An Art Phenomenon Under the State Control: Case Study on Shadow Puppet Performance

This article aimed at revealing the ruling class and the group being ruled in the society. The concern on the ruling party is to create obedience and to eliminate resistance from the ruled group. In this case, Gramsci presented the theory of hegemony by taking control on intellectually and morally leadership that can be accepted through consciousness process. In line with the explanation of hegemony, it seems that the Indonesia government, in the era of New Order (Orde Baru) from 1966 till 1998, was a powerful state with the highest authority control and became a determining force against the socio-political dynamics in the society. During Nee Order period, the state was truly capable of leading and dominating the field of power in various fields of development and statehood. One way to build hegemony is through institutions that determine the cognitive structure in the society, one of them was through the art of puppet. Consequently, puppeter (dalang) as one of intellectual figures in the society was controlled in order to socialize Golkar Party, as the political instrument. It can be concluded that the New Order government has successfully hegemoned the art of puppet.