SURABAYA - Kecantikan seutuhnya. Itulah ucapan Dr Harun MSi, kepala Dinas Pariwisata Provinsi Jatim, kemarin (27/3). Harun mengatakan hal itu terkait dengan seleksi Puteri Indonesia tingkat provinsi yang ditutup pada 23 April mendatang.
Puteri Indonesia, ajang pemilihan putri tercantik dari seluruh negeri, ditujukan untuk perempuan berumur 18-25 tahun. Yang dicari bukan cuma yang cantik, tapi juga cerdas dan berpengetahuan luas.
Menurut Harun, itu merupakan tantangan besar. Apalagi, tahun lalu mahkota Puteri Indonesia diraih Putri Raemawasti, wakil Jatim.
Wisnuadji Purwono, ketua panitia, mengatakan bahwa yang terpilih harus terus belajar. “Ilmu itu kan berkembang,” katanya. Belajar itu pun tak cuma dilakukan di ruang karantina. “Belajar setiap hari, itu kuncinya,” tegas Wisnu.
Hanty Harijati, kepala Mustika Ratu Surabaya, mengatakan bahwa saat ini bukan wajah indo yang dicari. “Mereka yang berwajah etnik,” ujarnya. Jadi, tak perlu heran jika yang dilakukan terhadap Puteri Indonesia saat ini bukanlah program pemutihan. “Apa ya istilah yang tepat? Pencokelatan, mungkin,” ucap Hanti sambil tertawa. (dee/dos)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
March 28th, 2008
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta and the city’s landmarks have long fascinated many artists in creating their works. Ă‚Â | Ă‚Â Thu, 03/27/2008 12:08 AMĂ‚Â | Ă‚Â Potpourri
The 61 works on display, comprising paintings, sculptures and graphic designs, were produced by 51 artists, mostly young ones.
Entitled Komedi Putar (Merry-Go-Round), the exhibition features works depicting merry-go-rounds and the famous Sekaten night market.
Such examples could be seen through Gintani Nur Apresia Swastika’s Effortless (silkscreen on canvas, fabric collage, 2008) depicting the scenery around one of the city’s old landmarks, the post office building.
Yogyakarta’s noted pedicab inspired Suharmanto to create Indahnya Tadi Malam (The Beauty of Last Night, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2007), which depicts a driver soundly sleeping in his pedicab.
Other city landmarks can be found in Giring Prihatyasono’s Menggendong Tradisi (Carrying Tradition), Solichin’s Menanti Rejeki (Waiting for Reward) and Mulyo Gunarso’s Hidup Semalam (One Night’s Life).
The exhibition’s curator, Mikke Susanto, told The Jakarta Post that Komedi Putar was selected as theme of the exhibition as it is being held concurrently with this year’s Sekaten night market.
The Sekaten night market is held annually in the month of Maulud, according to the Javanese calendar, or Rabi’ul Awwal according to the Islamic calendar (lunar calendar).
The Sekaten itself is a religious celebration held annually by the Yogyakarta Sultanate to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, which falls on the 12th day of Rabi’ul Awwal.
Mikke said Komedi Putar was also chosen since the merry-go-round has long been the icon of the night market. Aside from that, he said, a “merry-go-round” also implies that everything, including life, keeps rotating — sometimes up and down.
For the gallery, Mikke said, the theme carries both a poetic and political meaning. It is poetic in the sense that the city has many cultural marks to take note of and preserve.
“Like Sekaten, for example, we can make use of it to show the city’s image, romanticism and attractions,” Mikke said.
In term of politics, he added, through the visual arts exhibited, the gallery aims to open visitors’ eyes and minds to the great potential the city has to offer.
“The task of the artists here is expressing the ideas of beauty through their works of art. Members of the community, including the authorities, are free to make use of them as a new map of the city and do something about it.”
Source: The Jakarta Post
March 28th, 2008