Archiving work: a desolate job for the sake of eternity

Placement Report

Archiving work: a desolate job for the sake of eternity

Yayasan Museum Arsitektur Indonesia

Indonesian Architecture Museum Foundation

Khattiya PANNINDRIYA S3900959

A&U: Internship/ Individual Project Academic year 2019-2020 | Semester 2

History of Architecture and Urbanism (A&U) Master of Arts and Culture

LKA888M10

University supervisor: prof. dr. Cor Wagenaar Placement supervisor: Setiadi Sopandi, ST. M.A Jakarta, July 2020

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Contacts

Student:

Kav. Polri D2 No. 938, West Jakarta 11460, Indonesia

Supervising Lecturer:

Prof. dr. Cor Wagenaar

Department History of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Groningen M. +31 64826 2015

c.wagenaar@rug.nl

Oude Boteringestraat 34, 9712 GK Groningen, The Netherlands

Placement Supervisor:

Setiadi Sopandi, ST. M.A Founder and Curator Board

Yayasan Museum Arsitektur Indonesia (Indonesian Architecture Museum Foundation) M. +62 877 7070 3778

arsitektur.id@gmail.com

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Contents

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Introduction

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Organization

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Initial Placement Plan

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Description of Assignments and Learning Outcomes

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Jakarta's Rhetoric and Reality The Architect and the Car

Archive Documentation Proposal of Y.B. Mangunwijaya’s Works

Evaluation

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Conclusion

Notes

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Introduction

It began in 2019 during my MA program at Groningen, the Netherland, writing my assignment on the relationship between the post-colonial Indonesian architecture and several selections of artworks in literature. In the internet era today, even finding resources in the field of history of Indonesian architectural history might be challenging. History in architecture as a field of study itself is a relatively underdeveloped territory in Indonesia. In the context of in-depth history in architecture research, references and archival materials are either scarce or difficult to access, and there is a lack of proper infrastructure.

Reflecting on the issue, I assigned my internship with Yayasan Museum Arsitektur Indonesia (YMAI, Indonesian Architecture Museum Foundation), a new repository foundation for architecture in Indonesia. The work of YMAI is concerned with the field of documentation and research on Indonesian architectural works, figures, and discourse, which I found very interesting and relevant in terms of my interest and future professional career as well.

I expressed my intention to Setiadi Sopandi as the Founder and Curator Board of the institution, who then became my supervisor. Not long after that, he offered me some opportunities to participate in ongoing documentation activities on the works of the late architects, Y.B. Mangunwijaya and M. Soedarsono. Another activity is to assist the preparation for their participation in the Berlin SEAM Space Exhibition, which was initially planned to be held in September 2020. This exhibition is a continuation of the Occupying>Modernism exhibition, a part of Encounters with Southeast Asian Modernism (SEAM Encounters) program series. As a part of BAUHAUS' 100th anniversary (www.seam-encounters.net), all participating projects try to observe the other side of modernism in Southeast Asia, especially in the post-independence era. The master’s placement was carried out between 27th _{April and 27}th _{July 2020. Due to the} Covid-19 pandemic, however, there were some adjustments to the initial plan, which resulted in several significant changes in the projects and the working environment. Some projects were experiencing delays, so I was required to change the assignment to some research for editorial articles on YMAI social media (www.arsitekturindonesia.org). Those examined how the desire or culture of the city was projected in Indonesia architect or architecture.

At the end of the internship period, things began to return to normal, and I had the additional opportunity to develop a proposal to obtain additional funding from the Ministry of Education and

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Culture for documenting the archives of Y.B. Mangunwijaya. The proposed activity was to establish an inventory and digitization of photo archives, non-photograph, and drawings. Our ultimate goal was to display the archive collection on the YMAI social media and launch a virtual tour to Y.B. Mangunwijaya’s buildings project.

