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Poetry on stikers, walls fills city
Not only has Jakarta's air been filled with dust and carbon-fuel emissions lately, but also with the poetic words featured on 12,000 stickers, 10 murals and 500 T-shirts
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Not only has Jakarta's air been filled with dust and carbon-fuel emissions lately, but also with the poetic words featured on 12,000 stickers, 10 murals and 500 T-shirts.
Siang ini di Priok ada seorang kuli mati
tertusuk ganco temannya sendiri
tapi upacara bongkar gudang tidak boleh berhenti, sayang
- Arifin C. Noer, "Jakarta", 1980
It is a poem by a versatile artist, the late Arifin C. Noer, printed on a yellow sticker and distributed among thousands from Dec. 31 to Jan. 9 by the committe of Literature in the City Space organized by Jakarta Arts Council as part of Jakarta Biennale XIII 2009.
The poem tells the story of a coolie at Tanjung Priok seaport who died after being stabbed by his friend's sharp hook. The type of hook, called a ganco, is commonly used at warehouses to split sacks. Arifin closed the poem with a statement: Despite the death, the "ritual of unloading the warehouse cannot stop, dear".
"The program aims to bring the public closer to literature through the free distribution of 12,000 stickers, 10 murals and 500 T-shirts," said Mirwan Andan, the program's committee, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.
The literary organization commissioned young mural artists to paint 10 murals at different places. The artists -- who come from the groups Kudaponi, Ale Antiponi, Propagraphic, Kuas N'Roll and Bujangan Urban -- painted murals from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6.
Some of the places are at Cikini and Cakung trains station, in Central and North Jakarta; Jl. Sultan Agung, Ragunan Zoo and Jl. TB Simatupang in South Jakarta; and Pasar Pagi in West Jakarta.
The artists painted the words from the literary works of the country's greatest writers and poets like Afrizal Malna, Ajip Rosidi, Chairil Anwar, Goenawan Mohamad, Hamsad Rangkuti, Misbach Yusa Biran, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Sapardi Djoko Damono, Sitor Situmorang and Toety Heraty Noerhadi.
The selected literary works tell stories and describe feelings of Jakarta.
Mirwan said that besides the poems and prose, the literary committee also featured excerpts of news about Jakarta from old newspapers from 1900 to 1960 on the stickers, murals and T-shirts.
The program will hold an event Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. at Menteng Park in Central Jakarta. The event is scheduled to present a poetry recital, with free stickers and T-shirts being distributed.
