![]() ![]() In Shadow Theater there is a common flexible dimension, in the space of reality, resulting from the interaction among the unseen one, who is moving the sticks in the backstage, and the audience, standing in front of a sheet of cloth, suspended by the rhythm of a plot where "performers" are made of leather cuts instead of flesh and blood. The puppeteer could be compared to a dualistic god, in-between light and darkness, performing all roles at the same time, able of being everywhere in just one place. This is promoted also by integration processes, in particular in the frame of ASEAN which unites all countries of the region. As a result of active policy of the governments of the region there are objective preconditions for a new stage of cultural dialogue on the basis of synthesis of the traditional values which still exist despite of all external influence and cultural relations by upholding simultaneously national identity in each country. But the cultural dialogue was revived with the crash of colonial system. Certainly, colonialism promoted involvement of the SEA countries into global historical process and acquaintance of the people of the region with Western culture, but at the same time it had negative impact on the region by breaking cultural dialogue between the nations. The spreading of Christianity accompanied colonial captures by the Western powers (from XVI century) had essential influence only on Philippines and on East Timor. In these countries and territories, Islam has penetrated into system of beliefs, language, literature, music, common law (adat), rendered the big influence on the fine arts having strengthened its decorative nature. The important stage of development of culture in SEA is connected with the penetration of Islam (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, partly Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore). SEA cultural identity was determined not only by primordial similarity, but also by expansion of cultural connections between various territories of the region. In particular, in the sphere of navigation, Indians and Chinese have got acquainted with boats with the balance weight from Malays and till now use old Malay names of measures and weights. Moreover, it is possible to speak about a return influence of SEA culture. External influence was transformed by local societies as the culture of Ancient Greece by European peoples, harmonized with local ideas and customs. At the same time it was not a mere imitation of the Indian and Chinese canons. Arts of this period, in particular, in Cambodia (Angkor), Myanmar (Pagan), and Indonesia (Central Java) has reached the heights comparable to the best samples of European arts. A great impulse for culture of the region was Indian and Chinese. The most advanced of all civilizations of the region was the Dong-Son culture. In sphere of manufacture this entity was characterized by cultivation of rice on irrigated fields, domestication of bulls and buffaloes, use of metals, development of sea navigation in the field of social order – by the important role of women, by the social organization of communal type, typical for irrigation economy in art and culture by distribution of various kinds of puppet theater, gong orchestras, special methods of fabric painting (batik, ikat), by building houses on piles, occurrence of various types of games with rotan balls. That allowed ancient Chinese to speak about a common cultural entity of the region and to designate it with the word "Kun Lun". Victor Pogadaev From old times, SEA due to natural - geographical and environmental similarities appeared as a united economic and cultural - ideological complex. ![]() Southeast Asia: Towards a New Stage of Cultural Dialogue Dr. ![]()
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