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.