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Erotica Remains in Eye of Beholder
Jakarta Globe, April 10, 2012 Since it was passed in 2008, Indonesia’s Anti-Pornography Law has enabled broad attacks on everything from miniskirts to works of art to pop stars unlucky enough to have their private sex tapes broadcast publicly. The law defines pornography as any form of expression that “arouses sexual desire” and “violates society’s…
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Bubur Ayam After Midnight in Jakarta
Jakarta Globe, April 4, 2012 It’s a rainy weeknight in Central Jakarta and the streets are dim and wet, slashed by the occasional passing motorcycle. The cafes and restaurants are closing their doors and even the street stalls are running out of food. There’s only one place to go: The steps of Pasar Hias Rias…
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Music for the End of the World Stopping a Total ‘Colony Collapse’
Jakarta Globe, March 16, 2012 A young woman in a white dress steps out into the growling traffic on one of Jakarta’s main thoroughfares. She is holding a megaphone. Behind her, a man follows holding a boombox over his head, his mouth covered to stop him from choking on the toxic fumes. The woman sings…
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End of the Road? Phasing Out Jakarta’s Bajajs
Jakarta Globe, March 11, 2012 In a year’s time, Jakarta’s orange bajajs — those three-wheeled, smoke-belching buggies of banged-up steel — will be banished from the city’s streets for good. Drivers of the so-called “red bajajs” will be forced to pay up for the cleaner blue model, or move on. It’s good news for air…
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Take a Virtual Vacation With White Shoes
Jakarta Globe, February 24, 2012 Nothing says leisure like the band White Shoes & The Couples Company. The open-necked, boat-shoed darlings of Jakarta’s indie scene were welcomed back last weekend from their European tour at the launch of their own photography exhibition titled “Pagelaran Album Vakansi” (“Vacation Album Exhibition”). Held at Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace in Kemang,…
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A Riot of Art Good Enough to Print
Jakarta Globe, February 17, 2012 Printmakers have always been the rebels of the art world. Their craft requires a mix of brute strength and careful precision, free expression and attention to detail, as it walks the fine line between what is mass-produced and what is art. This weekend, 18 printmakers from Jakarta State University (UNJ)…
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Untangling the Jakarta Biennale
Jakarta Globe, January 20, 2012 Toxic smoke billowed from an earthy pit as activists chanted slogans condemning social inequality. An old man delivered an emotional monologue before a maze of white mice, while a nearby bamboo structure teetered and swayed in the breeze. So went the opening of the Jakarta Biennale XIV, Indonesia’s premier arts…
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Copy and Pasting Indonesia’s Art History
Jakarta Globe, January 20, 2012 Despite its villainous reputation among the guardians of intellectual property rights, the copy-and-paste function on computers is infinitely useful for quickly obtaining, sharing and organizing information. The people at the Indonesian Visual Art Archive are making good use of the function by compiling a series of four data catalogs in…
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Hip Hop on Jalan Surabaya
Jakarta Globe, December 15, 2011 Whether you’re looking for Chinese porcelain, wooden puppets, traditional textiles or deep-sea diving helmets, most locals in Jakarta will point you in the same direction: Jalan Surabaya. The popular market strip in Menteng, Central Jakarta, is lined with curios and antiques — some real, others made while you wait. It…
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Documentary Tells Stories Of Mt. Merapi’s Impact
Jakarta Globe, December 11, 2011 Sitting by the remains of his former house, Cangkringan resident Purdiwiyono squints into the campfire and inhales deeply on a kretek cigarette. “I saw black and red everywhere,” he recounts. “I thought the eruption would destroy everything. I was right.” Like many residents of the villages clinging to Mount Merapi’s…
Catriona Richards 