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Human Rights Abuses Examined in Art Exhibition
Jakarta Globe, November 27, 2013 Every Thursday afternoon, protesters holding black umbrellas gather outside the State Palace in Central Jakarta. There is no chanting, marching or flag-waving. The group simply stands in silent protest against the human rights abuses suffered by themselves or their family members under Suharto’s New Order regime. The weekly ritual known…
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Michael Leunig Invites Us to Consult Our Inner Duck
Jakarta Globe, October 20, 2013 How can you tell if a person is corrupt? Australian cartoonist and poet Michael Leunig has a simple suggestion: “You must study the duck./You must play with the duck./You must talk with the duck./You must know the ways of the duck./You must look deeply into the eyes of the…
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Art of Deception Unveiled at RuRu’s OK.Video Biennial
Jakarta Globe, September 9, 2013 As the call to prayer beckons from a muffled recording, a young man solemnly places an object to his forehead. He runs it along the lengths of his arms and holds it to his heart, performing a healing ritual known as ruqyah . But the object in his hands…
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Reenactors Keep Memory of Independence Fighters Alive
Jakarta Globe, April 28, 2013 It’s Sunday afternoon at the National Awakening Museum in Central Jakarta and a scuffle is taking place in the courtyard. A man dressed in khaki fatigues falls down dead, his limbs sprawled on the manicured lawn. Moments later he sits up again, laughing. This is a typical weekend activity for…
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With a Strong Indonesian Connection, Bailey Fits the Bill
Jakarta Globe, November 12, 2012 It’s no accident that UK comedian Bill Bailey was made the headlining act of the inaugural Jakarta International Fringe Festival, better known as JakFringe. Aside from having an impressive stage career as an actor, musician and comedian for almost 25 years, Bailey also has a strong connection to Indonesia, a…
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Mitha Budhyarto, Advocate for the Arts
Jakarta Globe, June 25, 2012 Mitha Budhyarto does not consider herself an artist. But the 28-year-old curator and lecturer has committed most of her life so far to the arts. Newly returned to Jakarta after a 10-year stint studying in London, Mitha already has a couple of exhibition credits to her name as a curator,…
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Werner Kraus, Raden Saleh Biographer
Jakarta Globe, June 11, 2012 For German scholar Werner Kraus, the 19th-century Javanese painter Raden Saleh has been something of a lifelong companion. Kraus has followed the artist’s life through letters and manuscripts for more than 25 years, and is now preparing to launch a biography to tell the story of the painter’s life. Kraus…
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An Indonesian Filmmaker With a ‘Lovely’ Story to Tell
Jakarta Globe, June 4, 2012 One night almost 10 years ago, filmmaker Teddy Soeriaatmadja witnessed an unusual sight. Passing through the dimly lit backstreets of Central Jakarta, he saw a girl wearing a headscarf, deep in conversation with a transgender prostitute. That night, Teddy continued on his way to film a TV commercial in the…
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Adnyani Dewi, Photographer
Jakarta Globe, May 21, 2012 Want to know why Jakarta’s traffic is so bad? Perhaps it’s because a bear and a panda are dancing in the middle of the road. At least, that’s the reason in the imagination of Adnyani Dewi, a photographer soon to exhibit work at the Dia.lo.gue artspace in Kemang. Dewi is…
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Album Finds Common Ground Between Franco and Suharto
Jakarta Globe, May 14, 2012 When electronic artist Grey Filastine was mixing his latest album “Loot,” a revolution of sorts was taking place outside his studio window. “If I opened the window, I would hear cheers and yelling, people banging on pots and pans, helicopters overheard. It was a super-intense thing to live through,” he…
Catriona Richards 