THE SHIFTING OF VISUAL AND MEANING IN ONDEL-ONDEL PUPPET AS THE DYNAMIC REFLECTION ON BETAWI CULTURE

Mita Purbasari1, M. Dwi Marianto2, M. Agus Burhan3

1DKV New Media, School of Design, Bina Nusantara University

2Department of Fine Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts,

Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Indonesia

3Department of Fine Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts,

Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Indonesia

mitawahid@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT

A giant puppet of 2.5 meters height and 80 centimeters in diameter, which is known as ondel-ondel, is one of Betawi’s performing arts that still sustained today and often performed as street art by its folks or gracing buildings. Ondel-ondel derived from barongan, an old Betawi culture, which was originally a part of sacred ritual activities, where Betawi folks during the time still believed that big things possess unlimited power. Nowadays, this art been through some changes in its function, meaning, and “visual appearance”, evolved gradually both in the ondel-ondel itself and the perception of people which tends towards negative and taken as just a mere decoration or a tool to make a living. To reveal the existence of this giant puppet, which is gaining more popularity in Jakarta, historical approach along with semiotics is implored to give meaning to ondel-ondel, with the purpose of unveiling its structure from time to time. This study is intended to view the ideology behind the shifting that have taken place and expanding new horizon about this Jakarta’s unique giant puppet, also preserving Betawi culture in general. The shifting in ondel-ondel can be interpreted as dynamicization, which has taken place in the life of the Betawi community.

Key words: ondel-ondel, Betawi, traditional art

Published: Prosiding: Transdisciplinari Creative & Arts Studies From Asia Pacific Perspectives, October 2015, ISI Yogyakarta