Commemorating National Wayang Day, Fadli Zon Launches Indonesian Puppet Pesona Book

JAKARTA - Fadli Zon launched the book 'Indonesian Wayang Personnel' in the context of National Wayang Day which is celebrated every November 7, 2023 at Fadli Zon Creative House, Cimanggis, Depok. The discussion and launch of the book 'Indonesian Wayang Personnel' was attended by a number of artists, culturalists, researchers, and academics.

Puppet Indonesia has been recognized by UNESCO (the UN international organization in charge of education, science, and culture) as the Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (the work of oral and non-benditional humanitarian heritage) in 2003. Exactly today 20 years ago the Wayang The Wayang Puppet Theater was recognized as the grand legacy of world culture.

The launch of this book and wayang discussion is intended to inspire enthusiasm to preserve and ground wayang among today's modern society. The book 'Indonesian Wayang Personnel' was written by Fadli Zon and curated by Basuki Teguh Yuwono. This marks the celebration of the 20th anniversary of UNESCO's recognition of wayang.

According to Fadli Zon, as a traditional culture full of meaning, wayang culture is a spectacle and guidance that needs to be preserved. Preservation of wayang as an expression of culture requires knowledge, creativity and concrete steps that involve stakeholders. The development and transformation of wayang culture must continue to roll on today through education and literacy. The challenge is to make wayang known and accepted by the younger generation millennials and Gen Z.

In this era of digital globalization, there are more and more alternative cultural expressions that can shift traditional culture, said Fadli. Therefore, creativity and innovation are needed in bringing back wayang to the community. Of course stick to the corridors of norms, ethics, meanings and identities.

The main illustration of this book is Fadli Zon's collection at Fadli Zon Library and Fadli Zon Creative House. As a form of involvement in the preservation of Indonesian wayang culture, Fadli Zon has collected puppet collections from various regions in Indonesia since the early 2000s.

Consistently and gradually, Fadli tries to complete various types of Indonesian wayangs with the aim of saving artifacts and building wayang cultural education. The collection of collections was assisted by artist and mastermind Tizar Purbaya and then continued by his son Ricky Purbaya.

Now, Fadli Zon Library's wayang collection has been identified and cataloged with a total number of around 7000 wayang, the largest and most complete collection in Indonesia. In 2020, Fadli Zon received the most MURI records in the category of Wayang Nusantara collectors.

In an effort to collect this wayang, Fadli Zon focuses on the concept of wayang Nusantara by sorting out types, among others: (1) Types of wayangs of shape such as wayang beber, wayang kulit, golek skin, and wayang suket; (2) Types of wayang from the aspect of the story such as wayang purwa, wayang banner, wayang menak, wayang muluki, wayang cancil, and wayang potehi, (3) Types of wayang from the origin of the region, such as wayang Tengul Sunda, Wayang Golek Menak Tegal, Wayang Gagrak Cirebon, Wayang Gagrak Surakarta, Wayang Gagrak Yogyakarta, Wayang Madura, Wayang Bali.

Fadli also collects various new wayang creations such as Wayang Walisongo, Wayang Minangkabau, Wayang Revolution, Wayang Portraits of contemporary figures and wayangs. In addition to various types of wayang, he also collects blencong (light shows wayang), mountainan wayang, wayang box, wayang cassette, umbul wayang, paintings and carvings of wayang.

The 500-page book Pesona Wayang Indonesia presents concise information about the meaning of wayang, wayang stories, various types of wayang in terms of stories and regional origins. This book is also decorated with photos of various types of wayang Nusantara in full, educative, easy to understand and open insights into wayang culture.