01 juli 2009 02:00

Thousands Hit The Streets To Celebrate Batik, Indonesia`s Cultural Treasure

A participant in the Solo Batik Carnival II sports an elaborate head piece on Sunday.
The carnival was a celebration of Indonesian art. (Photo: JG)

Solo, Central Java - Thousands of people lined Jalan Slamet Riyadi in the batik capital of the world on Sunday during the 2009 Solo Batik Carnival in Central Java.

Participants decked out in costumes featuring the traditional artwork walked and danced the 10-kilometer route to the delight of those in attendance.

Solo Mayor Joko Widodo said the event had attracted the attention of the world and had helped Dindin Wahyudin, the Indonesian deputy ambassador for Unesco in Paris, convince Unesco to list batik as part of the world‘s cultural heritage.

“In every entrance point to Solo — in Adi Soemarmo Airport, Balapan Railway Station and Tirtonadi Bus Station — we display a welcome banner stating that Solo is the ‘Batik Capital‘ of the world.”

Trade Minister Mari E Pangestu opened the festival. Wearing a batik costume reminiscent of those worn by the princesses of the Solo palace, she said that the annual carnival would raise Indonesia‘s global profile in the creative industries.

“We will never stop hoping people will visit Indonesia,” she said. “Not only coming here as tourists, but also to cooperate in the creative industries. The 2009 Solo Batik Carnival is a special moment to tell the world that batik is truly Indonesian.”

A number of foreign officials were in attendance, including Nico Barito, the honorary consul for the Republic of the Seychelles.

“It is like being in Rio de Janeiro,” he said. “But the costumes and the choreography are unique and that makes the event special.”

Dynand Fariz, who helped develop the event as a concept, said that batik was not always about the fabric. The motifs could also be displayed through masks.

“This event has a ‘mask‘ theme,” Dynand said. “We can promote batik and masks as part of our cultural wealth.”

Quintanova Rizqino, the coordinator of the 2009 Solo Batik Carnival Workshop, said that the event raised three mask characters: Panji Mask, Kelana Mask and Gecul Mask.

“Panji Mask tells about Rama and Shinta legend,” said Quinta. “There was also a character known as the Sekartaji Princess. Kelana Mask has a strong yet cruel character. Gecul Mask has a fun and amusing character with brighter colors.”

On Saturday, Quinta said that hundreds of the carnival participants had conducted workshops over the past two months. They also went to several traditional markets, shopping malls and community centers to promote the beauty of batik.

“This is the second Solo Batik Carnival in Solo,” he said. “Last year, the festival was so lively. Thousands came to watch the carnival. Thank God, this year the event is even livelier.”

In addition to the various costumes and masks, the carnival also featured beautiful choreography.

According to Susanto the Chief Committee of 2009 Solo Batik Carnival, all people were welcome to participate in the festivities.

“Some schools wanted their students to participate,” he said.

“That is okay, as long as they have batik as their costume design. Everyone can join the party. Let‘s be united — we simply cannot ever let batik be taken over by Malaysia or any other countries.”

People from all over the world attended the carnival.

Gunawan Setiawan, the leader of the Kampung Batik Kauman community in Solo, said that the festival was a positive development for batik and the city. He said that he wanted to see more events in the future.

“Don‘t just stop with this event,” he urged.

“We should include batik as our wonderful country‘s treasured and extremely important intellectual property. Support the development of batik!”

He said that protecting batik designs would be extremely difficult because so many people made batik. Chandra Malik

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.com (29 June 2009)

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