TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Bintaro Design District 2019: A 10-day celebration of the creative mind
The Bintaro Design District (BDD) festival returned for its second year from Nov. 28 to Dec. 7.
Change Size
The area where the 'String Composition 1st series – for BDD' installation stood became the stage for the dance performance 'Side to Side, in Scale' by The Josh Marcy Company, proof that the Bintaro Design District festival included disciplines other than design and architecture. (JP/Muthi Kautsar)
I
t was that time of the year again, when the Bintaro area, encompassing South Jakarta and South Tangerang, became the “it” destination for architects, designers and arts enthusiasts.
The Bintaro Design District (BDD) festival returned for its second year from Nov. 28 to Dec. 7.
Organized by architects Andra Matin, Budi Pradono and Danny Wicaksono as well as graphic designer Hermawan Tanzil, BDD was a festival of architecture, design and other creative work.
Not an ordinary festival, BDD took place in more than 70 venues, consisting of architecture firms, design studios, public parks and other spaces provided by property developer PT Jaya Real Property. The exhibitions and events were spread throughout Bintaro and a few other places in Jakarta and South Tangerang. These venues offered glimpses of the creative lives of architects and designers as well as installations that were interactive and packed with ideas, inspiration and positive messages.
BDD 2019 presented the theme “Inclusivity” to promote designs that reached a wider audience. It also highlighted the importance of embracing people who were marginalized and those with disabilities.
This year’s BDD logo consisted of braille dots that read “BDD”. It was designed by Bandung-based design studio Nusae.
Danny, one of BDD’s organizers, was aware that Bintaro had become a hub of creative workers. He expected them to interact with those less aware of design and share their knowledge and skills.
“[Hopefully the creative workers] with their ideas and designs will be able to enable as many people as possible to live better, more comfortable lives amid the changing community,” said Danny in a press conference.
He hoped that inclusivity in architecture and design would lead Jakarta – and Indonesia as a whole – to make better use of the country’s shared living space.
As architecture firms and design studios opened their doors to BDD visitors during the 10-day festival, they were also encouraged to adorn public spaces around Bintaro with interactive installations.
Architecture firm Adria Yurike Architects responded to Valey Parking, a forest-like space next to the Telaga Sampireun restaurant by building an installation called Genang (puddle of water). Genang consisted of a pool reflecting the surrounding trees with a small platform placed on one of its edges. A long metal bench was also placed nearby. Those who observed Genang could stand on the platform or sit on the bench to take in the view of the neatly-lined trees and the cars running on the toll road across Valey Parking.
Read also: Inaugural Bintaro Design District Festival opens dialogue between designers, public
A few steps away from Genang stood String Composition 1st series – for BDD. It sought to depict the adaptive nature of the borders of time and space. The installation, created by design firm Biroe, was made of lines of strings in 2-dimensional shapes that created 3-dimensional visuals. Rubi Roesli, founder of Biroe, suggested visitors observe the installation during the day and the night for different experiences of the work.
Creating interactive installations at abandoned places like Valey Parking, according to BDD co-initiator Budi, was part of an effort to include the community.
“It is about how we become aware of – how we observe – a place with heart. […] I encourage friends to activate public spaces, abandoned parks, to bring them to life again,” said Budi.
He said he had renovated a warung burjo (mung bean porridge stand) that also sold instant noodles to further the theme of inclusivity.
There was a wide gap between the warung and the architects, Budi said.
“[The warung owners] didn’t know about architecture, but after we made a few changes, the warung reopened and there was a very long line of customers. Architects always meet people who have money. Warung owners have money too, but they are unaware of design,” said Budi.
The architects’ magic touch was also apparent at Mie Ayam Tirta, a chicken noodle stall where Andra and Budi had been customers for decades. The renovation of the noodle stall included the installation of ventilation blocks and the addition of porcelain slabs to serve as a communal tabletop.
With a starting price of Rp 20,000 (US$ 1.42) for a plain bowl of chicken noodles, the warung benefited from the added value of the dining experience. The designers hoped that their work showed that all layers of society could appreciate and enjoy a good design.
Pak Tirta, the noodle seller, told The Jakarta Post that after the renovation was completed, his stall gained popularity, with many new customers lining up to buy noodles from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The theme of inclusivity also materialized in an installation titled Diffable/;pronounce;/Diff-a-ble created by architecture firm Studio Arsitektropis at the Bintaro headquarters of the Sayap Ibu foundation, which serves as a home for orphans and abandoned children, including those with special needs.
The installation was built on the location where an extension school of the Sayap Ibu Foundation was to be constructed.
Studio Arsitektropis said in a social media post that the installation, a space created to cater the needs of children with different abilities, pointed out that everyone – including those who were disabled – had the right to enjoy and benefit from good architecture.
Diffable/;pronounce;/Diff-a-ble was awarded best installation by the BDD committee.
The event’s inclusivity efforts also extended to stray cats. They were the inspiration for A2J Design Consultant’s Stray Cat Shelter Project. One of the shelters was located at Kopi Manyar coffee shop. It was a boxy structure attached to a rope-covered pole for the cats to scratch. Inside the structure were wooden surfaces with holes to hold bowls for water and cat food.
BDD 2019 stayed true to its theme of inclusivity by involving exhibition venues from outside Bintaro, including Galeri Nasional Indonesia in Central Jakarta, Dia.lo.gue art space and M Bloc Space in South Jakarta and Museum MACAN in West Jakarta. A talk show, workshops and a guided tour were also part of the festival.
Read also: Designers band together for Fourth Industrial Revolution
Closing the event on Dec. 7, an evening gathering was held at Valey Parking Telaga Sampireun. BDD organizers expressed their appreciation for the designers, visitors and volunteers from the small platform attached to the Genang installation. Their reflections in the pool added dramatic effect to the spectacle.
The area where String Composition 1st series – for BDD installation stood became the stage for the dance performance Side to Side, in Scale by The Josh Marcy Company, proof that the festival included various disciplines other than design and architecture.
Attendees of the festival’s closing party at Valey Parking Telaga Sampireun lingered until quite late at night, socializing with fellow design and architecture enthusiasts and enjoying refreshments.
Another element that distinguished this year’s BDD from last year’s was the availability of an app that helped users find events and exhibition venues. In the app, BDD visitors could also read the profiles of architects, designers and other creative workers who participated in the event.
BDD seems to have a bright future as a self-financed, communal project. The number of participants was more than double that of the previous year. The app was downloaded by 1000 users the day before the event began.
Nick Yudha, founder of the Antikode UI/UX design development company who built the BDD app, suggested users keep the app even though the year’s event had come to a close. BDD will return in 2020, and the curators have unveiled the theme: “Sharing the Future”.
