INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CULTURAL STUDIES - VOL. 1 NO. 1 JUNE (2019)

Online version available in : http://ijocsi.fib.unand.ac.id International Journal of Cultural Studies Indonesia

| ISSN 2715-7237 |

Article Postmodern Aesthetic Idioms in Tourism Performance

Anak Agung Gde Putera Semadi1 1 Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Dwijendra University, Bali, Indonesia

SUBMISSION TRACK ABSTRACT Recieved: March 28, 2017 Final Revision: May 03, 2017 Bali tourism performance art is a form of an art which is Available Online: May 15, 2017 purposely processed to be served to tourists. This art has theatrical and spectacular characteristics which accentuate the visual attractiveness more than sacred, magical, and symbolic KEYWORD values. Some kinds of art such as , Postmodern Aesthetic, Tourism Ballet, and Keris Dance, Monkey Dance, Face Mask Performance Art Dance, and Shadow Puppet Dance have been being main menu of art spectacle in Bali. Bali tourism performance art has CORRESPONDENCE appeared in a new package since 1980. This concept was E-mail: [email protected] dominantly affected by postmodern aesthetic characteristics such as : Pastiche, Parody, Kitsch, Camp, and Skizofrenia. Its

, purpose was to make performance art became more exotic which was related to economic interest. Therefore, many Bali cultural art activities included its sacred value have been eroded by a fast and fantastic secularization process in both quality and quantity.

INTRODUCTION Tourism performance art which is also known as art by metamorphosis, art of acculturation, psendo traditional art, or tourist art is an art includes (, dance, and drama) which is purposeful created to be served to tourists. Soedarsono in Dibia (2010) says that there are five special characteristics of tourism art such as (1) it is an artificial of the original one, (2) it has no sacred, magic, and symbolic values, (3) it is a short and concise original’s mini version, (4) it has full of varieties, and (5) it has an affordable price. Mostly, tourism art will put something which has theatrical and spectacular characteristics or visual attraction as well as visual performance as the first priority.

Bali performance art was dominated by some kinds of Balinese traditional art such as Legong (Legong Dance), Ramayana Fragmentation (), Barong (Barong and Keris Dance), and (Monkey Dance) until 1960. Then, Mask Dance Drama (Topeng) and

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Shadow Puppet have been being appeared since 1970 to increase the glory of touristic performance art.

Balinese art which has been packed into tourism performance art has experienced a lot of cultural valuable values secularization processes. These processes have affected the occurrence of new aesthetic form of that art itself which has been tailored to the interest of tourists as well as the condition of their era. This fact is one of art esthetic forms in postmodern era which contains some idioms such as: Pastiche, Parody, Kitsch, Camp, and Skizofrenia. The appearance of this aesthetic postmodern has also resulted in culture tourism became one of community’s economic source. One consequence which cannot be avoided is Balinese people will get the negative effect of this tourism industry.

The art of tourism performance which began to be popular in Bali around 1990s managed in adding cultural treasures, especially in the stage of Balinese art performance. The declaration of tourism as the main foreign exchange supplier beside petroleum and natural gas by Indonesia government resulted in a rapid development of the form of tourism performance art which are presented to foreign tourists such as Legong dance, Barong and Kris Dance, Ramayana Ramet (Ramayana Ballet), Kecak (Kecak and Fire Dance), Calonarang ballet, Tektekan, Joged Bungbung, Mask ballet, and shadow puppets in some areas in Bali such as Gianyar, Badung, Tabanan, Karangasem, Buleleng and Denpasar.

That productivity of tourism performance art is a result of Balinese traditional art packaging to tourists interest. This problem has led a secularization process of Balinese cultural values as the impact of a new aesthetics which is tailored to the postmodern aesthetic idioms such as Pastiche, Parody, Kitsch, Camp, and Schizophrenia.

In fact, since the 1980s, Balinese performance arts have emerged with new packaging, which some of them got the additional elements and others were deliberately packed as new creations. This creation resulted in the appearance of Kecak Ramayana which is completed by Dedari and Sanghyang Jaran (Kecak Sanghyang) , Kekebyaran art group, as well as Contemporary Cak dance. The idea is to make them as more exotic art performance which can attract tourists interest to watch it.

METHODS This study of postmodern aesthetic idioms in Bali tourism performance art were designed as a qualitative study with phenomenology approach. The primary data sources included key informant and supporters who were considered to have capacity and authority for Bali performance arts. Secondary data sources were obtained from observation records, books, scientific magazine and journals, personal and archives documents, official documents, photographs, as well as VCD (Video Compact Disct). Supporting instruments used were interview guides, tape recorder, voice recorder, photo camera, and field notes.

