Indonesian tattooists revive tribal traditions

Yahoo – AFP, Suryo Wibowo, with Sam Reeves in Jakarta, January 5, 2016

Ranu Khodir, a celebrated Jakarta tattoo artist who uses the traditional
 'hand-tapping' method, displays his Dayak tribe motif tattoo at the Bau Tanah
tattoo museum in Jakarta (AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

Men in tribal dress stand amid dense jungle on the Indonesian island of Java, their bodies covered in elaborate, traditional tattoos inspired by cultures in distant corners of the vast, tropical archipelago.

Many images on display at the recent tattoo festival that brought the men together were not applied with fast, modern machines, but using a centuries-old, tribal method that involves artists gently tapping a stick mounted with a needle on a subject's skin.

The practice known as "hand-tapping" had almost faded out completely, as modernity overwhelmed Indonesia's tribes and younger generations eschewed their ancestors' ways, but tattoo artists have in recent years been driving a revival as more and more people seek to reconnect with the past.

Esmat Sakulok shows off his body tattoo design from the Mentawai tribe origin 

during a traditional tattoo festival in the village of Maguwoharjo in Yogyakarta 

(AFP Photo/Suryo Wibowo)

"There is a growing trend now, there are more people who want to learn about traditional tattooing -- I am very happy about it," said Herpianto Hendra, a tattoo artist who uses the ancient method and is a member of Borneo's Dayak tribespeople.

"I am proud that my culture is being recognised."

The body art ranges from flowers inspired by Dayak tattoos that mark the coming of age, to narrow, black lines running across the body, like those of indigenous peoples from a remote scattering of islands in western Indonesia.

The festival earlier this month in Maguwoharjo village in Java's cultural heartland gathered people from across Indonesia and the world at the studio of celebrated Indonesian tattoo artist Durga, a leading figure in the revival.

A tattoo artist uses the traditional "hand tapping" method during a tattoo festival

in the village of Maguwoharjo located in Yogyakarta (AFP Photo/Suryo Wibowo)

Durga has championed tattoos from the western Mentawai islands, home to a semi-nomadic tribespeople famed for their body art and the practice of sharpening their teeth, which they believe makes them more beautiful.

Close links to nature

Mentawai tattoos, generally long lines looping over the shoulders and chest and more elaborate patterns on feet and hands, were long part of local culture and signified the tribespeople's close links to nature.

The other well known body art from Indonesia is found among the Dayaks, an array of semi-nomadic tribes who traditionally lived in the jungles and mountains of vast, biodiverse Borneo island shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

Their tattoos featured thick, black lines forming images inspired by nature, such as flowers, leaves and animals, that mark a person's journey through life. Before head-hunting was banned, Dayaks also received tattoos on their hands if they decapitated an enemy.

Australian filmmaker and tattoo artist Rob Henry, sporting body tattoo designs

 from the Mentawai tribe origin, walks in the jungle where a traditional tattoo

 festival is being held in the village of Maguwoharjo in Yogyakarta (AFP 

Photo/Suryo Wibowo)

While not as well known, other indigenous groups also have tattooing traditions, such as those in the eastern Maluku Islands and the central island of Sumba.

But the tradition has been waning for decades, after Christian missionaries and the Indonesian government sought to discourage what they saw as outdated, tribal practices, and as younger tribespeople moved away from villages to rapidly growing cities in search of better jobs and education.

The revival has been driven by a small group of contemporary tattoo artists, some who have learnt "hand-tapping" methods from local tribes and have put a modern twist on ancient designs -- increasingly popular among the young and hip living in Indonesian cities and abroad.

Lars Krutak, an American tattoo anthropologist, said people are drawn to ancient Indonesian designs as they are "unique, beautiful and deeply spiritual".

"People living in big cities want to be rooted to something meaningful, especially if they plan to wear these tattoos on their bodies for the rest of their lives," said Krutak, who has written an entry on Durga for the "World Atlas of Tattoo", which features 100 tattoo artists.

Australian traditional tattoo artist, Brent McCown uses the "hand tapping" method 

at a traditional tattoo festival in the village of Maguwoharjo located in Yogyakarta 

(AFP Photo/Suryo Wibowo)

'Defend traditional culture'

In the capital Jakarta, a small museum dedicated to indigenous body art has opened, housed in a ramshackle building filled with tribal paraphernalia and photos of tattooed indigenous people.

"Hand-tapping" regularly takes place at the museum, whose name "Bau Tanah" refers to the musty smell that emanates from the earth after heavy rains.

At a recent "hand-tapping" session, tattoo artist Ranu Khodir knelt down and applied the image of a dragon in Dayak style on the stomach of Saman, a motorbike taxi driver, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

Basuki Wants More Money to Fix Museums, Less to Stage Festivals

Jakarta Globe, November 22, 2015

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama says the bulk of the Rp 1.2 trillion ($87.7
 million) spent by the city's tourism agency on promotional festivals and events in
2014 went toward renting venues and hiring event organizers. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)

Jakarta. Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama has slashed the budget for hosting festivals and events to promote Jakarta next year by nearly 60 percent, alleging markups and inefficient spending.

