Archives and Art: Living Archives of Javanese Performing Arts

Abstract

The study is aimed at exploring the theoretical basis of living archives and formulating the concept of living archives of Javanese performing arts at ISI Surakarta, as higher education which is a center of learning and development of performing arts. Qualitative research methods with library research are used to explain the ideas explored. When discussing the archives of Javanese performing arts, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of process to performance. In general, archives tend to focus on a single end product. Javanese performing arts are continuous activities in a state of being and having a dynamic and inclusive end. The results of the discussion show that the management of Javanese performing arts archives cannot be merely a conservation measure but needs to encourage a shift from recorded events to dynamic articulations of practice so that they can become a reference for working on Javanese performing arts according to the context of the times, supported by involvement and interactivity. Living archives are the right alternative. This approach is intended to implement a dynamic and flexible visualization model that gives the user an active role in how he or she accesses and explores archives by leveraging digital platforms.

Keywords: archive, living archive, conceptualization, performing arts, ISI Surakarta