CATEGORY

Focusing on the efforts of a group of young art students to revitalize traditional Longser theater, this in-depth study of politics in New Order Indonesia examines how cultural politics were used by the state to control ethnic, religious, and regional sentiments, while other groups used the same discourse to express ideas contrary to the official ideology. The interaction between artists and the regime and their often contradictory ideas about identity, the role of art, and cultural traditions in Indonesia, offers valuable insights into the underlying dynamics of the country's current condition.