Basuki told Tempo that the Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency spent more than Rp 1.2 trillion ($87.7 million) to host a series of festivals in 2014, the bulk of which went toward renting venues and hiring event organizers.

“So in 2015 we cut the budget [for festivals and events] to Rp 700 billion. Next year the agency might only get Rp 300 billion,” the governor said.

Basuki added that as of 2016, the agency could be barred from hiring private event organizers, particularly for events that the city has been hosting for years.

“Because it’s been employing event organizers, the agency has had to budget Rp 300 million to Rp 400 million to rent large Jakarta theaters. Imagine that – a government agency having to pay for buildings owned by the city?” he said.

“I’m not against festivals and events. What I’m fighting against are markups. After evaluating [the agency’s budget], there have been too many markups.”

Basuki said he had instructed the tourism agency to spend more on renovating museums.

“Our museums are damp. Some are leaking. Yet [the agency] continues to stage festivals and events for Rp 3 billion to Rp 5 billion each,” he said.

“Maybe the agency officials thought I wouldn’t scrutinize their budget. I’ve been very lenient for the 2015 [budget] because I don’t want trouble with agency officials, with the City Council and the Home Affairs Ministry. But I won’t be as tolerant for the 2016 [budget].”

Since he became governor a year ago, Basuki has tred to overhaul how city agencies apply for and spend their funding – a process that he said was riddled with “phantom projects.”

These efforts last year put him at odds with City Council members and dragged the budget deliberation process out for months beyond the year-end deadline.

For the past week, the governor has held meetings with his subordinates to discuss budgets proposed by all of the city’s agencies and has scrapped projects that he sees as wasteful and overpriced.

A Taste of the Caribbean in Jakarta, Courtesy of the Dutch

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, September 17, 2015

The 'Antilles Festival – A Taste of the Caribbean' event will take place at the Erasmus
Huis Jakarta from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31 and will feature a photo exhibition, culinary show,
and music and dance performances. (Photo courtesy of Erasmus Huis)

The Dutch cultural center in Jakarta plans to introduce Indonesians to a little-known corner of its kingdom through a festival that celebrates the sun-kissed isles of the Netherlands Antilles.

The “Antilles Festival – A Taste of the Caribbean” event will take place at the Erasmus Huis Jakarta from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31 and will feature a photo exhibition, culinary show, and music and dance performances.

The festival is part of celebrations this year marking the 200th anniversary of the kingdom of the Netherlands, with a focus on the realm’s Caribbean lands deemed an “interesting idea” for residents of Indonesia, once the jewel in the crown of the Dutch empire.

“For the Dutch, it’s not very easy and also not very common to travel [to the Antilles],” said Ferdinand Lahnstein, the deputy head of mission of the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta.

“I expect also that people in Indonesia are not very familiar with this area. So that’s also a reason why we think that it’s probably a good idea to bring forward that there’s something like the Dutch Caribbean. And then hopefully people in Indonesia who would like to try something different will be interested to travel to this area.”

The festival’s photo exhibition, themed “Dushi Tera,” will showcase images unique to the six islands that make up the Netherlands Antilles – Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius – including the architecture, nature, and panoramas. (In the Papiamento language of the inhabitants of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, “dushi tera” translates into “sweet country.”)

These photos come courtesy of the islands’ various tourism authorities as well as the Leiden University Library.

“The photo exhibition is meant to give an impression of the cultural, social and economic differences between the six islands,” Lahstein said.

Peter Sanchez, a historian from one-time Dutch colony of Suriname on the South American mainland, has been appointed curator of the photo exhibition.

“He knows a lot about the region,” said Ineke de Hoog, the embassy’s deputy head of public diplomacy and cultural affairs. “And he will be there for the opening [on Sept. 19].”

The opening will also feature culinary treats from Dutch Caribbean chefs Sherwin Alexander and Jethro Wirht, brought over by the DoubleTree hotel in Jakarta.

Alexander won a bronze medal in the seafood competition during the prestigious “Taste of the Caribbean” competition in Miami in July 2014, while Wirht was named “Chef of the Year” at the same event.

Both men will cook live at the festival’s opening at Erasmus Huis, assisted by local hospitality school students.

The menu will feature seven iconic dishes served tapas style from the Dutch Caribbean.

“The chefs have chosen the menu that gives a broad spectrum of all the different islands’ cuisines,” de Hoog said.

Among them are sopi di marisco, a traditional soup from Curaçao that contains seafood, callaloo (a vegetable native to the island), okra and fresh lemon.

Also not to be missed is the arepa di pampuna, a sweet pumpkin pancake with pickled prawns and fishcake and served with pineapple salsa.

