German casts new light on city's buildings

German casts new light on city's buildings

By Emma Cameron

JAKARTA (JP): Not many art exhibitions enter their last week
still incomplete, but an exhibit titled Jakarta 2000 --
Contemporary Architecture in the Indonesian Capital managed this
feat.

The exhibition, which closed on Friday at the German Embassy,
showcased photographs taken by Dr. Thomas Prinz, Head of the
Cultural Department at the Embassy. With a background as a
political scientist and historian, Prinz originally had no
intention of exhibiting his photographs of landmark buildings in
Jakarta.

"It started with a few snapshots. I had some at home and
people said 'my god you should do something with it' but I'm not
an architect, I don't know anything about it," he said.

A meeting with a lecturer from the faculty of architecture at
the University of Indonesia however, gave him the courage to put
together the exhibit.

Although he admits to almost being born with a camera in his
hand, he refuses to take the label of artist. "I do not consider
myself to be an artist. The art is in the designs of the
buildings, this (the exhibit) is just documentation," he said.

The exhibition was the first documentation of architecture in
the capital of Indonesia, a gap which left historians lagging
behind places such as Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong, which all
have books on the subject.

The current gaps in the exhibition were due largely to changes
of building ownership, which have resulted in a loss of the
history of particular buildings, but the works represented a
significant achievement. When Prinz first began his research
Internet searches turned up nothing, forcing him to start from
scratch, talking to building owners and architects.

The exhibition forced the audience to really study the
buildings, most of which the average resident of Jakarta would
pass by blindly every day on their way to work.

World famous architects such as Paul Rudolph were responsible
for the vernacular form of the Wisma Dharmala Sakti with its
design of two symmetrical roofs followed by one roof at an edge
to create the play of shadow that was instantly recognizable to
those who have spent even a short time in the city.

However each building has had input by Indonesian architects
resulting in some interesting cultural exchanges. The history of
architecture can be traced through the buildings with the
beginnings in blocky, dull, utilitarian buildings to the light,
airy buildings full of modern conveniences and features such as
plazas that we know today. Even the Sudirman central business
district which is a project still 90 percent on paper, is
included in the exhibition.

Prinz is in the midst of negotiations with the foreign
ministry to tour the exhibition overseas in what he believes to
be an important attempt to boost Jakarta's image.

"One can live here, work here, it (Jakarta) has the whole
infrastructure one needs ... people expect something close to
Bali. No one expects a modern, busy, urban center," Prinz said.

Prinz is now looking to complete the exhibit, with his efforts
ideally culminating in a coffee table book featuring photographs
of between 45 to 50 buildings.

A calendar has already been created, with a recent decision
made to sell a limited number of copies to the public from the
Embassy. The calendar, originally a concept to raise money at
events such as the Christmas Bazaar at the Pitinsky Hotel which
raises money for handicapped children, was also developed to
cover costs after the money from sponsors proved less than
expected when the rupiah staged a comeback.