Indonesia continues to make efforts to promote batik. For this purpose, Indonesian representatives in the United States launched batik design competition and batik fashion show. American Batik Design Competition (ABDC) and batik fashion show for San Francisco and surrounding areas has been launched on Saturday, April 30, 2011 (April 29 U.S. time) at Wisma Indonesia. ABDC launched in San Francisco was conducted following the previous events in Washington DC on April 8, 2011 and New York on April 20, 2011. Competition with the theme "The Spirit of America in the Heritage of Batik" is expected to encourage the cultural syncretism (confluence of civilization and culture) which is increasingly emerging in the 21st century.

This launching event was attended by the Consular Corps and universities such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, California College of the Arts (CCA), San Francisco Academy of Art, City College of San Francisco (CCSF), San Francisco State University (SFSU) and University of San Francisco (USF) as well as observers and fans of Indonesian textiles.

Javanese classical dance and a video about making batik were shown. Audiences were amazed while watching the batik fashion show by members of Dharma Wanita of Consulate General of Indonesia (KJRI) in San Francisco. Batik products shown were ranging from shirts, casual dresses, kain (a long clothe) completed with traditional and modern kebaya.

Source:

Picture - Original picture here and here.

Post - kemlu.go.id, May 3, 2011 & deplu.go.id, April 11, 2011.

9:01 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Batik Paintings Exhibition by Poland Artist

Are you batik lovers? Indonesian people are not the only who love batik. A Poland artist, Mrs. Dorota Wielkosielec is in love with this beautiful patterned fabric. Mrs. Dorota Wielkosielec is exhibiting approximately 50 pieces of her monumental batik painting from April 28 until May 29, 2011 at the Museum of Textile in Łódż, Poland. Indonesian Ambassador for Poland attended this exhibition in order to fulfill the invitation from Marcin Oko, Director of the Textile Museum of Łódż.

Batik paintings by Mrs. Dorota Wielkosielec are all in abstract motif. Among her batik paintings, there's a painting depicting the city at night with lights, and there's also a painting with bird wings motif. Her batik paintings are made as artwork and for decoration. Since 2001, Mrs. Dorota Wielkosielec has been giving batik training at the Center of Education and Culture in Warsawa. She has also been asked to give batik training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsawa. She often holds batik exhibitions such as in Warsawa (in 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2004), Siedle (in 1999 and 2003), and Łódź (2005).

Batik for Indonesian people is not only considered as a textile product that is used for everyday wear, but as a textile product with taste of art, value and pholosophy. Batik has been confirmed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from Indonesia on October 2, 2009. The Ambassador's presence at the exhibition shows that batik is a heritage from Indonesia and that Indonesia is very supportive toward the development of batik in the world, including Poland.

Source:

Picture - Original picture here. 

Post - kemlu.go.id, April 29, 2011.

12:11 PM | 0 komentar | Read More

Indonesia's Heritage Corner in South Africa

Last week, precisely on April 22, 2011, the Consulate General of Republic of Indonesia (Konsul Jenderal RI or KJRI) in Cape Town, South Africa, Mrs. Sugie Harijadi inaugurated the opening of the Indonesian Cultural Heritage Corner called Indonesia's Heritage Corner (IHC). IHC is located in Port Elizabeth city, Easter Cape Province, South Africa. IHC inauguration was also accompanied by the inauguration of the Easter Cape Muslim Heritage Museum (ECMHM). This museum illustrates the life of Malay descent South African people who joined the Eastern Cape Malay Cultural Society (ECMCS).

"IHC located in ECMHM museum is the result of cooperation between KJRI and ECMCS. IHC was formed with the aim of helping the community of Indonesian desecnt in South Africa to trace their ancestral root," explain Mrs. Sugie Harijadi. IHC is also expected to help promote Indonesian culture, art, and economic, as well as the history of relationship between Indonesia and South Africa.