Organization

Founded in 2016, an independent non-profit Yayasan Museum Arsitektur Indonesia (YMAI, Indonesian Architecture Museum Foundation) is focusing on the collection of works, figures, discourses of architectural histories in and about Indonesia, especially those produced during or nearing independence until now. Based in Jakarta, its foundation was inspired by the work of PDA (Pusat Dokumentasi Arstitektur, Indonesian Center for Architecture Documentation), established in 2002. Slightly different from PDA works in activities related to documentation, research and restoration of cultural heritage and historical buildings, the work of YMAI is taking up the challenge of collections related to the exposure of the broad definition of "Indonesian Architecture." Besides, YMAI also works on mapping the range of architectural practices and discourses in Indonesia.

Not only focused on a valuable collection about architecture available from its website and onsite, but the organization also reach out to the public through publication, talks, exhibitions, and an active presence on social media. Those activities help YMAI to empower the public community to play an active role in heritage discussion and stay up-to-date on heritage issues, particularly in the field of Indonesian architecture.

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Initial Placement Plan

Before starting the internship, I discussed with my supervisor, Setiadi Sopandi, about the placement plan which I could develop during the internship program. The Covid-19 pandemic arose shortly after the internship period and resulted in a significant change in the situation. Thus, there were some adjustments to the initial plan stated in the placement contract which I would further explain in the later section.

Content of the placement/ assignment

1. Organize and realize research/ publication/ exhibition projects as initiated by the Board of curators.

2. Take the initiative to throw topics for editorial architectureindonesia.org, Instagram/ Twitter/ Facebook thread/ post.

3. Monitor the smooth running of the web pages performance and regularly report to the Board of Curators.

Detailed program of the placement period

1. Participate in identifying, cross-referencing, and documenting original drawings by (1) the late Y. B. Mangunwijaya, the architect of Kali Code Urban Settlement in Yogyakarta, and (2) R. M. Soedarsono, the architect of the National Monument of Indonesia.

2. Assist the preparation of the organization's participation in the SEAM Space Berlin, September 2020.

Learning outcomes: competences to be acquired

1. To obtain a deeper understanding of the roles and duties of organizations that work in the field of architectural history documentation and theory.

2. To improve academic and critical skills in terms of writing articles concerning an academic research project.

3. To develop professional skills and build engagement skills by networking with various stakeholders working in the field of heritage in Indonesia.

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Description of Assignments and Learning Outcomes

Due to the pandemic situation during the internship period, as I mentioned before, my tasks at YMAI were mainly focused on the content creation for their social media channels. Apart from the changing types of work, the pandemic has also affected the limitations of social mobility in Indonesia, causing all of the work to be done remotely from home.

1. Jakarta's Rhetoric and Reality

In this first task, I served as a writer to do editorial writing posted in YMAI social media. As an editor, we allow to throw topics for the content; thus, instead of the Board of Curator, this first topic was initiated by me. Since my interest in the relationship between the history of architecture and literature, I proposed to dig more deeply into my previous course assignments but used a different approach with additional sources of reference for the primary point of the research, namely the book The Practice of Everyday Life by Michel de Certeau.

Figure 2. Independence for what? And to whom? in Lewat Djam Malam, 1954.

This first editorial examines the cinematic and literary representation of Jakarta as a parable of Soekarno's Old Order administration (1945-1965) to define Indonesia's national identity. During

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20 years of Indonesia's independence, Sukarno relied on symbols and rhetoric as a "strategy" to develop Jakarta.1 _{On the other hand, artists, writers, and directors often spoke out about the other} side of Jakarta from the “tactics” that are embodied in the daily lives of its citizens, hidden behind monuments and spectacular events. The tension between the two makes Jakarta the canvas for millions of dreams and hopes, both successful and unsuccessful.

Statues of people shouting, waving their arms, and shaking their fists scattered all over the city. Two major international events were held in Jakarta: The Fourth Asian Games in 1962 and, a year later, the First Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO).2 A new sports stadium complex was built for this celebration, The Asian Games Complex, now known as Bung Karno Stadium. For Sukarno, representation was a necessity. Such a strategy becomes an absolute necessity, not a luxury - "pants and not a tie."

