PKB (BALI ART FESTIVAL)
“Who really still like to see PKB (Bali Art Festival?)” comes a question.
It has been 30 years since the first PKB. How come people still like to see the same thing for thirty years? It’s like one who has been married for 30 years. Does one really still love the same wife? One might have been bored.
“Well, I tell you. Nobody is bored with PKB. They still love them. I’ll tell you one by one,” says I Putu Bani Gondong (One Who Always Sure to What He Says).
“The first is the PKB committee. They still want it is held routinely every year because it gives them some good benefit; fees, uniform, meals, etc.
The second one is the Central Government, especially the president and Minister of Tourism and Culture. They don’t need to pay anything or help. They just need to address speech and say that the government always supports local culture.
The third is the local artist organization. It’s where they can show their ability before high ranking officials and the public in town.
“Our children will never go to Badung if the local government doesn’t hold PKB nor know about kebyar gamelan orchestra from Buleleng (north Bali). Gamelan from Buleleng can show their skill in playing kebyar traditional music in Badung regency as well.
That’s where Balinese feel themselves ‘real Balinese’. They can see art and performance from other regencies.
The fourth is the people who live around the art centre. They can have extra income from using their house yard for parking area.
No matter if people have to pay much more than normal parking fee, they just keep coming to see PKB. Doesn’t that mean that Balinese still love PKB?
In addition, there are still some other parties who love PKB; such as the teenagers because it is an event they can visit with their girlfriends or boyfriends; vendors (they can make good business and they don’t need to be afraid of security guards, instead they just need to adjust their shop positions); vigilantes, as they can have something for free, they just need to pretend as if they are police or officials; housewives who use PKB as place for recreation and get rid of their routines: bad husband, naught children, talkative parents-in-law); parents, who can bring their children to PKB for recreational purpose. It is much cheaper compare to Timezone, Centro or Galeria. In PKB, they can have Balinese vegetable salad (srombotan) and Balinese herbal drink (daluman) for Rp. 10.000.If they go to Galeria, they have to spend Rp.100.000 for a piece of pizza.
So everyone still loves the PKB, but the thing is that they like it not because they appreciate art.