“The cuisine is, of course, influenced by the Creoles, a fusion of the Spanish and Portuguese Antilleans,” de Hoog said. “I invite you to come and try for yourself.”

Entry to the festival is free, and the embassy expects between 500 and 700 people to turn up for the opening day.

“My impression of the Antilles Festival is something fresh and juicy, like salsa,” said Olivia Evelinda, a secretary at an accounting firm in Jakarta who said she was interested in going. “I think the festival will be very, very interesting, because we can get to know about the food and different cultures of the islands.”

Olivia also hopes to take part in the Antillean dances, such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Kimboza, to be performed by Dutch Caribbean dancers on the opening day.

Orquesta Pegasaya, a popular Salsa band from the region, will also be n hand to perform live. And to fuel the guests, a round of delectable Dutch Caribbean cocktails will be served throughout the night

For more information, go to erasmushuis.nlmission.org.

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Voicing Indonesia’s Silence on 1965 in The Hague

Jakarta Globe, Sie Yoe Lien, Jun 07, 2015

Leila S. Chudori speaking with historian Martijn Eickhoff, left, and Aboeprijadi
Santoso of the International People’s Tribunal 1965, in The Hague. (Photo
courtesy of Tong Tong Foundation)

The music and happy chatter next door seem to be a world away as Indonesian author and Tempo journalist Leila S. Chudori speaks about her novel “Pulang” (“Going Home”). In front of a hushed audience, Leila recalls that she had only heard that there was such a thing as Indonesian political exiles when she visited Paris in the 1980s.

“There are thousands of Indonesian exiles in Europe, many in the Netherlands. And that’s not even counting their families,” Leila said. “That’s why I felt I should write about those exiled abroad and the political prisoners in Indonesia. They are closely related to one another.”

Her bestseller Pulang tells the story of Dimas, who was stranded in Paris and unable to return to Indonesia after the failed coup of September 1965, blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). In the months following the coup attempt, hundreds of thousands of people — some say over a million — accused of being communists were brutally tortured and killed, while many others were jailed without trial. 

Dimas’ character, Leila said, was based on real exiles in Paris who could not obtain Indonesian passports until after the fall of Suharto’s New Order regime, more than three decades later.

Cisca Pattipilohy, 89, who was in the audience that afternoon, was emotional when she said that the 1965 events “have wounded our whole nation, not just those directly victimized.” Cisca, a former journalist, had to leave Indonesia with her four young children after her husband, also a journalist, was arrested following the failed coup. He died in jail without ever seeing his family again.

‘1965’ at the Tong Tong Fair

Literature, history and social issues have always been an integral part of the Tong Tong Fair, says programmer Leslie Boon. “While the Fair is a celebration, it should also be a venue where heavier subjects can be discussed,” says Boon, who is also the granddaughter of Tong Tong founder Jan Boon, better known under his pseudonym Tjalie Robinson.

This year’s main themes include ‘1945’ and ‘1965,’ to commemorate the 70th and 50th anniversaries of key events in Indonesian history.

The fair is held from May 27 till June 7 this year.

“Each country has dark pages in its history,” Boon says. “For the Netherlands, 1945 marked not only the end of World War II but also the imminent loss of its biggest colony, and the wars it fought there. For Indonesia, meanwhile, it was 1965.”

The issue of 1965 is presented at the Fair through different perspectives, as Boon explains: “From the literary side we have Leila, and from the activists’ side we have IPT 1965 [International People’s Tribunal]. We also have an academic from NIOD [the Dutch Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies].”

Boon tried to get US filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer to speak, “but unfortunately he already had an engagement in Japan.” Oppenheimer’s controversial documentaries “The Act of Killing” and “The Look of Silence” show how, decades after 1965, the perpetrators of the killings still walk free while many of the victims live in anger and fear.

Decades of silence

Leila, who took part in three discussions during the 12-day festival, spoke of how effectively the New Order regime presented its version of what happened in 1965 as the only truth. “My father [Muhammad Buchori] was a journalist, but even I grew up largely uninformed about 1965,” she said. “Traveling and studying abroad has given me new glasses to look at my country.”

Even after the fall of Suharto in 1998, the silence about 1965 has been far from broken. In 2005, Leila recalls, Tempo magazine founder Goenawan Mohamad urged the weekly to do a special edition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. “At first I thought: why do this old story? But then I started interviewing the families of the victims, and was stunned at all the untold stories that came out. Since then, we’ve decided to do a special edition on the subject every year.”

People’s Tribunal

Leiden University lecturer Ratna Saptari also shared the Tong Tong podium as part of the Holland-based IPT 1965, which was formed in 2012 by a group of human rights activists, artists, intellectuals and academics in Europe and Indonesia. “It is so important that 1965 is discussed in a platform with a general audience like the Tong Tong,” she said.

