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Bali Arts Festival Through
the Years
Balinese
people, since 1978, have had cultural activity
held annually. One cultural activity that
is more dazzling is the Bali Arts Festival
(BAF). The cultural activity that takes
places for a month in June-July does not
merely fulfill the intentions of Balinese
people that long for entertainment, but
also becomes a forum and filler for pupils
or students’ spare time because June-July
is the long vacation for school and campus
in Bali.
Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra, the Governor
of Bali for the 1978-1988 terms was the
initiator of the BAF. “This Bali Arts
Festival actually constitutes a basic medium
to flourish the affectionate senses. Through
this love will develop an appreciation for
art creativity leading to diversity and
art-culture that comes to be national identity,”
Mantra said when opening the 1st BAF on
Wednesday Umanis (the first of five-day
week in Balinese calendar system) 20 June
1979.
Mantra who is a cultural observer, former
Director General of Cultural Affairs and
of Bali origin of course genuinely understood
the potential and cultural cluster of Bali.
Various cultural activities stream in day-to-day
life of the Balinese that are related to
religious rites, ranging from family to
clan level, hamlet, customary village and
on up to overall ritual levels for the entire
community of Bali.
It is undeniable that arts are present on
every occasion as mentioned above. The arrangement
of young coconut leafs for offerings, divine
hymns, dances, strings of gamelan ensemble
and so forth are the real manifestation
of arts in day-to-day life of the Balinese.
More interestingly is the fact that the
presence of arts are not artificial nor
compulsive, but integrated spontaneity and
totality, even in daily secular life. Just
have a look at the form of kitchenware,
ceramics, costumes to house architecture
and sanctums. All are real products of art
in front of us.
Such reality is at all times built into
the medium of BAF. This cultural event as
its name says particularly serving Balinese
arts as its main “course”, completed
with appetites and the glow of a “party”.
The first time, BAF was held for more than
two months, from 20 June to 23 August 1979
by presenting several performances including
the dance-drama entitled the Spinning of
Mount Mandhara and Ramayana of the I, II
and III sequel. In the following years,
BAF was held for an entire month from the
mid of June to that of July coinciding with
school holidays.
In essence, BAF puts on five presentations,
namely: (1) Customary and arts parade; (2)
Arts and crafts exhibition; (3) Arts performance
or presentation; (4) Competition; and (5)
Cultural seminar or discussion.
It does not only give emphasis and opportunity
for traditional arts but also on contemporary
art to fill in the BAF. However, it should
be said that the emphasis is focused on
the traditional arts of Bali as BAF essentially
constitutes a crystallization medium of
discovery, development and supervision attempts
of Balinese traditional arts and culture
in the framework of regional arts and cultural
preservation.
Mode of art that previously is unknown,
or remains to leave just in a name, still
has high ‘value’ is to be flown
off again into the surface. For instance,
the ‘Gambuh’ drama-dance that
becomes the basic of all Balinese dances
seemingly making the youngsters bored recently
is now (in BAF) put onto the stage again.
Arja opera that has ever been popular in
the past, and now gradually growing faint
and is pushed again to the limit to get
appreciation. Many others also come as contributions
from several regencies with their distinctiveness.
Beyond that, modern arts gets proportional
capacity. Adi Merdangga, a marching band
group founded by ASTI (now STSI then renamed
to ISI) Bali, even came to be remarkably
popular and presented in the front line
of the parade every year. Other products
of art like modern painting that has Western
influence as in impressionism, cubism, surrealism
style that enrich the exhibition are held.
In addition, it is also displayed versatile
handicrafts like beautifully carved household
utensils, ceramics, bamboo plaits, ikat
woven products, gold and silver craft and
myriad other art and craft products. The
exhibition of Balinese architecture that
intermingles the traditional style and modern
condition is shown to the wider public.
It means that the BAF, apart from being
a medium of Balinese culture, also maintains
the continuity aspect of the art itself.
Therefore, it is reasonable enough if the
Regional Government of Bali has a commitment
to stay executing it every year. It is carried
in the form of Regional Legislation (Perda)
No.7/1986. Hence, BAF is no more just a
state of existince, but it should be exist
considering that, its juridical base has
been established and legal.
There are five points as the objective of
BAF that would like to be reached pursuant
to the Regional Legislation No.7/1986. Firstly,
to stimulate and develop creation and art-cultural
activities that is not contrasting to the
national personality. Secondly, to stimulate
and give the opportunity, extension and
promotion of trade, industrial, investment,
folk craftsmanship and services sector and
economic activities in general. Thirdly,
to stimulate and develop the tourism industry.
Fourthly, to deliver a healthy entertainment
to the society. Fifthly, to stimulate and
develop educational and informative enterprises
in spiritual and material aspect.
The five objectives mentioned above obviously
contain entertainment, education, information
and economic aspects, apart from giving
emphasis on the aspect of ‘new invention’
and creativity for the works of the art
itself.
Since it has first been held, BAF is recorded
as national cultural event in Bali. The
Head of the State, President Soeharto came
to Bali to open the BAF 1987 and considered
the activity was worth executing periodically
in several regions to avoid the extinction
of local and traditional arts themselves.
“The extinction of a certain mode of
our national art is a great loss that is
not comparable to material object. Once
the mode of such regional art gets lost
from the life of our community, it will
disappear forever.”
As a cultural event in national capacity,
BAF is opened and witnessed by high ranking
national officials. Madame Tien Soeharto
inaugurated it in 1982, the Vice President,
Coordinating Ministers of Social Welfare
did it several times (Surono in 1990, 1981;
Alamsyah Ratuprawiranegara in 1985 and Soepardjo
Roestam in 1990) and Minister of Education
and Culture. Then, President Megawati always
did it since occupying the position as Vice
President and later came to be the President
of RI.
The endeavors of Bali to preserve the traditional
culture ultimately is not in vain and the
initiative carried out by Bali, assuredly,
pleases cultural development of the nation,
the beloved country of Indonesia.
Soeharto’s Era is known as the New
Order, here and now is known as reformation
era. However, BAF should continue to go
ahead as though it was never influenced
by political situations at home. Proved,
when the position of Soeharto handed over
to BJ Habibie, Abdurahman Wahid (Gus Dur)
and Megawati Soekarnoputri, the execution
of BAF became more and more dazzling. Its
participants never diminish, either the
spectators or artists that taking part.
They are not only of home origin of Indonesia,
but also of foreign countries of which numbers
are increasing. (BTN/*)
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