Methods and techniques which were used in this study were participative observation, deep interview, recording, document study, and focus group discussion (FGD). Analytical techniques were obtained through interpretation of facts, field data, and documents. All of them were done in a process which includes three activities simultaneously, namely: data reduction, data presentation, and withdrawal of conclusions (verification).

The presentation of data analysis in this study was done verbally by qualitative descriptive presentation technique. The logic was based on inductive and deductive reasoning. Then, this

10 ANAK AGUNG GDE PUTERA SEMADI / IJOCSI - VOL. 1. NO. 1 JUNE (2019) result study presentation was also done in the form of tables, drawings, or chart in order to be able to support the quality of the narration. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Bali Tourism Perfomance Art Past Time Legong, Ramayana Fragmentation, Barong, Kecak, Face Mask Dance, Shadow Puppet, and also Barong Kunti Sraya Dance were main menu of Bali Tourism Art Show in 1960 – 1970s. Barong Kunti Sraya dance which came from Singapadu Gianyar was also called as Barong and Keris Dance. This dance appeared in the beginning of 1960s with 60 minutes (1 hour) duration. It will always be started by Mapang and followed by a drama of life; the purpose of the show is to repel a lion and a monkey as the vermin plant. The core of this Kunti Sraya show is son of Pandu and Dewi Madri named Sahadewa has been scarified by Dewi Kunti who has been possessed by a devil that was sent by Batari Durga. This show will be ended by Keris Dance which always involves a trance.

It is not totally different if we compare this dance with Kecak Ramayana dance. They both have other names which are called by people. Kecak Ramayana dance is sold by many different names in the interest of tourists which actually all of them have the same meaning; those names are Monkey Dance, Angel Dance, or Fire Dance. The storyline of this dance are taken from 3 episodes, they are Aranya Kanda, Sundara Kanda, and Yudha Kanda. This dance tells us a story of Dewi Sita who is kidnapped by Prabu Rahwana. There is Jatayu bird which comes to safe Dewi Sita but it fails. Then, there are monkey soldiers which are under the leadership of Sugriwa finally succeed to safe her, therefore she can meet her husband Sri Rama. The condition of this art is quite stable and there is no any changes can even be seen. Present Time Bali tourism performance art has appeared in a new packaging since 1980s. An addition of some elements has been applied into old arts and even a new form has been created as well. It happens in Kecak Ramayana which is completed by Sang Hyang Dedari (Dedari and Jaran) dance in this decade in order to make this performance art becomes more exotic. This performance art is also called by Kecak Sang Hyang performance which is able to attract tourists more and leads this Kecak becomes a standard performance now in Bali.

Some leaders of Ubud community in Gianyar said that Kecak Ramayana has ever been performed in Ubud without being completed by Sang Hyang Dedari Dance in the end of the show which was resulted in a lack of tourists interested to watch the show, but it did not happen for a long period due to the leaders of north Ubud village made the performance was exactly same like before and they got normal amount of tourist who watched the show instead of only 200-250 before.

Bali tourism performance art moved slower during Bali bombing 1 and 2. Therefore, some artist in Bali tried to make new art creation as tourism art presentation such as there is group of Kekebyaran art, Contemporary Cak Dance, and also Dramatari . Regarding to Dibia (2010), there were at least 10 kinds of welcome dance which have been performed in this 2 last decades as tourism performance art. It has been begun by Pendet, Gabor, and and then followed by Pusperesti, Puspanjali, and Sekar Jagat, Gadung Melati, Selat Segara, Gadung Kasturi, and also Kebyar Dance. New creation as Manukrawa, Belibis, Cendrawasih,

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Satya Brastha and others have joined to enliven the tourism art performance together with Legong Kraton Dance, Baris, Oleg Tambulilingan, and etc.

There is one significant differentiation between Balinese traditional performance and tourism performance. Traditional Barong Ket performance will be started by a ceremony for religious purpose (Odalan) which is held in a temple and completed by religious symbols in each of its performance. On the other hand, tourism Barong Ket performance (which can be seen in Kesiman Denpasar) will perform on a stage without being accompanied by religious symbols.

Furthermore, some hotels and restaurants in Sanur routinely present Genggong art with its frog dance and even shadow puppet has been performed by inserting English figure dialogs (it usually uses Balinese and Kawi / Jawa Kuna language) in another place except hotel and restaurant. There are also other art performances such as Jegog Art from Jembrana and Tektekan Calonarang from Kerambitan, Tabanan. Then, contemporary cak which is widely known as Cak Rina can be only seen twice a month in certain days at ARMA Ubud as quite popular tourism performance art.

