FKY XI / 1999

Yogyakarta Art festival

Opening Ceremony, June 7, 1999

After the whole area of Indonesia organized a peaceful general election today, the Jagyanese was entertained by the art performance in the evening of 07.30 p.m. at the famous Tugu monument.

It was the opening ceremony of Yogyakarta Art Festival/FKY XI, officially opened by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, the governor of Special Region of Yogyakarta. the cheerful show was led by two well-known M.Cs-Lusy Lakshita and Butet Kartarejasa, amid colorful lighting and sound system display.

Various kinds of arts from traditional (Angguk dance) to contemporary dance (The United Flag) were attractively performed. Sri Sultan in his short but clear message said that a successful art festival needs innovation and creativity in continuity an art must have a root in the traditional art, which could be developed in accordance with the charge of situation toward the third millenium. Then the alarming sound of wooden drum (kentongan) filled the air of Yogyakarta. Some musicians were marching from Tugu to North Square under the coordination of two young musicians: Setyadji Dewanto and Setianto Prajoko.

Programs:
This year and next year Art Festival is chaired by a famous artist Sapto Raharjo. The Yogyanese art society believes that Sapto Raharjo should be able to do his best to make the yearly festival a successful one.

This year prominent programs are:
Art market including painting exhibition, held at Fort of/Beteng Vredeburg every day.

Selectively on Sundays, some paintings of 35 painters are exhibited. This year, there are 370 paintings from 122 painters are for sale. There is a special exhibition "Three generation of Yogyakarta fine artists" June 07 to 20 and June 24 to July 07, 1999.

Fine arts to remember
To respect artists who have passed away, an exhibition to commemorate their works of master-piece was held in Bentara Budaya on June 14, 1999. The creative works of the late Tino Sidin, Betara Lubis, Nasjah Djamin, R.J Katamsi were exhibited.

Ritual Dance
As a follow up of dance reflection held in 'societet militer' in the Beteng Vredeburg compound from June 14 to 19, 1999, a ritual dance was performed in Hondrowino stage at Ratu Boko temple, Prambanan.

Wayang
From June 20 to 30, 1999, an exhibition of wayang Beber is organized at the show room of K.R. daily, Jln. Mangkubumi 42, Tugu. The 24 meters of wayang Beber painting, the work of a painter from Klaten, Pak Musyafiq, represents the duplicate of original wayang Beber belong to Pak Sernen from Karangtalun, Kedompol, Donoharjo, Pacitan.

At present, there are only two wayang Beber outside the kraton wall, the other one is in the village of Gelaran, Gunung Kidul Yogyakarta. Musyafic, who has a permanent showroom in Kios Seni Kaki Lima Klaten, paints also wayang with innovated stories, such as, Ande-ande Lumut, golden Cucumber etc.

Exhibition of wayang reliefs
In Goro Art Studio and Joglo Jago, in West Wirosaban, a creation by Ki Sukasman opened as from June 10 to July 7, 1999. There was also a workshop of 'classical wayang in experiment'

Music
A merry special music show, 'people coronation of underground music' was perform on Saturday night, June 12, 1999, in the front yard of the regional representative office, in the heart of the famous Malioboro street, the down-town of Yogya.

Soon after Yogyakarta's 'something wrong' group began, the 5000 spectators enthusiastically came closer to the stage and head-bang. Several prominent undergrounds from across the country played the music of death metal to hard-core, back-up by a powerful sound system. Everybody was extremely happy!

The undergrounds enthusiasts were given a chance to have a discussion on Sunday afternoon, June 13, 1999 on the sidewalk in front of Gedung Agung, Yogyakarta. speaking at vivid discussion were some prominent musicians of the country, among other Remy Silado, Sapto Raharjo, Krisna, Dewo etc.

The other attraction was 'Moving Around Music' held spontaneously in several places, as several bus stations, in various regencies of Yogya.

This aim to present music and art shows to be closer to the people of the far corners of Yogya, not only to people of Yogya city. The attraction are supported by some automobile fan clubs such as Mercedes, V.W, Fiat, American jeeps etc.

'Music parade in Malioboro' was held as from June 7 to 11, 1999 by Malioboro art artists

Film shows
Several European films shall be projected at societet Building. The films are from France, Germany, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, England, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands etc.

Ketoprak and Comedies
The favorite people's culture theater ketoprak, with stories of ancient Javanese kingdoms have a performance place at Taman Purna Budaya, at the same place some comedies shall be performed. Many local well known artists shall take part in the shows.

Gamelan etc.
The festival should not be complete without Gamelan music performance. Joglosemar Online is still expecting to receive from the FKY committee a complete program of activities.

The sounds of the Gamelan
Without gamelan music performance, the art festival in Yogyakarta, should be like cooking food with no spices. Gamelan is already renown world-wide, some sory it's belong not only to Javanese or Indonesian but it is international property. The yearly gamelan festival within the FKY always draws serious attention from experts, fans, local and foreign.

The 3 days sounds of gamelan, July 2-4, 1999 in Purna Budaya building in Yogya, producing genuine and traditional in one side and 'combined' gamelan with other music instruments in the other side were fantastic breath-taking performance by several players and groups. Two local musicians showed their wonderful abilities during the opening of gamelan ceremony, Wiji with his gender and Sujud with his kendang. The Dutch 'Ansambel Gending' with 10 players and one conductor performed perfectly their new arrangement, including the 'rock-gamelan' beat which was enthusiastically applauded by the young-viewers. The 4 French gamelan musicians under the composer, Alex Grillo introduced the vibraphone in Javanese gamelan, in collaboration with 5 Indonesian gamelan players including, Sapto Raharjo, the chairman of FKY XI. It was a very special performance. A combined group, 2 kendang players of West Java and an Australian with kendang and jembe, an Aborigin Australian instrument, their show had become the center of attention during the festival.

The well-known musician, Sawung Jabo, with his friends had performed tremendously well by the combined use of gamelan and western music instruments.

The genunie-traditional gamelan ansemble from Institute of Indonesia's Art presented nostalgically the gamelan melody of 'ancient time'. It was marvellous, the atmosphere was a real Javanese!!

The address of FKY committee
Jalan Gayam No. 16
Phone. 0274-510415 , Fax 0274-588978
Yogyakarta