Voices on connecting people and working with art in social contexts and transformation processes:

How to connect. Jatiwangi art Factory

Voices on connecting people and working with art in social contexts and transformation processes.
Presented by Ismal Muntaha.
Edited by Sandra Bühler.
Camera: Ismal Muntaha, Yopie Nugraha, Alma Noxa, Carda Arifin, Rangga Aditiawan, Pandu Rahadian, M. Faizur Rahman, Bagus, Bunga Siagian, Yuda Samakta, Ahmad Thian, Yie Ahmad, Sandra Bühler. Sound: Hanya Terra, Tedi En, Haris.
Special Thanks to: Jatiwangi art Factory, Jatiwangi Community, Ceramic Music Festival Community, Video Village Festival Community, Sunday Screen, Hanya Terra, Ismal Muntaha. Grace Samboh, and to the JaF Founders Ginggi Syar Hasyim, Arief Yudi, and Yumma Loranita Theo.
Made possible by JaF, FOA-FLUX, and the Institute for Contemporary Art Research, Zurich University of the Arts.

Grace Samboh on art and communities (Java, Indonesia)
This short film is part of the Visual Notes series. Concept by Grace Samboh and Dominique Lämmli. Filming and editing by Sandra Bühler.

Grace discusses and raises important questions in her journey to understanding the relationship of contemporary art and community art engagement activities in her home country of Indonesia: how they are related and yet unique as art but in both contexts, can inspire and impact people/society. Grace describes a ceramic art exhibition in which JAF created a piece of artwork. This raises questions for her regarding how this work can be valued, and measured in terms of its value or worth other than peoples reactions. One of the final issues that she raises in this video: should this type of art/group/collective work be represented in contemporary art? (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch)

Kadus Ila on his work with JaF and the construction of a tile history museum in Jatiwangi

This short film is part of the Visual Notes series. Concept by Grace Samboh and Dominique Lämmli. Filming and editing by Sandra Bühler.
Ila Syukrillah Syarief, better known as Kadus Ila, talks about his work with JaF and in the construction of a tile history museum in Jatawangi. As part of the building of the roof tile history museum, he is collecting artifacts (tiles) and oral histories of tile making of the Jatiwangi people. The museum will also offer a space for workshops, to develop new techniques and functions for making clay tiles and help sustain this work BUT ultimately to give dignity to his people and their history and work with clay. (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch). (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch).

Pandu Rahdian on Forum Dua Tujuan
This short film is part of the Visual Notes series. Concept by Grace Samboh and Dominique Lämmli. Filming and editing by Sandra Bühler.
Pandu Rahdian, director of Forum Dua Tujuan provides a brief overview of the collaborative monthly discussions that were created between a group of local villagers in Jatiwangi and various members of the local government. In this video presentation, Pandu describes how Forum Dua Tujuan provided villagers with the opportunity to meet and speak directly with government officials about their concerns of potential cultural, social, and financial issues that would impact the village due to the building of a new airport on current village land. In the end, all parties involved were able to find some unique and positive solutions that benefited everyone. (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch)

Andung Kelana on Forum Lenteng
This short film is part of the Visual Notes series. Concept by Grace Samboh and Dominique Lämmli. Filming and editing by Sandra Bühler.

Andung Kelana, one of the co-founders of Forum Lenteng discusses the organization’s primary goal to study various cultural problems in society and to support and enhance opportunities for empowering social and cultural studies in Indonesia. Some of the programs and workshops that are presented include:

Akumassa (eye public) – media literacy program for young people to utilize digital media resources to gather and then publish a book to raise awareness on several important social, governmental and environmental issues in Indonesia.

Halaman Papua – media literacy program managed by Forum Lenteng in four districts in Papua to encourage local communities to utilize creative works by using alternative media (Internet, documentary film, printed text to enhance public awareness of health and health care in Papua.

Videobase – a research project for video development and usage as a medium in Indonesia. (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch)

Debrina Tedja and Helmi Hardian (members of WAFT-LAB) on OK Video-Jakarta, Open Lab, WARP, and Tadarus
This short film is part of the Visual Notes series. Concept by Grace Samboh and Dominique Lämmli. Filming and editing by Sandra Bühler.

Debrina Tedja and Helmi Hardian who are part of WAFT-LAB, provide a brief overview of the purpose of this collaborative art and science initiative and then describe some of the various workshops and projects that have been created since its founding. One of their first projects was an electronic music equipment workshop (free and paid workshops) in collaboration with “OK Video-Jakarta“. Some of the other projects discussed include:

OPEN LAB: a collaboration with some other organizations like Digital Native to make a traditional drink using a sound-activated mixing machine with one’s voice.

WARP (WAFT/LAB Artist-in-Residence Program): their 2nd artist-in-residence from Australia and Twist (resident artist) collaborated on a music machine project and worked with a local university to discuss the program. They also visited local media artists workspaces.

TADARUS – a collaborative art project in Lima, Peru to replace the traditional prayer activity time after Ramadan (fasting) ends with an electronic music building workshop for kids with a music jam session at the end.

WAFT-LAB has future plans to establish mobile electronic music workshops, using a van to take the electronic music workshops, seminars and talks EVERYWHERE! (Text: FOA-FLUX, Paul Koch)