IPT 1965 plans to organize a people’s tribunal in The Hague later this year for the atrocities of 1965, based on similar tribunals held in countries like Japan or the former Yugoslavia. The charges prepared for the tribunal range from torture and deportation to mass murder. While the court’s outcome would not be legally binding, Saptari explains, the tribunal would be able to hear witnesses and examine evidence. “We have been gathering evidence, and we have collected data from some 13 provinces in Indonesia.”

Breaking the silence

NIOD historian Martijn Eickhoff, who has done research in Indonesia, is optimistic that the frozen subject is slowly thawing. “I have seen changes in the past few years. The younger generation, especially university students, are getting curious about their past, and are starting to look more critically at the state’s official version of the country’s history.”

Eickhoff spoke of the so-called Oppenheimer effect: that the documentaries have sparked many Indonesians, including those who did not grow up under Suharto’s rule, to seriously question what really happened in 1965. “And books like Pulang also contribute to this. Maybe we can now also mention the Chudori effect.”

But the author — whose book has been translated into English, French, German and Dutch — remains somewhat pessimistic about the future.

“Take the novel Bumi Manusia [The Earth of Mankind],” she said, referring to the classic work of literature by writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, who was jailed for 14 years following the failed coup. “For years, Indonesian filmmakers have been trying to adapt this novel to the screen. But every time the investors hear the name of the author, they back out. Even now.”

About the Tong Tong Fair:

During the colonial rule in Indonesia, many Dutch civil servants and merchants ended up living in the archipelago, marrying locals and raising families. After Indonesia became independent, hundreds of thousands of Indos – those of mixed Indonesian and Dutch heritage — migrated to the Netherlands.

In the 1950s, Indo writer and intellectual Tjalie Robinson set up a group to organize events to celebrate Indo culture and make it wider known in the Netherlands.

In order to raise money, they organized the first Pasar Malam. It was held in The Hague’s city zoo for three days and attracted some 3,000 visitors.

Since then the Pasar Malam — renamed the Tong Tong Fair in 2009 — has grown into a two-week event with over 100,000 visitors. The festival is one of the largest annual fairs in the Netherlands, and features cultural events such as music, dance, theater and literary discussions. And, very importantly for most visitors: an abundance of Indonesian and Asian food.

Festival Celebrates Indonesia-India Ties

Jakarta Globe, Rabab Hannan, Jan 28, 2015

Guests at the opening ceremony of Sahabat India at Jakarta’s Taman Ismail
Marzuki concert hall. (Photo courtesy of the Indian Embassy)

Jakarta. Enchanting tunes of classical Indian music reverberated through the opening ceremony of Sahabat India as former President Megawati Soekarnoputri launched the Festival of India in Indonesia at Jakarta’s Taman Ismail Marzuki concert hall on Monday night.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Gurjit Singh welcomed more than a hundred guests to the three-month-long festival celebrating India’s social, economic and cultural engagement with Indonesia.

Ambassador Singh welcomed guests to Monday’s ceremony, which commemorated India’s 66th Republic Day, with the slogan “Sahabat India,” meaning “trustful, loyal, true friend.”

Megawati’s surprise appearance stunned the crowd. “As the fifth president of the Republic of Indonesia and as chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P], I have always reminded [myself] that is very important to build friendship and cooperation between nations.”

Megawati highlighted Indonesia’s profound friendship and respect for India in its appreciation of ahimsa, one of Hinduism’s cardinal virtues and the essence of non-violence.

“As nations we both possess many similar values: ahimsa, for example,” Megawati said. “Ahimsa is an instrument effective in struggling for advancement … to stand on our own feet, which has become the basis of Indonesia’s formation: integrity and character in our culture.”

“It is this cultural link and a long friendship that unifies our nations and people. This festival serves as a platform for strengthening relations between India and Indonesia.”

Trade Minister Rahmat Gobel also used the opportunity to emphasize the festival’s importance for strengthening trade and investment between the two countries in the coming years of President Joko Widodo’s government.

“Indonesia and India already enjoy a robust economic relationship in which India has become Indonesia’s largest trading partner, export market and source of imports from South Asia,” he said.

“However, I understand that there are hurdles and challenges to overcome, therefore we must work together to break down barriers to trade and investment,” Rahmat added. “I look forward to the commencement of the negotiation of the Indonesian India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement for the benefit of both our nations.”

Miss Indonesia India 2015 contestants also participated in the ceremony ahead of their competition’s finale later this month.

The festival will run through May 2015, programming for which includes Indian folk dances, Bollywood film exhibitions and various food and entertainment events.

Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri, right, praises the historic friendship

 between Indonesia and India which, in the words of Ambassador Gurjit Singh 

draws on a civilizational bond, during India’s Republic Day festivities on Jan. 26,

2015. (BeritaSatu Photo/Gugun A. Suminarto)

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‘Festival of India’ Set to Thrill, Entertain, Educate Indonesians

Jakarta Globe, Carla Isati Octama, Jan 14, 2015

Dancers from the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Center in Jakarta perform the
Radha and Krishna dance on Jan. 14, 2015 at the media briefing for Festival
of India in Indonesia. (ID Photo/Emral Firdiansyah)

Jakarta. The Indian Embassy in Jakarta plans to serve up a four-month-long bonanza of festivities to celebrate bilateral relations with Indonesia, kicking off on Jan. 26, the 65th anniversary of India’s Republic Day.

