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.
