Session 2 Diasporic imaginaries
Chair: Made Ngurah Amanda Pinatih
Speakers: Christopher Reinhart, Setiadi Sopandi, Nazif Lopulissa
How does the existence of diasporic vernaculars impact the lived realities in the 21st century? And how can we view architecture and design as tangible reflections of these realities? Such questions lay at the base of the second session in the Arus Balik–Shifting Currents symposium. It traced the diasporic imaginaries that arise through an intermingling of diverging temporalities, traditions, identities and localities, while also exploring how such imaginaries are re-articulated through architecture and design.
Christopher Reinhart
The title of Christopher Reinhart’s talk was ‘Nyoman Nuarta and the diasporic elements of Indonesia’s new seat of power’. Christopher described the Indonesian president Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s wish to build an entirely new capital, one he wishes to be free from any colonial legacy. However, Christopher questions, is that at all possible?
The idea to move the capital, Christopher illustrates, is not a new idea. To understand this, Christopher argues it is necessary to go back to Batavia (now Jakarta) and the VOC. The Dutch East Indies established the first modern nation covering the whole of Indonesia. Batavia was the seat of power and this legacy is still felt today, as Weltevreden (Gambir) is the seat of power to this day.
In the years that followed, the construction of the Great Post Road guided a multitude of discussions about moving the capital. Various leaders – such as J.C. Schultze, F.D. Cechias, Johannes v.d. Bosch, Aart v.d. Wijck and Hendrik Tillema, but also Sukarno and Soeharto – vocalised plans to move the capital. This, then, begs the question whether the very idea of moving the capital is not itself a continuation of emperial/colonial thinking? As Christopher states, even if you are building something new, you cannot simply leave behind the colonial legacy.
Setiadi Sopandi
Setiadi Sopandi was then given the microphone for a presentation on ‘New ideas and old imprints in the architectural works of F. Silaban (1912-1984)’. Setiadi discussed the biography and key works of the architect who was of great influence on the Indonesian architectural scene of the 1950s and 1960s.
Friedrich Silaban, I learn, worked hard to become an architect. He spent some time studying in Amsterdam and this experience, Setiadi notes, solidified the trace of Dutch modern architecture that can be found back in Silaban’s work.
Setiadi illustrates, for instance, how Silaban’s design reflects a clear inspiration from Dudok, even though, Setiadi adds, he never mentioned it himself.
Setiadi’s presentation shows how Silaban experimented and broke away from traditions in his early work. For example, in the design of the Bank of Indonesia, Silabaon opted for a pitched roof, rather than a flat roof (which was more common in modern architecture for such official/formal buildings).
Nazif Lopulissa
The last speaker of this session is artist Nazif Lopulissa, who took the audience along in his making process. Nazif explains that his Moluccan and Turkish roots inspired him to explore this diasporic identity in his artworks. As such he regards “art as a playground to colonial legacies”. Nazif uses many different materials and objects, but the application of bleach to his paintings and sculptures is a recurring practice. He uses bleach as a metaphor of ‘washing away’, but also compares it to a ‘safety net’. Bleach fades the material underneath it. One can tell that something is there, or used to be at least: one can feel it, yet one cannot see it. Nazif also sees bleach as a metaphor for the loss of knowledge due to colonisation, because “bleach will eat something and keep on doing that”.
Objects also play a recurring role in Nazif’s work. For example, in one installation, he is inspired by the emergency suitcase of first generation immigrants. By spraying bleach on a collection of objects laying on a canvas, he creates “a kind of negatives” on canvas: a trace of the objects once there. The objects, he explains, leave a mark: they look familiar but they are not visible.
Nazif is currently at Bureau Stedelijk to investigate and deepen his practice.
The session was wrapped up with a collective panel during which the speakers responded to questions from the audience.