The “Festival of India in Indonesia,” which will run through May, will include 33 programs to be held in 15 cities across Indonesia, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Denpasar, Makassar, Medan, Balikpapan and Banda Aceh.

“This is a small tribute by India to Indonesia — a long-standing friend, close partner and neighbor,” said Gurjit Singh, the Indian ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, said on Wednesday. “Our links have been geographical, civilizational and cultural for centuries.”

Events on offer will include various cultural and traditional performances, including folk dances, puppetry, concerts, exhibitions, seminars, and screening of Bollywood movies and documentaries from India.

“We are trying to work with all of these programs that bring them in a way that we can share our experience and bring them to Indonesia,” the ambassador said. “So in fact there will be one big exhibition called Digital India. Similarly we are trying to create a message of a clean India.

“And we are going to bring ‘Make in India’ by getting Indian investors to come to Indonesia to also to manufacture here and to contribute to a ‘Make in Indonesia’,” he said, referring to a program by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a global manufacturing hub.

Esti Andayani, the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry’s director general for information and public diplomacy, said: “India and Indonesia have enjoyed strong bonds of friendship, and cooperation not only based on shared history and common cultures, heritage, but also our common ideals of peace, stability and progress for all.

She added she was hopeful that the “Festival of India” would serve to strengthen those ties even further and lead to deeper exchanges.

The start date of the festival is significant as the anniversary of the day in 1950 when India’s constitution came into force.

BeritaSatu Media Holdings, which is affiliated with the Jakarta Globe, is a media partner of the “Festival of India.”

For more information on the events, go to www.indianembassyjakarta.com.

Indonesia Looks to an ‘Asian Century’ With China

Jakarta Globe, Vita A.D. Busyra, May 28, 2014

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, second from right, and
 Chinese President Xi Jinping — accompanied by their wives — shake hands
 during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta in this file photo taken
 on Oct. 2, 2013. Xi’s stop in Jakarta is part of his first official trip across Southeast
Asia. (AFP Photo/Bay Ismoyo)

Jakarta. The Indonesian-Chinese Friendship Association, or PPIT, has officially inaugurated its new 2014-2016 board of supervisors, trustees and advisory council, as it seeks to continue improving the bilateral relations between the two countries in the social, economic and cultural sectors.

PPIT chairman Bondan Gunawan, who served as the Indonesian state secretary in 2000, said on Saturday that Indonesia and China had “countless commonalities” and the need to enhance strategic cooperation should be targeted “not only by strengthening the bilateral relationship, but also increasing the compactness through education, art and culture, sports and humanitarian collaboration.”

“With the appointment of new PPIT board members, coming from various backgrounds and walks of life, we would like to show that Indonesian-Chinese have a strong feeling for Indonesia and a spirit to nurture better relations and cooperation between the two countries,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

“They also have the competence as well as alacrity to mingle with other Indonesians to build a better and greater nation in the future.”

Bondan said several programs were planned by the association, including a film festival in Beijing, and Indonesian-Chinese student exchange program, and the joint production of traditional Chinese medicine.

Sinta Nuriyah, the widow of the late former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid — who ended a decades-long restriction on the practice of Chinese traditions and observations of Chinese holidays imposed by the strongman Suharto — also attended the inauguration and delivered a short remark stating her full support for the association.

Xiao Yiwu, the counselor for cultural affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta, underscored the importance of sustainable comprehensive strategic partnerships.

“President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono once said that both countries must continuously boost more partnerships in economics, politics, trade and culture as well as increasing people-to-people communication,” he said.

Last year, bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $52.45 billion, with the value expected to top $ 80 billion by 2015. Direct investment by China in Indonesia amounted to $292.1 billion last year, a dramatic increase from $141 billion the previous year.

Esti Andayani, the Foreign Ministry’s director general for information and public diplomacy, pledged support for the PPIT’s programs.

“We’ve entered what we call the ‘Asian Century,’ in which all countries in Asia, including Indonesia and China, play a pivotal role at the regional and global levels,” Esti said. “And with both countries’ sharing the same vision and perception on, for example, climate change, food security, energy and global financial institution reformation, we’ve come to agree to increase cooperation and coordination, while upholding the commitment to peace, stability and prosperity for the region and on the international stage.”