In IHC there are various kinds of information, such as maps that tell the origins of the Indonesian people became the ancestors of Cape Malay community in South Africa. There's also a picture of Sheikh Yusuf Al-Makasari Al-Bantani, an Indonesia who is highly respected and recognized as a National Hero in South Africa. This picture comes with a history about him, from his birth until the moment he was exiled by the Dutch to Tanjung Harapan or Cape of Goof Hope (now Cape Town), until he passed away and buried in Kramat Macasar Cape Town. From this information, it's expected that the Cape Malay community understand that their ancestors came from Indonesia, not from Malaysia since the word 'Malay' is always associated with Malaysia.

In other parts of IHC, there's a part displays the history of Jakarta formely known as Batavia, which became the center of VOC in controlling their colonies on the East Indies (now Indonesia), including controlling the Cape of Good Hope (now Cape Town). In IHC, there's also information about Wali Songo and several famous mosques in Indonesia. IHC is also equipped with a display of Al-Qur'an and mannequiens dressed with Muslim clothes, books about Indonesia, calligraphies, and miniature of Phinisi ship which is the pride of Bugis/Makasar, Sheikh Yusuf's homeland.

Inauguration of IHC and ECMHM in Port Elizabeth attended by hundreds of resident who joined in ECMCS. The opening of the museum located next to Sabireen Mosque begun with a prayer by Imam of Sabireen Mosque. KJRI plans to build some Indonesia's Heritage Corners in other places. Furthermore, KJRI will promote Indonesia through Splash Festival 2011, also held in Port Elizabeth. 

Source:

Picture - Original picture here. 

Post - kemlu.go.id, April 28, 2011.

8:32 AM | 0 komentar | Read More

Saman Dance to be Acknowledged by UNESCO

Have you ever seen Saman dance performance? Saman dance is a Gayo tribal dance, usually performed during important celebrations or events. Recently the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that Saman dance from Gayom which is performed by male dancers have been registered and will be acknowledged by UNESCO. The type of Saman dance registered is the original version from Gayo. This dance will be acknowledge and affirmed by UNESCO as world cultural heritage in November 2011. Thus, many more Indonesian cultures have been acknowledged by UNESCO, such as wayang, keris, batik, and angklung.

The efforts to register the Saman dance to finally be acknowledged and included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity have been doing since several years ago. Until now, there are 11 Indonesian cultural heritages acknowledged by UNESCO.

Source:

Picture - Original picture here.

Post - MetroTVNews.com & Kompas.com, April 28, 2011 & id.wikipedia.org

2:56 PM | 1 komentar | Read More

Film about Bajo Tribe Received an International Award

 

One more Indonesian film received an international award. Film "The Mirror Never Lies" which tells about the story in Bajo Tribe in Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi was awarded an Honorable Mention from Global Film Initiative on April 14, 2011. The film was considered worthy of Honorable Mention award based on criteria of artistic presentation, storyline, and cultural perspectives in everyday life.

The film produced by Garin Nugroho is a joint partnership among the government of Wakatobi, World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia, and the SET Film Workshop. Kamila Andini the director said that the idea of the film is inspired by sea state of Indonesia. "As one of the sea lovers, I want to lift the story of Bajo culture," she continued.

According to the director who was familiarly called Dini, the film "The Mirror Never Lies" is the first wide screen film directed by her. She stated that this film isn't a documentary but it's a family film that elevates local knowledge Bajo Tribe through everyday life and culture.

The film starred by Reza Rahardian, Atiqah Hasiholan, and three Wakatobi children, Gita, Eko, and Zainal took two years to complete. The constraints that Dini, crews and the actors/actresses faced were many decisions to be taken, they had to do some research since documentation concerning Bajo Tribe is very limited. Weather also hindered the process of filming.

The film is scheduled to be premiered in theaters in five cities in Indonesia and there'll be watching the movie together event in Wakatobi. Remarkably, there are several countries that have requested the film to be shown there, including Australia, India, China (Hong Kong), and Malaysia.

Marketing and Communication Director of WWF Indonesia, Devy Suradji, expects that through this film there'll be more parties to give more attention to preserve the rich biodiversity in the World's Coral Triangle.

Source:

Picture - Original picture here and here.

Post - Kompas.com, April 27, 2011.

10:19 PM | 0 komentar | Read More