Art and Culture

Indonesian culture mixes the traditions of many civilizations and religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Southeast Asian, Polynesian, Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch. Since independence, the arts in Indonesia have been influenced by domestic politics.

Indonesia is blessed with a rich and diverse mix of traditional cultures and art forms. The basic principles, which guide life across this colorful tapestry of life-styles, include the concepts of mutual assistance or “gotong royong” and communal meetings and gatherings or "musyawarah" to arrive at a consensus or "mufakat". Derived from the traditions of agriculturally based rural life, this system is still very much in use in community life throughout the country. Social life, as well as rites of passage, is steeped in ancient traditions and customs, or "adat" laws have a binding impact on Indonesia life and have been instrumental in maintaining equal rights for women in the community. Religious influences on communal life vary from island to island and village to village, depending on local history.

Art forms in Indonesia are not only derived from folklore, as in many other parts of the world. Many were developed in the courts of former kingdoms, as in Bali, where they are integral elements of religious ceremonies. The famous dance dramas of Java and Bali are derived from Hindu mythology and often feature fragments from the Ramayana and Mahabrata Hindu epics.

Architecture

Indonesian modern art is an adaptation of modern art in other parts of the world, flavored with Indonesian cultural influences. Modern Indonesian art is often traced to the formation, in 1937, of the Union of Indonesian Artists.
Indonesia has a long and grand architectural tradition. Indian influence is evident in the large Buddhist monument of Borobudur and the Hindu temple of Prambanan, both in central Java. Borobudur is Indonesia's most famous tourist attraction. Built in the 9th century, it is a representation of the Buddhist vision of the cosmos. Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple complex in Java, was built during the 8th and 10th centuries. Arabic and Chinese Muslims have influenced the architectural style of mosques throughout Java.

The government, with international aid, has worked to preserve much of its architectural heritage, including Borobudur. Some sites, however, are threatened by rapid economic development. Meanwhile, many of the new structures in Jakarta, particularly in the city's business center, show the modernist and postmodernist influences of contemporary architecture.

Literature

Written literature exists for very few of Indonesia's languages, although oral traditions, including prose and poetry, are very strong. Indian literature is influential, particularly in Old Javanese writings, which date from about AD 1000. Modern Javanese literature dates from the early 1700s and combines native, Indian, and Muslim traditions. Writing in Malay flourished after becoming the official language of the Indonesian people in 1928.

Libraries and Museums

Indonesia has about 20 major libraries, located mainly in the cities of Bandung, Bogor, Jakarta, and Yogyakarta. The National Archives and the Library of the National Museum are in Jakarta, as is the National Library, which includes a number of special collections.

Established in 1862, the National Museum in Jakarta has a significant collection of cultural objects from Indonesia's ethnic groups and is among the most renowned museums in Southeast Asia. Jakarta also has a Textile Museum and the Abri Satriamandala Army Museum. The latter features many dioramas depicting scenes of Indonesia's struggle for independence, as well as weapons and military equipment. Jakarta is also home to Taman Mini Indonesia, a theme park that represents the diverse cultures of Indonesia. The park includes houses that are built using the designs and materials characteristic of each province and district.

The Freedom Building (Gedung Merdeka) in Bandung is dedicated to the anticolonial Bandung Conference of Asian and African countries held in Indonesia in the 1950s. Yogyakarta has the Sono-Budoyo Museum, which houses Javanese, Balinese, and Madurese arts; and the Diponegoro Museum, which contains relics of the 19th-century Javanese hero Prince Diponegoro. The Bali Museum in Denpasar has a collection of Balinese arts and crafts, including architecture. Most regional cities have museums dedicated to local history. For example, Fort Rotterdam in Makassar dates to 1667 and houses two museums with a large collection of cultural artifacts from South Sulawesi.

Handicrafts

The crafts of Indonesian vary in both medium and style. As a whole, the people are artistic by nature and express themselves with canvas and paint, wood, metal, clay and stone. Indonesian artists create some of the finest woodcarvings to be found anywhere in the world. Paintings of an infinite variety, both traditional and contemporary, are to be found all over the country. The silverware and engravings of Yogyakarta and Sumatra, and filigree of South Sulawesi are famous throughout Indonesia.

The batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries ago and classic designs have been modified with modern trends in both pattern and technology. There are several batik centers on Java, in which the major ones are in Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon. Batik is also being produced in Bali, where local designs are incorporated. Artist in West Sumatra and Kalimantan produce hand-woman cloths with gold and silver threads, silk, and cotton of fantastically intricate design. On the islands of Sumba and Flores you can find the traditional Ikat, a type of weaving with hand-dyed threads.

Indonesia is an art-collector's and hands-crafts shopper's paradise and you will probably end up buying an extra suitcase just to pack all your treasures home with you.

Dance

Indonesia is home to many traditional dance styles, and the classical dance traditions of Java and Bali have attracted worldwide attention. In Java, classical forms blend native traditions with stories and dance techniques from India. The forms have evolved over the last 200 years from the dances of Java's former Islamic-influenced courts and today are centered in Yogyakarta, Surakarta, and Jakarta. The most significant of the Javanese court dances are the bedaja and the serimpi. Slow and restrained, women dancers move solemnly to the accompaniment of the gamelan and choral singing. Javanese mask dances (wayang topeng) have been traced to the 11th century. In these, dancers with wooden masks based on traditional three-dimensional rod puppets (wayang golek) act out stories from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and local tales. The most famous of these tales is The Adventures of Prince Panji. Another significant dance drama is the wayang orang, in which men and women act out a familiar range of Indian and local epics. In the wayang orang, dancers dress and act in a style adapted from traditional shadow puppets (wayang kulit).

Bali has a rich tradition of dances that are part of religious rituals. Often performed by nonprofessionals, dances are held in temple courtyards and coincide with religious feasts. The sacred baris gede is a battle dance performed by men, while another secular form of baris has been developed for the tourist market. Women dance the sacred rejang to evoke beauty. Bali is also well known for its trance dances, in which performers experience an altered state of consciousness and seek contact with the spirit world. In the Sang Hyang, a genre of trance dances in remote villages, men are believed to become possessed by animal spirits that bring about ritual purification of the community. Adolescent girls dance the Sang Hyang dedari.

The Balinese perform versions of Java's wayang wong and wayang topeng, but the legong is Bali's best-known dance. Two or three young girls perform the dance, which tells fragments of stories from the life of Prince Panji. The legong dates from the 18th century, although it draws on older traditions. Several regional governments pay performers to dance, both to foster identity and to promote tourism.