Jakarta Is Going Back to Its Roots With Old Town Fiesta

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, Mar 11, 2014

This weekend sees Jakarta’s historic Kota Tua play host to Fiesta Fatahillah.
(AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

Jakarta. Indonesia’s capital may be one of the liveliest cities of Southeast Asia, yet when it comes to having fun and stepping out of the house for the day, the city has very little to offer other than shopping malls and restaurants. This weekend, however, Jakartans are encouraged to visit the Old Town or Kota Tua to enjoy Fiesta Fatahillah, a vibrant art, culture, and culinary festival running from Thursday through Sunday. The first event of its kind, it will also mark the start of ambitious plans made by Jakarta’s provincial government to revamp the city’s historical Old Town.

History

“At last, everything falls into place,” said Arie Budhiman, head of Jakarta’s tourism and culture office. “After decades of planning, we’re now going to revitalize the heart of the city, the Kota Tua section.”

Kota Tua, which encompasses about 1.3 square kilometers across parts of North and West Jakarta, was the onset of the sprawling metropolis that Jakarta is now. It was in this area that Jan Pieterszoon Coen, governor general of the Dutch East Indies, established the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the early 1600s.

Thanks to the Sunda Kelapa Harbor, which was the biggest in Southeast Asia at that time, trade and business activities in Batavia (Jakarta’s old name) grew rapidly and this part of the town soon became a very busy. Sailors and traders from many different parts of the world lived in this part of the town.

At the end of the 17th century, malaria, dysentery and cholera plagues hit the area, killing hundreds of people. Survivors evacuated and abandoned all forts, offices, mansions and warehouses in Kota Tua. Thus, the area became dingy, run-down and finally neglected.

In 1972, Jakarta’s visionary governor, Ali Sadikin, established Kota Tua as a cultural and heritage center and started an ambitious plan to renovate and restore its old buildings.

“But somehow, the plan was never executed,” Jakarta’s senior historian, Martono Yuwono said.

All of Ali Sadikin successors expressed intentions to breathe life back into the site, yet their plans also fell through.

“But this is now the era of Jakarta Baru [New Jakarta] under Pak Jokowi [Governor Joko Widodo] and Ahok [Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama],” Arie said. “They both have great concerns about this heritage area and are truly committed to seeing it revitalized.”

Under Jokowi and Ahok’s care, the provincial government founded the Jakarta Endowment for Arts and Heritage (Jeforah) a non-profit consortium, which consists of two government-owned companies, nine private companies, artists, architects, historians and many other experts, in early 2014.

The group’s members came together out of concern for the Old Town, vowing to carry out a revitalization project.

Meanwhile, the city also established the Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation (Jotrc) to carry out the ambitious plans under Jeforah’s guidance and supervision.

A large number of stakeholders have invested their time, effort, and funds into the undertaking.

“The government owns just 4 percent of the buildings in the Kota Tua area,” said Lin Che Wei, chairman of Jotrc.

“About 40 percent are owned by private companies and the rest of its buildings are personally owned.”

With the consortium, Lin hopes to encourage all stakeholders in Kota Tua to work together in renovating and revitalizing the area.

The Fiesta Fatahillah festival is the group’s first endeavor toward reanimating Jakarta’s beloved historical site.

The four-day festival, opened by governor Joko Widodo, launched ambitious plans
 to revitalize an area steeped in history but suffering from decades of neglect.
(AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

Fiesta Fatahillah

The festival will be opened by the Jakarta Governor in Taman Fatahillah (Fatahillah Park), in front of the Jakarta History Museum on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a video-mapping presentation by Sembilan Matahari, a creative studio based in Bandung, offering a visual concept of the new Kota Tua upon the project’s completion. The studio presented a similar video in the exact same spot on the exact same day four years ago.

“I believe it’s no coincidence,” said Adi Panuntun, founder and creative head of Sembilan Matahari. “When the provincial government asked us to present another video-mapping on the exact same day and location, it means that the universe supports this project.”

Adi refused to divulge details of the video, only adding: “The video depicts water as a source of inspiration for revitalizing the Old Town.”

The four-day festival will also feature 55 vendors of the best local cuisines in Jakarta, all of which were selected by food critic and writer Laksmi Pamuntjak.

“We treat food as art in this festival,” Lin Che Wei said. “Everything is carefully curated by experts.”

In addition, contemporary creations by 47 renowned Indonesian artists will be displayed in Galleria Fatahillah, a new art space on the second floor of the Fatahillah Post Office.

Senior art collectors Dr. Oei Hong Djien and Heri Pemad Art Management selected the pieces showcased in the exhibition, including an installation called “Taxi Lover” by Angki Purbandono and a sculpture by Dolorosa Sinaga. Bandung-based visual artist Tisna Sanjaya will present a performance art action painting during the opening night by using asphalt, mud and paints on a large canvas.

The exhibit will run through Sept. 13 to “give maximum exposure to these artists and boost their careers,” Oei said.

Despite the festivities, Jeforah members realize much still needs to be done.

