Kampongs through the lens of photographers

Niken Prathivi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 11/06/2009 2:45 PM  |  City

Showing his interest in Jakarta, Belgian photojournalist Thibault Gregoire invited amateur photographers around the city to capture things that honestly portray the city's character. As a result, the metropolis' kampongs seem to seem to show up as regular favorites.

In the Exposition de Photographies (Photography Exhibition), 35 photos from 25 photographers are displayed at Galerie du Centre Culturel Fran*ais (CCF - French Cultural Center) Salemba in Central Jakarta from Tuesday to next Saturday; and at Galerie du CCF Wijaya in South Jakarta from Nov. 16-28.

Fanny Fajarianti won the competition with her depiction of a fish market in an unidentified area of Jakarta.

Her photo, titled "Avant l'aube" (Before Sunrise), portrays fish vendors plying their trade in the early hours before dawn beneath a bridge.

Gregoire, who has been living in Jakarta for five years, said many residents are interested in photography and some have posted their pictures on social networking sites, like Facebook.

"I proposed a simple photo contest to CCF Jakarta and the contest began in February, with three themes: daily life in kampongs, spare time in Jakarta and water in various forms and aspects." Gregoire said.

CCF Salemba spokeswoman Astri Retno Onengan said the motive behind the kampong theme was to acknowledge that the city was filled with and surrounded by kampongs.

"The spare time theme was decided upon after realizing that it is difficult to enjoy an easy stroll or conversation in Jakarta due to the bad traffic everywhere, the lack of decent city parks, and distant tourist spots. The water theme is typified by Jakarta's lack of water during the dry season, and floods during the rainy season, as well as the issue of clean water supply," Astri said.

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