UNESCO Video Collection to Preserve Balinese Performing Arts
The living arts of Bali, once epitomized by the Balinese theatre that inspired Antonin Artaud, are now threatened by the 'cancer of cultural commerce.' Today, only Artaud's mythological account and a Swedish film shown at the 1931 Colonial Exhibition in Paris offer glimpses of that tradition. However, UNESCO's Division of Arts, led by Madeleine Gobeil, is launching a video collection dedicated to major traditional performing arts forms. This initiative aims to save these performances from oblivion and prevent the 'global village' civilization from standardizing or sacrificing them.
Key facts
- Balinese theatre was a significant cultural event.
- Antonin Artaud wrote mythologically about Balinese theatre.
- A Swedish film about Balinese theatre was shown at the 1931 Colonial Exhibition in Paris.
- Contemporary Balinese performing arts are threatened by commercialized culture.
- UNESCO is creating a video collection of traditional performing arts.
- The initiative is led by UNESCO's Division of Arts and Madeleine Gobeil.
- The goal is to preserve traditional performances from being forgotten or homogenized.
Entities
Artists
- Antonin Artaud
- Madeleine Gobeil
Institutions
- UNESCO
- UNESCO Division of Arts
Locations
- Bali
- Paris
- France
Sources
- artpress —