“We don’t aim to wow the public with a series of spectacular events in the festival,” said senior poet, writer and social activist, Goenawan Mohamad, who chairs the consortium’s advisory board. “We realize that we still have a long way to go [in revitalizing the Old Town]. We just want to let the people know that something positive is being done.”

Pedestrians enjoy street food in Jakarta’s Kota Tua. (AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

Revitalization plan

The Fiesta Fatahillah will also mark the opening of a Visitor’s Center on the ground floor of the Fatahillah Post Office.

“The visitor’s center will provide anyone who is interested with detailed information regarding the project,” Lin Che Wei said.

A very important part of the revitalization plan is to convert the Kota Tua area into a special trade and business center.

“Economic activities are needed to sustain this area,” Lin Che Wei said. “However, every utilization and development plan is subject to the approval of [Jeforah’s] advisory board.”

These activities will involve art and culture, education, lifestyle (food, fashion and entertainment), MICE (meeting, incentive, convention, exhibition), creative industries and finance.

“The advisory board guarantees there will be no gentrification and no change to the old buildings,” Goenawan said.

Instead, owners of Kota Tua’s colonial buildings will be encouraged to renovate.

“The provincial government will enact new regulations for building owners,” Arie of Jakarta Tourism said.

Under the new regulations, owners who neglect their property will be given a large penalty, while those who agree to renovate and maintain their structures will enjoy significant discounts on land and building taxes.

“Those who cannot afford to renovate their old buildings, may send their proposals to us,” Arie said.

“The governor has agreed to contribute a portion of Jakarta’s development budget to renovate some of these historical buildings.”

Jeforah and Jotrc aim to renovate 85 colonial structures in the area within the first five years of the project.

On the opening night of the festival, the Indonesia Port Corporation (Pelindo) will also sign an agreement with Jeforah and Jotrc to revitalize the 33-hectare area of the historic Sunda Kelapa Harbor.

“Everything is already on track,” Arie said. “With the right people on our team, I’m optimistic the plan will be executed properly.”

The government is also working on a traffic master plan to alleviate the heavy traffic jams in this area and planning to build more sidewalks for tourists.

“This is our starting point,” Lin Che Wei said. “With the commitment and participation of all stakeholders, I’m positive that Kota Tua can once again be a wonderful place to live, work and play.”

A revitalized Kota Tua can play an important role in promoting Jakarta as a destination offering more than just malls and traffic gridlock.

Fiesta Fatahillah

March 13 to 16

5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

Related Article:

Kota Tua’s Regeneration Begins in Earnest

Erasmus’ Documentary Festival Aims to Open Eyes to Social Issues

Jakarta Globe, Tunggul Wirajuda, November 10, 2013

Screen shot from ‘Orang Gila Juga Manusia’ (‘The Mentally Ill Are People Too’),
which is scheduled to be shown at the Erasmusindo Film Festival. (Photo courtesy
of Erasmusindo Film Festival)

Few film genres rival documentaries for their frank, first-hand view of the world around them. Unencumbered by scripts or contrived plots, documentaries are also renowned for their warts and all portrayal of the human condition. However, public awareness of documentaries still pales compared to feature films, a situation that the Erasmus Huis Cultural Center set out to change through the Erasmusindocs Film Festival, which was previously known as the Golden Lens Film Festival.

“The Erasmusindocs Film Festival will feature 28 Indonesian and 29 foreign films. The Indonesian entries will be classified in three categories: the university category for university student filmmakers, high-school category for filmmakers still in high school, and the open category for professional filmmakers and the general public” Erasmusindocs Film Festival director Patar Simatupangsaid.

“The documentaries come from all parts of Indonesia and reflect the country’s diversity accordingly,” Patar added. The films, he said, cover aspects of Indonesian life, which feature films or news reels do not cover.

These include films like “Ksatria Sembrani” (Steel Knight) by high-school student Hestin Febriani, “Orang Gila Juga Manusia” (The Mentally Ill Are People Too) by Budiyanto, and “Aku Ingin Berhijab” (I Want to Wear The Hijab) by Wahyudi.

The films highlight the changes that Indonesia is undergoing. “Ksatria Sembrani” chronicles a group of children’s efforts to keep in touch with their roots through a traditional pastime, while “Orang Gila Juga Manusia” raises an important health care issue, seen through the eyes of two mentally ill people. On the other hand, “Aku Ingin Berhijab” takes on the choice between one’s religious beliefs and their secular allegiance to the state. Foreign entrants like “Trashed” and “Chasing Ice” cover global warming, while “The Doors: When You’re Strange” takes a new look at band The Doors and their legendary frontman, the late Jim Morrison.

Patar added that “Trashed,” narrated by acclaimed British actor Jeremy Irons, will open the festival on Tuesday. Another foreign entrant, a behind-the-scenes look at showbiz called “20 Feet From Stardom” will wrap up the festival on Nov. 16.

For Erasmus Huis director Ton van Zeeland, the films convey Erasmusindocs’s message: the important role that documentaries play in Indonesia.

