Aug. 17 calls for community creativity

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The nation will celebrate Independence Day on Wednesday. People from Aceh to Papua have decorated their neighborhoods, villages and towns to prepare for the big day. This week's cover story attempts to share with our readers some of the excitement felt by many people in preparing for the celebration, as well as reflect on the meaning of 60 years of independence.

A month before August, Fathulloh, a community unit leader in Warung Jati, Kalibata district, South Jakarta, had already visited the some 300 community members to inform them of his plans for marking Independence Day.

Three weeks later, a large bamboo ceremonial gateway decorated with paintings and two large potted plants stood at the entrance to the alley.

"We worked on it every night for two weeks," said Fathulloh. "Two construction workers living here built the bamboo frame and local youths painted it."

The gate, which cost the community Rp 2 million (about US$204) was then decorated with flags and decorative lights. "My community unit members did not mind paying the money as we will be able to use it next year and in the years after that," he said.

As the month of August starts, many of the entrances to alleyways leading off Jakarta's streets have been given a makeover.

In addition, strings of plastic, red-painted cups and plastic bags filled with dyed water are hung along the alleys.

Although most people admit that decorating their neighborhoods has little to do with patriotism, the activity at least bonds them together. For one month of the year, at any rate.

"People in my RT (community unit) are middle class workers who return home late from work and rarely have time to chat with their neighbors," said Kuswari, the head of a community unit in Cinere, Depok.

He said that Independence Day was the only time of the year when the some 120 people living in the area spent time together.

"The ceremonial entrance gateways erected for Independence Day signify our communities' identities," said Ade Darmawan, a leader of Ruangrupa, a club involved in urban art.

According to Ade, street art is the most honest form of art, unrestricted by theories of aesthetics. "Nobody cares about what people will say. They just create what they think will be nice to look at with whatever materials are available in the community," he said.

Ade added that Independence Day was a time when the community could collectively create something. "It is great for simply getting together, working on something, where a child or a housewife can suggest something without fear of being criticized," he explained.

Each community, he said, needed to have their own "professionals" who could execute the ideas. Ruangrupa members were frequently asked by their neighbors to decorate their neighborhoods.

However, the city seems to be seeing less and less of this kind of collaborative community art. "Our neighboring alleyways are not decorating their areas this year. I don't really know why. But from what I do know, the people living there are mostly newcomers," said Fathulloh.

Fathulloh added that some community units chose to just collect money and hire a professional decorator to produce something for them. "With such help, their gateways look nicer, but we are happier looking at something that we have made ourselves," he said.