Man does not live by bread alone. Although Djakarta’s alleys are muddy and we lack of roads, I have erected a brick-and-glass apartment building, a clover-leaf-bridge, and our superhighway, the Djakarta Bypass, and I renamed the streets after our heroes: Djalan Diponegoro, Djalan Thamrin, Djalan Tjokroaminoto. I consider money for material symbols well spent. I must make Indonesians proud of themselves. They have cringed too long. - Sukarno, An Autobiography as told to Cindy

Adams (Jakarta, 1966)

However, amidst the optimism of the modern city, filmmakers and writers witnessed the reality of the population who were struggling to build a life. Through cinema and literary screens, they tried to project people's daily tactics in their efforts to work around the strategy.

Ajip Rosidi wrote the poem Kepada Djakarta (1955) shortly after arriving in Jakarta. Each stanza denotes a different Jakarta nuance: cursed but loved. At the end of the poem, the conflict closes with resignation and an acknowledgment that Jakarta is the second hometown. Other depictions of the Jakarta metropolis used satire to overcome despair. In the story of Kampungku (1957), Pramoedya raises the question of poverty and death, as if it were a common event for the inhabitants of the village. By social satire, the patterns of social misery and the imaginary line linking kampung to the palace, where political blame and misery are laid.

Towards the analysis of several selections of artworks in literature and cinema, reflecting the city's social perspective and contrast them to the government-sanctioned art, I conclude that both tactics and strategy complement city life. In the end, the city becomes an arena for the negotiation of every subject who lives in it. Strategy one after another, rulers come and go. However, there are always 1001 tactics to survive in a city full of rhetoric.

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2. The Architect and the Car

In the second task, I act as the co-writer and Setiadi Sopandi, my internship supervisor, as the leading writer. We worked together to examine what is the current trend of architects’ lifestyles in Indonesia and draws a connection with the lifestyle of architects of the past. I learned that apart from having a distinctive fashion tendency, architects have an interest in industrial objects, such as chairs and cars. The critic Aaron Betsky argues that style is essential for an architect - to carry

oneself, to create a communal identity, to express a socio-cultural moment in society.3 Therefore,

architects have style.

Figure 3. Le Corbusier's Voisin C7 in front of the Villa Stein-de-Monzie "Les Terrasses", 1927.

Le Corbusier could be the trigger for this craving. In his book Vers Une Architecture (1924), he stated that the 'new' architecture should not be controlled not by the aesthetics of the past but by the essential values of the most recent objects of modern industrial work: cars, steamers, and airplanes. Of the three cutting-edge products of the early 20th century, the car is the closest thing to architectural works.4 Moreover, his masterpiece, Villa Savoye, was designed as a house that would function by car. Without an understanding of how this house is reached by the vehicle, it will be difficult for us to appreciate this strange architecture.

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The auto industry has also found its soul mate in architecture. Cars and modern architecture together were considered to become symbols for modernity, creating fashion for modern humans.

Cars also - of course - imply aesthetic preferences and social class. In Europe, the Saab 900, a Swedish production, was once confirmed as an "architect's car." Volvo is also often labeled as one of the architects' preference clichés in choosing their vehicle.

There are many visual expressions that architects give when choosing their vehicle, whether it is a car, a motorcycle, or a bicycle. It could be that this choice is related to his aesthetic preferences, his architectural thoughts, his lifestyle, his clients, the context of his workplace environment, to his philosophy regarding industrial and cultural products.

At the end of the article, we throw an argument and a question to the public to captivate the reader: Style, it is said, is the image and work of an architect's mind. Then, what image do architects want to convey in determining their vehicle preferences?

Here, the important lesson I learned of editorial writing is how to leaving an aftertaste of an article to keep the reader wondering. The question that should drive the writing could be: What is interesting? What do you find interesting as a writer, and what do the people find interesting? Just because a writer sets out an issue with a story, does not mean he or she necessarily has to make that thing happen. Now it is a puzzle for the reader to solve.

Figure 4. Advertisement for Mercedes

Benz 8/38 PS Stuttgart 2 - Roadster (1929) in front of Le Corbusier's work, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, Germany.