“Documentaries are now more important than ever to Indonesia, as the country is a budding democracy. This form of filmmaking opens the eyes of the [Indonesian] elite and public about conditions in various parts of the country in a critical, accessible medium” he said.

“The festival reflects our commitment to support Indonesian filmmakers. This includes developmental training in five Indonesian cities, among them Yogyakarta, Ambon and Jayapura, and discussions on the films at various universities in Jakarta,” van Zeeland said, adding that Indonesia has long been a subject of films, as film inventors Auguste and Louis Lumieres were among the first to shoot documentaries in the country.

Indonesian filmmaker Hafiz Rancakale agreed. “Dutch filmmakers, among them Johan van de Kooken and his documentary ‘Beras Ambon’ [Ambon Rice], were among the first to shed light on life in colonial Indonesia or the then Dutch East Indies. Indonesian filmmakers owe a debt of gratitude to them in technical aspects, as well as starting off a chronicle of Indonesian history through film,” he explained. “Since then, documentaries have portrayed shifts in Indonesian history, starting off with government propaganda films from the 1950s to the 1970s, to being used by NGOs to highlight the plight of marginalized people throughout Indonesia from the 1980s until today.”

Hafiz highlighted the sorry state of documentaries in Indonesia. “Documentaries in Indonesia are only seen in art film or documentary festivals [like Erasmusindocs] and the Yogyakarta Film Festival, as they are deemed less profitable than feature films due to their ‘heavy’ content,” he said. “This is a sad contrast with Indonesia’s role in the history of documentaries. I hope that Erasmusindocs will play a major role in turning this around.”

On his part, van Zeeland hopes that Erasmusindocs will be a turning point for Indonesian documentaries, as well as the country’s filmmaking sector as a whole. “I’m happy to say that the quality of Indonesian films at Erasmusindocs continues to improve, though they still have a long way to go in catching up to their foreign counterparts,” he said.

“I’m certain that the festival, and the resulting public demand for documentaries they bring, will bolster the founding of an independent Indonesian film house. I hope that the film house will be independent of foreign institutions like the Goethe Institut, Institut Francais d’Indonesie and even Erasmus itself.”

Erasmusindocs Film Festival

Erasmus Huis

Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav. S-3,

Jakarta 12950

November 12 to 16

Film screenings from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Telephone: 021 524-1016

Fax: 021 5275987

Website: www.erasmusindocs.com www.erasmushuis.org

Email: INFO@erasmusindocs.com

Documentary Fest to Return to Erasmus Huis

Jakarta Globe, Robbie Pyburn, September 21, 2012

‘Saving Face,’ a film documenting the lives of acid attack victims from
Pakistan, will be screened at the International Documentary Film Festival.

     

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Following the success of last year’s event, the Erasmus Huis, the Dutch cultural center in South Jakarta, will host its second International Documentary Film Festival from Tuesday to Sept. 29. It is held in association with the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam, the oldest and largest documentary film festival in the world. The festival will showcase a variety of documentaries from around the world as well as local works.

Last year, eight international films and 20 short-documentaries that were finalists in a local competition were screened. A positive response from attendees prompted a second edition this year.

This time, the event runs parallel with the SBM Golden Lens Documentary Film Festival, an exhibition of 20-short local documentaries selected from approximately 100 entrees. Ten of these films are then judged in the “Best Open Category,” while the other 10 vie for the “Best Student Category.” Also included is an “Audience Choice” award.

The IDFF will screen 17 international documentaries in order to “target more audiences,” according to its website.

“What I tried to do is to bring as many films [to this festival] that are, what I think, high quality,” said Orlow Seunke, the IDFF’s program director. “So I think if you go to see any of the documentaries, you will have a good time and enjoy it.”

Seunke also revealed that the “small theme” of this year’s festival was food.

A total of Rp 47 million ($5,500) prize money, donated by the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club and the School for Broadcast Media, Jakarta, will be divided among the winners of the three categories.

Additionally, the 20 documentarian finalists will be awarded with 13 days of workshops headed by experienced filmmakers Jord den Hollander and Hans Treffers. The workshops will be open to other filmmakers for a price.

The theme of this year’s workshops is “Getting Out of the Box,” and as the title suggests, the seminar urges participants to approach filmmaking in an original way. These discussion groups will give up-and-coming filmmakers the chance to develop their skills, collaborate with fellow filmmakers and learn from seasoned experts.

The IDFF includes the national premiere of “Marley,” a film detailing the life and legacy of reggae legend Bob Marley by Kevin Macdonald. The documentary features live performances, rare footage and insightful interviews with the people who were closest with Marley.

Other highlights include a screening of “Bus 174,” a documentary voted one of the 10 best films of 2002 by The New York Times and “Saving Face,” which won an Oscar for “Best Short Subject Documentary” in 2012.

IDFF

Hosted by Erasmus Huis

Sept. 25-29

Free to the public