dance and culture of london

Photography, dance and culture from bali to london
Erza S.T., CONTRIBUTOR, JAKARTA | Sun, 01/10/2010 3:51 PM | Life
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For some of us, Bali is already too familiar and perhaps overrated. However, during a recent dinner at the residence of the British Ambassador in Jakarta, I discovered an aspect of Bali that I have not previously encountered.

During the dinner, the ambassador, H.E. Mr. Martin Hatfull, introduced us to Dr. Fiona Kerlogue, who is the exhibition curator for London's famous Horniman Museum.

The museum, which houses the collections of tea trader, liberal MP and philanthropist Frederick Horniman, is among London's most popular art establishments.

This site opened as a public museum in 1901. Since then, the museum has built a strong reputation based on its important collections and the way it offers visitors an inspiring window into the richness and diversity of cultural expression.

It is not surprising this museum has received numerous awards including Museum of The Year.

Dr. Kerlogue was in town to work on a project about Bali titled "Bali: Stories and Dance" - which is what Horniman Museum is working on for its upcoming exhibition.

Following is a conversation with Dr. Kerlogue about the project.

Question: I understand the Horniman Museum intends to showcase the richness and diversity of cultural expression in the world by choosing a certain area to explore and exhibit. What is the reason behind choosing Bali as the focus for this project?

Answer: Our exhibitions sometimes follow a theme and sometimes focus on a particular place. Bali was chosen for this exhibition because we have a historic collection of around 4,000 photographs taken by Walter Spies in Bali in the 1930s.

The photographs center on dance and drama. It is a very important collection and we want visitors to the exhibition to be able to see a selection of them. We will also include a collection of dance costumes and other items from Bali to place the photographs in context.

You said the project was based on the existing photography collection of the museum taken by Beryl de Zoete in Bali in the 1930s. How difficult is it for you to trace back all these places? How big is the change?

It is not easy to identify all the places where the photographs were taken since there have been many changes in Bali. Many temples have new gateways and some suffered damage during volcanic eruptions, so they may look quite different now. However, with help from colleagues in Bali, we have been able to identify many of the places in the photographs, and even some of the people. I have visited many of the villages mentioned in the book written by Walter Spies and Beryl de Zoete, and people in the villages often recognize the ceremonies and scenes in the photographs.

The exhibition is scheduled for May 2011. How is it going so far? Could you tell us about your journey in Bali until now?

I have made four short trips to Bali, and plan one more next year. I have traveled throughout the island, as we hope to represent each of the eight kabupaten *regencies*.

I have filmed excerpts of dance and drama in Bangli, Karangasem, Buleleng, Gianyar, Jembrana, Tabanan, Klungkung and Badung. Most of these have been at temple ceremonies. There are still one or two dances which Walter Spies photographed that I have not yet filmed or photographed. I also spend a lot of time learning about other aspects of Balinese culture.

It is quite impressive for me to see the way you dedicate so much effort, time and love to learn about our culture. Is there any help or assistance from our government for this project yet?

The Indonesian Embassy in London has been very helpful in putting me in touch with partners in Indonesia. His Excellency Pak Yuri Octavian Thamrin also hosted a fund-raising dinner at the embassy earlier this year.

We are hoping to obtain further support nearer to the time of the exhibition, especially in bringing performers from Indonesia to London during the exhibition.

What are the main obstacles so far in this project?

Everyone has been very helpful and there have really not been any major obstacles. But as with all such projects, we do need financial support to make the most of the exhibition.

An important aspect of this would be the publication of a book containing a selection of the best photographs to make them available to everyone, but this will be expensive.

We are also hoping to purchase a gamelan set to use during the exhibition to accompany dance performances and to be used in visitor workshops; we are currently looking for a suitable set to bring to the UK.

Your project, I believe, is a project that Indonesians should participate in as it is part of promoting our country. How can we participate to help you finalize this project and exhibit it to the world?

Many Indonesians have already helped by giving me information about the photographs and helping me with my research. In particular, Professor I Wayan Dibia from the Institute of Arts in Denpasar has been enormously helpful.

In a more general way, we are hoping to bring the photographic element of the exhibition to Indonesia in 2012, probably to Denpasar and Jakarta. I hope that Indonesians will come to see the photographs, which are an important aspect of Indonesia's cultural heritage.

We are committed to making this a major celebration of Balinese culture, putting Indonesia under the international spotlight in the run up to the Olympics. However, we need the support of corporate partners to make it truly successful. Anyone who would like to help us is welcome to contact me at the Museum.

If you interested in learning more about the project or even participating on becoming a partner in this project, you can contact:

Dr. Fiona Kerlogue:

fkerlogue@horniman.ac.uk

Horniman Museum:

www.horniman.ac.uk