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View all search results‘80 Tahun Keberagaman’: Indonesia’s unity in diversity through the lens
The exhibition, held beside the Plataran Arca at the National Museum, transforms a 450-square-meter hall into an enchanting bamboo forest, with shadowy corridors and rows of bamboo poles evoking a mythical labyrinth.
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Sacred rituals: A series of nine photographs by architect Yori Antar is on display at the "80 Tahun Keberagaman" exhibition at the National Museum in Jakarta. The series captures traditional house-building rituals in Sumba and Wae Rebo, East Nusa Tenggara, where village elders enter a trance as part of the sacred process. JP/Sylviana Hamdani (JP/Sylviana Hamdani)
F
or centuries, the Sanskrit motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) has been the thread binding together 1,340 ethnic groups across Indonesia, holding the nation through times of peace and upheaval alike. And now, as unrest spreads across many cities and sinister rumors of violence stir against certain ethnic groups, that bond feels strained, yet all the more essential.
A photography exhibition, entitled “80 Tahun Keberagaman” (80 Years of Diversity) at the National Museum, celebrates the beauty of Indonesia and the long journey we have taken together. Presented by the Didit Hediprasetyo Foundation in collaboration with Komunitas Negeri Elok, the show gathers portraits of people, traditions and landscapes from Aceh to Papua, offering a quiet counterpoint to the current turmoil.
“This theme is very relevant,” said Culture Minister Fadli Zon at the opening on Aug. 19. “Our richness of ethnic groups and cultures is beautifully captured in these photographs. Through them, we can see how our natural and cultural treasures serve as a binding power that unites us across differences.”
For the exhibition, the hall beside the Plataran Arca has been transformed into a bamboo forest, at once mysterious and enchanting. Cloaked in black curtains and carpet, the 450-square-meter space is divided into corridors and lined with rows of bamboo poles, evoking the feel of a mythical labyrinth.
“The installation by [Indonesian architect] Andra Matin comprises 1,945 bambu runcing [bamboo spears],” explained Didit. “The photographs are curated by [Indonesian photographer] Davy Linggar.”
Looking upward, visitors see bamboo tips sharpened into spear-like points, a nod to the weapons once carried by Indonesia’s freedom fighters. Their number, 1,945, poignantly marks the year of independence.
“Bamboo grows naturally across the country,” Andra Matin said in a telephone interview on Aug. 26. “As spears, they stand as a powerful symbol of Indonesia’s fight for independence.”