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3. Archive Documentation Proposal of Y.B. Mangunwijaya’s Works

The last task came at the end of the internship period. In Indonesia, the government has begun to loosen up health protocols related to the pandemic. Hence, working conditions started to return to normal. At the same time, a proposal came from the Ministry of Education and Culture to provide financial assistance to actors or community organizations in the cultural field. This opportunity was undoubtedly welcomed by YMAI to support the documentation activity of Y.B. Mangunwijaya (1929-1999) – who is familiarly known as Romo Mangun – which was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Together with the YMAI team, we immediately developed a proposal to obtain funding. Referring to the big theme put forward by the government, namely "Weaving Diversity Harmony," we propose documenting, digitizing, and presenting archives on online media (websites). Those activities were expected to promote sustainable community dialogue related to the preservation of cultural values that are inclusive and uphold equality, as Romo Mangun always aspires.

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In the area of practice, Romo Mangun's works are inspired by many traditional architectural styles from the archipelago, as he believes that architecture is the primary representation of the culture of the people who use it. His works also always play in the tectonic aspect by combining various forms, materials, and decorative patterns in each architectural element. For example, the Maria Fatima Church in Sragen (1967) and the Maria Asumpta Church in Klaten (1968), with detailed walls and columns filled with handmade carvings in various shapes and combinations of materials. Regarding materials, Romo Mangun always uses locally available materials to maintain the connection of the building with the context of the surrounding environment, as he applied to the projects of the Sendangsono Pilgrimage Site (1972-1992) and Wisma Salam Muntilan (1978).

Figure 5. Kali Code village, Yogyakarta, was revitalized by Romo Mangun started in 1983

Thanks to his persistence and consistency in advocating for issues of social inequality, Kali Code village managed to survive the eviction plan. The success of this project also resulted in the awarding of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1992) and The Ruth and Ralph Erskine Fellowship Award (1995) for the dedication of Romo Mangun's architectural practice in improving the lives of marginalized people. His work, especially in the field of architecture, is not only relevant at that time, but also continues to inspire the current generation of architects, especially his concept of thought which has a philosophy inspired by the richness and diversity of the noble values of traditions and cultures in Indonesia.5

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We propose several activities for Y.B. Mangunwijaya Architectural Works Archive Documentation includes:

1. Identification of archives and buildings 2. Identification of tool requirements 3. Cataloging archives

4. Shooting and physical building drones 5. Transfer archive media to digital media 6. Photo and drone data processing into 3D 7. Compilation of metadata

8. Tidying back the archives in an adequate place to store 9. Upload to online media and processing

I believe that documentation (archives and physical buildings), digitization and display of archives online have a very high sustainability value, not only for the YMAI team but also for internships, including me, that will be involved to learn how to do good and correct documentation, the process of media transfer, a compilation of metadata, curatorial and broadcast processes in online media. Apprenticeship involvement in this activity is also an effort to transfer knowledge, which is expected to create human resources who appreciate the work of maestros and their handling of protection.

Assisting in estimating the travel expenses and accommodations for the delegates, which then elaborated further by the YMAI team, is a new thing for me. I also learned how to compose the stages and scope of activities to preserve this valuable archive collection. If we received the good news that the proposal is granted, I certainly would be pleased to join even though it is already outside the internship period scheduled by the university.

Evaluation

Throughout the master’s program that I have complied with, I learned how to seek detailed knowledge of historical developments in architecture and urban planning, particularly to its relation to health, media, and socio-cultural history. Every assignment was beneficial for my academic skills improvement. Throughout this internship, I reflect on my knowledge and serve my

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responsibility as an intern to carry out a study in the relevant topic, exploring the issues, collecting data from literature and archives, and producing the publication on their social media as well. The opportunity to contribute to the team has helped me to relate more to the knowledge in the field of History of Architecture and Town Planning, particularly in the archival documentation works. Besides the research knowledge that I gained from the courses, there are two challenging points that I acquired from the internship: how to develop a grant proposal design and how to do strict writing. First, I am afraid that the proposal ideas are not suitable enough to be delivered as themes for cultural sustainability action. Thus, I spent an amount of time to learn about the topic of cultural sustainability and a range of stages and scope of archival documentation activities. The regular meeting with the team and supervisor and their remarkable attention throughout the process have made me confident to deliver the proposal. Second, the act of strict writing is not a trivial act. This ability is critical to use in writing on social media. My supervisor shared some of the insights he is gleaned from years of writing and researching: ‘If it is important information to convey, write it; and just one time. More than once is redundant.’ Those new pieces of knowledge are certainly still I need to practice a lot.

