Home | Vol 7 Table of Contents | Previous Issues | Contact Us: 07 55278753 / 0405463663 | Email: judybyronbay@yahoo.com
Report from Cynthia - Cultural Networker
Anin Murak Choir From East Timor Visits Lismore NSW
On the 9th November 2000, the Catholic Cathedral in Lismore rang with the joyous voices of "Anin Murak" ("Golden Wind") Choir from the Parish of Balide, Dili. The delighted audience enjoyed a night of East Timorese folk-songs all sung in Tetum, and also their English rendition of "Waltzing Matilda".
The choir has been presented in New South Wales for a one month tour, by the Mary McKillop Institue of East Timorese Studies, together with the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and the University of Western Sydney Nepean. The Twenty-three young singers are members of the larger St. Cecilia Choir. There are four other choirs in the parish of Balide, Dili, so there is much competition for an opportunity to sing at Mass on Sundays. Their choir-master is Paulo Perira, aged twenty eight years, who is drawing from these young people, an inspired performance. Not one of them has ever had a formal musical education apart from their choral experience. They obviously love singing their folk-songs about their daily traditional life, and expressing love for Timor-Lorosae. Behind their shining faces, all these young people have horrific memories of fear and tragedy striking their lives and families, however they sing for joy because now they are free. Paulo Perira said in his introductory words, "We come here to show you we are still alive, and we come here to sing for you, to thank all Australian people who have helped us in our fight for freedom." Sister Susan, from the Mary McKillop Institute explained that all of the forty-two schools run by the Institute in East Timor have lost all of their books. The Institute has an aim to produce a literacy programme for primary schools in the local language, Tetum, and this project was begun in early 1994 at the request of Bishop Belo. Now they must begin all over again. An enjoyable addition to the night of song, was the opportunity to look at an exhibition of sixty-four poster designs which were submitted by third-year graphic-arts students from the University of Western Sydney-Nepean. (This group toured extensively throughout regional NSW with a very full program of concerts in: UWS Nepean, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Cranebrook, Castle Hill, Kotara South, Maitland, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Wauchope, St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Cobar, Coolah, Dunedoo, Dubbo, Bathurst, Wollongong, Kangaroo Valley, Goulburn, Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Noth Sydney, Penrith, Springwood, NSW State Parliament, Sydney Town Hall, Sutherland, Hunters Hill - in one month!! - Ed) Art Auction for East Timor at Currumbin, Gold Coast For the second time, ELEPHANT ROCK CAFE in association with PANDANUS ART SERVICES, have staged an art auction to raise money for aid for East Timor. One year ago, $10,000 was sent directly to the people through the connection with an Australian Catholic Priest who is working in East Timor. On 2nd December 2000 another successful art-auction has raised further funds for the rebuilding of society in East Timor. The organisers contact local artists for donations of works for auction and both of the auctions have been very well supported by local artists and art-lovers eager to assist in this very real way."Love-letter" to Indonesia from Astri Wright
Astri Wright, PhD. is Associate Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art and Modern Indonesian Art at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She is also the author of the book "Soul, Spirit, and Mountain: Preoccupations of Contemporary Indonesian Painters", published by Oxford University Press 1994.
Following a recent e-group discussion about a photographic exhibition held in Jakarta, depicting the peoples' culture, Astri was moved by her passionate heart to express the following beautiful feelings:
........Besides congratulations to the artists and the participants in the event, and to everyone who values this kind of 'coming together' of people in celebration and entertainment and exploration/questioning, which goes across religious, political and economic (plus other) lines, I wanted to add one more thing - I think Indonesians have MUCH to be proud of. Indonesian artists as well as Indonesian people in general. While it would be a very long writing exercise indeed to go into what these things are, I personally need to put into writing here that I have learned many of the most important lessons in my life in Indonesia.
