Photos place local architecture in space and time<\/p>\n
By Maria Sandra<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 50-year-old building stands firmly in
\ncontrast to a neighboring modern building in Kota, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The new building is constructed of iron, concrete and walls of
\ngreen reflecting glass. The older building seems only to be a
\nfoundation of sand, walls of wooden planks and wrought-iron work.<\/p>\n
The building, a residence, seems out of place among Kota's
\nstructures, many of which were formerly warehouses and old and
\nnew office buildings, is now conserved, at least in the
\nphotograph.<\/p>\n
The scene is captured in a photograph entitled Yang Terawat
\ndan Yang Terlupakan (The Cared for and The Neglected), one of the
\nworks by noted architect Yori Antar. An exhibition of his works,
\nRuang dan Waktu (Space and Time), at the Galeri Twilite Cafe in
\nKemang, South Jakarta, runs to Dec. 31.<\/p>\n
The 90 photographs display a cross section of Indonesian
\narchitecture, including modern houses, multistoried buildings,
\nupmarket shopping malls, and shacks along rivers across the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Yori said he wanted to share with visitors \"how we sometimes
\nfeel strange and lonely in the middle of sophisticated buildings
\nwe build for ourselves. Meanwhile, many traditional buildings are
\nbeing neglected.\"<\/p>\n
For Yori, taking pictures of buildings is part of his
\nprofession.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, I like to conserve every unique building through my
\nphotographs. These will become a source of inspiration when I
\nwant design a building,\" said the architect who started taking
\nphotographs in 1983.<\/p>\n
\"One day, these exotic architectural structures will not be
\nable to be enjoyed anymore,\" he said. His pictures preserve
\nstructures which may soon be history in both urban and isolated
\nsettings.<\/p>\n
Yori, 37, a member of the idealists in Arsitek Muda Indonesia
\n(Indonesia's Young Architects), based a design for low-cost
\nhousing in Timor on its traditional style. It won in a
\ncompetition organized by Plan International, a non-governmental
\norganization concerned with development and sanitation.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the photographs seem to help his architectural slant
\nin managing a harmonious blend of the old and the new.<\/p>\n
The pictures Simfoni dan Harmoni (Symphony and Harmony) and
\nRumah Temanku (My Friend's House) display comfortable-looking
\nhomes with the styles of different times, incorporating both wood
\nand stone.<\/p>\n
Other photographs show a variety neglected buildings, some of
\nwhich are almost in ruins, and others which are being renovated.<\/p>\n
Kehilangan Jiwa (Loss of the Soul) is the title for an old
\nbuilding in Senen, Central Jakarta, showing what is left of a
\nbuilding demolished about five years ago.<\/p>\n
People who have never been to the kampong along Kali Code,
\nYogyakarta, gain an insight of the area from Yori's pictures of
\nthe shacks.<\/p>\n
One photo, Bunga di Perkampungan Kumuh (Flower in the Slum),
\nshows a row of two-story semipermanent houses built cheek by
\njowl.<\/p>\n
There seems little space left to breathe. The simplicity of
\nthe \"tiles\" of palm fiber and the clothes dried on the rooftops
\nadd to the reality of Kali Code.<\/p>\n
The fact that residents manage to stay in Kali Code is
\nattributed to the advocacy and work of Father Y.B. Mangunwijaya,
\nor Romo Mangun, who worked with residents in managing to adapt
\ntheir homes to the environment.<\/p>\n
Mangunwijaya is, himself, an architect; one that younger
\narchitects look up to as those who believe architecture must
\nserve the needs of people who live in a building.<\/p>\n
Other photographs display the lilliputian housing along both
\nsides of an overpass in Jakarta. Conditions are similar to those
\nfound in Yogyakarta -- yet the gap seems more painful.<\/p>\n
Senior photographer Erick Prasetya commented: \"Through this
\n(display) we should be able to ... wake up in our awareness in
\ndefending and conserving our inheritance ...\"<\/p>",
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