As a personal reflection, this placement has taught me to get a better understanding of my strength and weakness. I see that my strength is that I have shown persistence in studying and completing the assigned task. There are times when I feel overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, but I am continually working to increase my knowledge in the respective field. I seek for help and try to communicate every problem with my supervisor, in which he always shows great support.

Although the activities in the internship did not go in accordance with the initial plan, I believe that the learning outcomes have been a great complement to my study. I have long known the works of PDA and YMAI, and through this internship opportunity, I learned more about the organization, this time not as an outsider, but as part of the team. By accomplishing the tasks and gaining supports from my supervisor, I have obtained a deeper understanding of the roles, approaches, and methods of architectural archiving. Developing professional skills by networking with various stakeholders working in cultural heritage is something that I have not been able to implement due to the number of postponed activities. However, that is not a big issue since I am planning to work at YMAI continuously.

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Conclusion

Documentation and archiving work are not popular jobs in Indonesia. As the title I put forward at the beginning, these types of works are desolate jobs for the sake of eternity. I am aware that there are many issues unsolved in the field of archiving management in Indonesian, particularly in the history of architecture. I have witnessed how a lack of sufficient trained workers, standardized mechanisms, funding to maintain sustainability has created frustration among many practitioners involved in service; not to mention the lack of public awareness in the importance of the history of architecture in Indonesian society.

Taking the placement at the YMAI has provided me insights, learning points, and perspectives on the importance of architectural archives to support architectural research and the development of architectural history in Indonesia. It crystallizes the challenges, opportunities, and recent developments in the building archives field. I do believe through a series of networking programs in maximizing the use of technology, as we propose for the Y.B. Mangunwijaya Architectural Works Archive Documentation, and open-source platforms can help to develop their works.

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Notes

1. See de Certeau (1988), pp. 110.

2. The Games for the “New Emerging Forces” were only held in 1963, after the Asian Games. Held in Jakarta under the name of GANEFO I (The First Games of the New Emerging Forces), 51 countries for the “non-First World” were represented. The Games were established to rival the “Western” Olympic Games at the time (Kusno 2000).

3. See Aaron Betsky, ‘Why architecture needs to be stylish,’ Architect Magazine, 25 August 2017, http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/why-architecture-needs-to.be-stylish-o (accessed 2 May 2020)

4. By comparison, architect Norman Foster was an airplane obsessed with his license as a professional aviator.

5. Not only limited to architectural works, Romo Mangun is also known as a capable writer. He received various awards, such as the Gold Mill Award for short story writing from Radio Netherlands and the Ramon Magsaysay Southeast Asian Literature Award in 1996.

List of Illustrations

1. The main page on the architectureindonesia.org website platform. Source: architectureindonesia.org

2. Lewat Djam Malam, 1954. Source: Sinematek Indonesia.

3. Le Corbusier's Voisin C7 in front of the Villa Stein-de-Monzie "Les Terrasses", 1927. Source: http://veredes.es/log/en/comunicar-la-arquitectura-i-inigo-garcia-odiga/

4. Advertisement for Mercedes Benz 8/38 PS Stuttgart 2 - Roadster (1929) in front of Le Corbusier's work, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, Germany. Source: https://twitter.com/bauhausmovement/status/667798987521572864

5. The last condition of Romo Mangun's archive collection. Source: PDA collection

6. Kali Code village, Yogyakarta, was revitalized by Romo Mangun started in 1983. Source: PDA collection

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References

Abeyasekere, S. (1987), Jakarta: A History, Singapore: Oxford University Press.

Betsky, A. (2017, August 25) ‘Why architecture needs to be stylish’, Architect Magazine, http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/why-architecture-needs-to.be-stylish-o

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Certeau, M., & Rendall, S. (1988). The practice of everyday life.

Kusno, Abidin (2000), Behind the Postcolonial: Architecture, Urban Space, and Political Cultures

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