These are lessons about living well, in the sense of the importance of being a good, generous, kind and aware social being. In the sense of taking time out for people, and peoples' needs, from the straight-jackets of professional busy-ness and task-orientation. Awareness of the centrality of life-transitions and maintaining our perspective of what's more important and what's less, or not important, and the ability to remain more detached in the cases where a Euro-American reactiveness and argumentativeness might be triggered unnecessarily and destructively.
I have valued deeply, lessons learned in Indonesia ( and in China and India) of the value in making one's "business" more personal/personable.. of bridging the personal and professional, and the individual and the social. More important than any other lessons perhaps, is the place I see given in Indonesia, to the possibility of maintaining the intuitive, the less tangible, the energy-based, the creative, the subconscious, the supra-conscious, etc, as the central focii of respect and engagement and as sources of knowledge and communication in our daily lives and in our definition of "intelligence". My list goes on and on. Of course I know there are many exceptions to these qualities in Indonesia, but I have found them in greater abundance there than anywhere else I have lived ( which is of course, a limited number of places) The sheer numbers of foreign people who become enamored with or rooted in Indonesia, I think testifies to this. When I go to Indonesia I become more fully alive, more completely orchestrated as an instrument, as a human being. Dear Indonesian friends, you have much to be proud of. Never let anyone talk you out of this feeling. Also you have I believe, the humility to make sure that such a feeling never turns into blinders to the areas of imbalance, craziness, violence, corruption etc that need attention around you, and as we all see around us where-ever we live. Remember that these should not be labelled "Indonesian". I will remain grateful for the rest of my days, for my time in Indonesia and even if the world-order were to break down and I could never return, a large part of my heart will always tremble when I think of friends, places and experiences there. Salam hangatAstri
Postscript
Astri has so far received this response from someone who wishes to remain anonymous but who is an Indonesian/Canadian, living in Canada.
"I am moved to say thank-you for your letter to the e-group about your appreciation of Indonesia. It has always been important to me, I might say vitally important to me, to know that there are other ways of behaving, of relating, of being. I needed to find the strength to rise above my upbringing, to seek an authentic path however remote, and search for my origins. In Indonesia, I certainly felt at home and at peace spiritually, and not at peace on (the other aspects of) my difficult search. I guess I want to thank you for raising, specifically, in such a bizarre and apparently coincidental way, the importance of a "foreign" set of social and human values, and the deep value of the "other" even as we somewhere/somehow embody that within. Thank God we are not all alike."
News about Nurkholis: Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur
Right: Nurkholis and his wife Hety
Nurkholis is a member of Australia Indonesia Arts Alliance whose works and further biographical information may be viewed if you visit our "Virtual Gallery" on-line. He is thirty-two years old, living and painting full-time in Yogyakarta. His recent exhibition in Yogyakarta attracted much interest and wide media attention.
On Sunday 12th November 2000 Nurkholis'exhibition of paintings opened at "Art Case Gallery, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There was a live performance by Nurkholis, demonstrating the use of the naked body as a painting tool. By this method he produces very beautiful canvases. In the previous edition of 'Inspirasi' you will find a full description in my review of his Yogyakarta exhibition held in July 2000.
The opportunity and assistance to mount the exhibition in Kuala Lumpur was offered by KL businessman Mr Rosalie and his wife Cinzia. They have business interests in Yogyakarta and Ros is a devoted patron of Yogyakarta artists and an art collector. They are soon opening their own art gallery - A.J. Art Gallery in KL.
At the opening of Nurkholis' latest exhibition, besides the live performance by the artist, a video was also screened for the information of art-lovers, fascinated to see the process by which Nurkholis creates these intriguing, ethereal images. Four of the paintings sold before the opening. Cinzia has told me that the response to the exhibition has been very satisfactory, considering that he is a foreign artist in Malaysia, and that this is a controversial and unique technique of painting, especially in such a conservative society this. Cinzia writes: "In Malaysia art is very limited and restricted to Malaysian artists. For an Indonesian artist to penetrate and strike in Malaysia is very difficult. Despite this he got a good response from the local press. Articles about Nurkholis are being published and we have reason to believe that slowly his name will be on the mouth of many art collectors in Malaysia."