In other words, traditional art forms which are inserted into tourism performance must obey the tourism requirement. The changing surely happens in text and also context, Dibia gives an example which is related to this problem below:

“Barong dance which is usually performed at night, in 3 or 4 hours, should be showed in the morning in around 1 hour 20 minutes. Barong performance now can be performed anytime and mostly everywhere instead of only in certain days and time, therefore, it is resulted in the changing of Barong performance meaning from Magical ritual to routine theatrical show which has an entertain purpose”.

Regarding to the analysis above, a big development in Bali tourism art has been happened clearly. It led a lot of cultural activities which have sacred value have been turned to be tourist or tourism shows. Therefore, Bali cultural art unsure has been experienced secularization improvement in quality and quantity.

Postmodern Aesthetic Idioms There are some aesthetic idioms which follow postmodern culture in this cultural contemporary era. According to Frederic Jamerson (1966) and Piliang (2003: 125), those idioms are Pastiche, Parody, Kitsch, Camp, and Skizofrenia which are described as picture below:

(5) Skizofrenia (1) Pastiche

Postmodern (4) Camp Aesthetic Idioms (2) Parody

(3) Kitsch

Fig. 1: Postmodern Aesthetic Idioms

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Pastiche Pastiche is an art arranged by some elements which are borrowed from one or some past sources (artist, Style, Idiom, Culture). The synonym of “Pastiche” is “Loan”. Pastiche’s feature is it wants to present the past forms and lift them from history without being followed by the spirit of times. The characteristics of Pastiche are :

1. It has negative connotation as lack of creativity 2. It duplicates the existing one 3. It has no spirit of times 4. It only shows the visible things

Kecak Ramayana is one of Bali tourism performance art which has no any changing in its appearance and story. It still keeps everything same like it was created for the first time. It tells a story about “Dewi Sita who is taken by Rahwana. Jatayu bird comes to safe her at that time, but unfortunately it fails and lies on the earth when faces Rahwana in a war. Jatayu bird gives a clue for Rama that his wife is kidnapped by Rahwana, A King of Alengka. Rama comes to meet Rahwana and fights each other which leads a fierce war happens and it is ended by the victory of Rama”. The idea, style, and cosmetology of this story are totally pure and same as the original one before being performed as tourism performance art. It also happened to Legong, Ramayana Fragmentation, Barong, Tektekan Calonarang, Face Mask Dance, and Shadow Puppet which dominated the tourism performance art in 1960s and the end of 1970s.

Parody Parody is an art composition which includes idea and style / special phrase that is made by the artist. The synonym of word ‘Parody’ is ‘Joke’. The aim of Parody is as a criticism and a quip that are delivered by the touch of humor. It has funny, ironic, duplication, revivalism, and reconstruction characteristics.

A new packaging in Bali tourism performance art is characterized by the involvement of some performance art such as Martial Art, Joged Bumbung, Kecak, Legong, and Tektekan Barong which will be started by a procession. Well prepared, very authentic, and the use of religious Balinese cultural unsure are some things which can be seen in this art performance.

Tourism art attraction will start to insert Peed Agung procession which is completed by a chair of throne (Gayot) to bring the group leader who wears Balinese costume, Gebogan offering, , Bleganjur, and etc. People cultural unsure is not the only one thing which can show the secularization process in this show but also a joke of the use of those unsure, religious ceremony equipments, and some religious ceremonies which starts to be presented for the tourist also show the secularization process, duplication ironic, and misdirection (impure imitation) in performance art and also in religious life of the local community.

Kitsch Kitsch is all forms of art which have a low codification of esthetic. It has poor of originality, creativity, esthetic criteria, novelty value, creativity innovation, strong economic value, and also hyperrealism aesthetic (meaningless) which are ideological and spiritual mythologies. The synonym of word ‘Kitsch’ is ‘Forgery’. Its purpose is to falsify the past original art form which is related to economic interest. Bali traditional performance art is generally framed by three inseparable values, they are Satyam (the truth), Sivam (the sanctity), and Sundaram (the

13 ANAK AGUNG GDE PUTERA SEMADI / IJOCSI - VOL. 1. NO. 1 JUNE (2019) beauty). Sundaramnya (the beauty) is the most prominent value in Bali tourism performance art nowadays.

