Yogyakarta, Solo to Host Celebration of Design and Culture

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Sep 14, 2014

The annual gathering of the Asia Pacific Space Designer Alliance in Solo and
Yogyakarta will present top designers from around the region.  (Photos courtesy
of APSDA Indonesia)

Yogyakarta and Solo, two picturesque cities located in the heart of Java, still manage to retain their old charms in this dizzyingly fast-paced, modern world.

The birthplace of Indonesia’s kings and kingdoms, their cultural riches and traditional heritage are great national assets that act as sources of inspiration until this day.

The two cities will again do us proud as next week, from Sept. 15 to Sept.19, Yogyakarta and Solo will play host to the general assembly and congress of the Asia Pacific Space Designer Alliance (APSDA).

A confederation of design associations from across the Asia-Pacific region, the APSDA was established in Taipei in 1989 by the Chinese Society of Interior Designers (CSID), the Japanese Society of Commercial Designers (JDC) and the Korean Society of Interior Designers (KOSID).

Today, the design organization consists of 15 locally and internationally acclaimed members, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Thailand. It gathers every two years in different member countries.

Indonesia is currently represented by the non-profit Indonesia Interior Designers Association (HDII).

“It’s a big honor for Indonesia to be able to host the general assembly and congress of the APSDA this year,” says Lea Aviliani Aziz, secretary general of the APSDA and chairwoman of the HDII Jakarta’s chapter, adding that this year’s gathering is especially important as it will mark the 25th anniversary of the confederation.

“We’ve prepared a great concept and a string of interesting programs,” Lea says. “That’s why we won the pitching process, which was done in Beijing in 2010.”

This year marks Indonesia’s second turn as the APSDA host; the first one was held in Bali in 2000.

“[The Bali meeting] was very successful; it exceeded expectations,” Lea says. “The participants were amazed to see Indonesia’s rich cultures and traditions.”

Mystical design

This year, the APSDA’s general assembly and congress will revolve around the theme of “Mystical Design.” Yogyakarta and Solo were specially chosen as both cities perfectly represent the concept.

“Architects and interior designers are all spiritual translators,” says Francis Surjaseputra, chairman of the HDII. “We translate people’s ideas and fantasies, which are spiritual, into buildings and spaces. That’s a mystical work for me.”

Those fantasies usually blend with religious and cultural backgrounds.

“And that’s why Yogya and Solo would be the ideal venues for the gathering,” Francis says.

Both cities boast age-old traditional structures that speak to the glory of Javanese kingdoms past, as well as historical buildings that bear witness to the country’s struggle for independence.

“There is a lot for us to learn in these cities,” Francis says.

The theme also addresses the issue of the loss of cities’ cultural and historical overtones to modern spatial designs.

“It’s happening everywhere,” Francis says. “Cities around the world are getting pretty similar. A travel writer once wrote that when he woke up in the morning and looked out the window, he rarely ever recognized which city he was in. The sense of place is lost in modern cities.”

One of the aims of the APSDA meeting is to marry modern sophistication and local backgrounds in each country.

“It’s our duty as architects and designers to follow [modern] universal developments, without leaving behind our own local wisdom,” Francis says.

Participants at the meeting in Solo and Yogyakarta will also take part in tours to well-preserved traditional structures and historical buildings in both cities.

Roemah Rempah

The series of events will start with the APSDA general assembly at Solo’s Sunan Hotel on Monday, set to be opened by Solo Mayor F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo.

“During the general assembly, representatives from each country will present talks on the ‘Mystical Design’ topic,” says Francis, a graduate of the Parsons School of Art and Design in Paris.

“It will be an interesting opportunity for us to get to know design concepts from each country.”

There will also be a workshop on batik and a tour of Roemah Rempah, a one-of-a-kind design studio by Solo architect Paulus Mintarga, which uses discarded industrial materials in its structure.

“We hope that the visit will inspire architects and interior designers participating in this gathering to use old and discarded waste materials in their own buildings,” Francis says.

On the second day of the gathering, the APSDA participants will visit traditional batik workshops and antiques markets in Solo.

In the evening, they will visit the Mangkunegaran Royal Palace, the heart of the legendary Mataram Kingdom, and have dinner with the traditional royal family in the palace.

A series of dance and musical performances will be presented to the participants during the dinner.

On Wednesday, the participants will visit the ninth-century Borobudur temple, the world’s biggest Buddhist monument.

“We want to show to the international participants that we have one of the greatest temples in the world,” Lea says. “It’s well-preserved and still hosts religious and cultural events until now.”

From the temples, the APSDA participants will make the one-and-a-half-hour trip to Yogyakarta, where the APSDA congress will opened on Thursday at the Grand Royal Ambarrukmo Hotel.

Mari Elka Pangestu, the minister of  tourism and the creative economy, is scheduled to open the congress.

After the opening ceremony, the congress will then proceed with presentations and discussions by keynote speakers who are all experts in their respective design fields.

Holographs and pyrotechnics

Among the speakers on the first day of the APSDA congress will be Indonesian textile designer Josephine Komara, interior designer Hadiprana and art director Jay Subiyakto.

“We want to highlight Indonesian talent [in the forum] and show how much creative designs have become interwoven into our daily lives,” Lea says.

Jay will talk about his involvement in the epic dance and musical performances “Matah Ati” (2011) and “Ariah” (2013).

In “Matah Ati,” Jay created an elevated trapezium-shaped stage made of stainless steel. With the elevated platform, the audience was able to see everything that was happening onstage.

“It’s scenography, the art of taking the audience into the play,” Jay says. “It’s also part of study in spatial design.”

“Matah Ati” was presented in Singapore, Jakarta and Solo in 2011 and garnered rave reviews from the media, critics and audiences.

In “Ariah,” Jay similarly mesmerized the audience by creating another elevated platform, measuring a colossal 72 meters by 48 meters, to present the story of Jakarta’s founding, against the backdrop of the National Monument, or Monas. A series of holographic and pyrotechnics plays were also presented in the open-air Monas park.

“People should know that Indonesia also has fascinating theatrical plays, just like on Broadway,” Jay says. “And they’re all deeply rooted in our traditions.”

On Friday, the fifth day of the APSDA gathering, organizers will present another impressive lineup of keynote speakers in discussion forums, including Australian architect Richard Kirk, Garuda Indonesia president director Emirsyah Satar, and Malaysian geomancy expert David Koh.

The gathering will culminate with an al-fresco farewell dinner at the Prambanan temple complex.

“It will be a cultural night,” Lea says. “During the dinner, we will present the epic Ramayana dance performance at the temple. Lanterns and firecrackers will also highlight the performance.”

Networking opportunity

All the APSDA events will be open to the public, with students and members of the public encouraged to choose among the several program schedules available.

For Indonesians, the registration fees range from Rp 1.3 million to Rp 7.5 million ($110 to $635). For foreigners, the fees range from $275 to $1,700.

“It will be well worth it,” Lea says. “The fees also cover accommodation, meals and transportation costs during the events.”

Another benefit of participating in the events is the chance to get to know the international delegates.

“It’ll be a great opportunity to meet these great people and learn from them,” Lea says. “On the other hand, they can also learn about your works and maybe be interested in doing business with you.”

Indonesian delegates will also have a chance to learn more about the country’s own rich cultural heritage.

“Learning about our own traditional cultures and traditions will hopefully encourage Indonesian designers to perpetuate them in their next modern designs,” Lea says.