There are many tourism art attractions which are the artificial of their original version appear these days. These ‘artificial’ Balinese arts are performed in some hotels and other places that are usually be visited by tourist. One example of these arts is Sang Hyang Dance (Jaran and Dedari) which is performed on tourist performance stages. Regarding to Soedarsono’s point of view in Dibia (2001 : 41), it is said that :

“The dancers of these two sacred dances are not necessarily possessed during performance although they use ember like the original version. There are also many tourism events which are livened by some well arranged and decorated fruits and young coconut leaf which has a secular characteristic. It shows that there is a continuously exploitation happens to the rich of Balinese culture includes the sacred one which is always purified by Balinese Hindu people. Recently, many forms of Balinese culture tend to be sold to the tourist instead of its rules and traditions being followed by them. This fact is similar with tourism characteristic which leaves its sacred, magical, and symbolic values.

The recent form of performance art tends to make the audience satisfaction to be a priority which can lead them to pay more for watching the performance. Regarding to Kayam, the artist prefer showing Sundaram values (in wider meaning) to warranting the Gods of Heaven. They tend to entertain audience, official, and also people who have an authority in order to not only to get an income but also they will get formal recognition from the government. The orientation of an art seems to be worldly.

Camp Camp is a composition in artwork which has an extra aesthetic excessive, distortion, artificial, and theatrical characteristics. The synonym of word ‘Camp’ is “Creativity’. Its purposes are to give a way out which has characteristic of illusive and shallowness, emptiness and poverty of meaning, fill the emptiness by an experience in doing roles and sensation through the abnormality, and also an effort to take the art from a peak of a culture and present it to people. Basically, the main principal of camp aesthetic idiom is a copying. Its characteristics are subversive, hyperbola; sacrifice the content, exotic value, personal emotion, and etc.

Bali tourism performance art has already experienced a lot of changing. The artists of Bali tourism performance art tend to leave the sacred and religious values which stick with their art when they still use the simplest offering one. According to Ruastiti in Dibia (2010), one Bali tourism performance art in Mengwi is presented in a temple with show and dinner activities which are held in Madya Mandala (Jaba Tengah) and it is classified to be a new package of art without enclosing the symbol and religious values. It shows that there is a continuously exploitation happened to the rich of Balinese culture including the sacred one.

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a disorder of psychological and language structures which is showed by the break of a sign chain and meaning deviation which is resulted from a marker (form) is not connected with a sign (meaning) in a certain way. The synonym of ‘Schizophrenia’ is

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‘Disorder’. These idiom principles are contradiction, ambiguity, and there is no totality / split experience.

It is important to know that one characteristic orientation of Balinese people in doing an art is to please the invisible (Niskala) and visible (Sekala) world. The most preferred values in this kind of art are Satyam (the truth), Shivam (sanctity), and Sundharam (The beauty). Therefore, pornographic performance unsure in some of tourism performance art which is appeared recently is avoided. Generally, there are four things underlie the artificial activity of tourism performance art which are described on the picture below.

(1) Form

(4) Artistic 4 basics of creativity in Orientation tourism performance art (2) Content

(3) Context

Fig. 2: 4 Basics of Creativity in Tourism Performance Art

1. Performance Form Tourism performance has no a complete form anymore lately which is resulted from show duration compaction or some different unsure of art have been inserted.

2. Performance Content It is widely known that tourism performance art tends to emphasize “The Visual Beauty” and to put Sundharam unsure forward than Satyam and Shiva. Basically, these three unsure have colored Bali performance art since the beginning and until now though the package of tourism performance has already changed.

3. Performance Context Tourism performance art is not being oriented on space and time which are bound with religious ceremonies implementation anymore but on space and schedule of tourist visit. Therefore, that performance art can be presented many times in a week or even in a day which depends on tourist visit time.

4. Artistic Orientation Balinese art activity is being oriented on social servitude and spiritual devotion (Ngayah) when the tourism performance art tends to be oriented on commercial aspect which put the income (which is being paid) to be more priority.

CONCLUSION Bali tourism performance art has appeared in a new packaging since 1980s. Its prominent characteristic is there is an additional of new elements creation in some of Balinese traditional art forms. According to postmodern cultural aesthetic side (in accordance with Piliang theory,

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2003 : 125), most of all Bali tourism performance art depart from secularization process which is resulted in postmodern aesthetic idioms (pastiche, parody, kitsch, camp, and skizofrenia) become very prominent. All of them are done in a purpose of tourism interest. The development of this Bali tourism performance art quite rapidly happens which causes many sacred cultural activities are used as tourist treat.

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