Bulan ini menjadi bulan yang cukup spesial karena pada bulan ini Indonesia merayakan hari kemerdekaan. Di newsletter edisi Agustus ini, kami mengusung tema, "Kemerdekaan dalam Berkarya" agar kita terus menyadari potensi kita secara pribadi dan tujuan seni dan budaya harus tetap ada di Indonesia, khususnya Indonesia Timur.
Pada edisi Agustus ini, kami mengabarkan beberapa informasi mengenai para penulis terpilih dari hasil seleksi Emerging Writers MIWF 2020, kemenangan film Mountain Song di Asian Film Festival, Podcast RumaTalks bersama Dicky Senda perihal bagaimana memaknai pulang, serta diskusi dengan Riri Riza, Rahmadiyah Tria G dimoderatori oleh Rachmat Mustamin tentang Humba Dreams, Micro-budgeting Filmmaking dan distribusi alternatif, serta wawancara dengan Kak Shinta tentang perjalanan menulisnya, Kala Teater dan pentingnya perspektif warga dalam mengalami kotanya sendiri. Selain itu, ada juga beberapa arsip dari Lisa Hill, mengenai resensi buku "The Birth of I Lagaligo" karya Muhammad Salim, Sapardi Djoko Damono dan John H. McGlynn serta pameran "therian trait" yang berlangsung di Rumata ArtSpace oleh Ina Waloni, seorang seniman perempuan dari Makassar.
Semoga bacaan-bacaan melalui newsletter Rumata' ini tetap dapat menambah khazanah pengetahuan dan gagasan kita mengenai sastra, literasi, seni dan budaya untuk Indonesia, khususnya Indonesia Timur.
Jika Anda memiliki saran, komentar atau ingin mengirimkan tulisan, email kami ke rumata.artspace@gmail.com. Kami selalu siap menerimanya.
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Tim Newsletter Rumata' ArtSpace:
Kordinator: Rachmat Hidayat Mustamin
Kontributor Penulis Bulan Agustus 2020: Dicky Senda, Al Adi Fitrah, Riri Riza, Rahmadiyah Tria G, Shinta Febriany, Pamula Mita Andary, Ina Waloni, Lisa Hill, William Pakan, Yoga Pratama, Nurabdiansyah.
Korektor: Amy Djafar.
Penerjemah: Edan Runge & Wawan Kurniawan.
August is quite a special month because this month Indonesia celebrates independence day. In this August edition of the newsletter, we have a theme, "Freedom in Work", so that we will continue to be aware of our personal potential and the purpose of arts and culture in Indonesia, especially Eastern Indonesia.
In this August edition, we will share some information about the selected writers from the selection of Emerging Writers MIWF 2020, the winning of Mountain Song Film, Podcast Rumatalks with Dicky Senda about how to interpret the process of ‘going home’, discussions with Riri Riza, Rahmadiyah Tria G moderated by Rachmat Mustamin about Humba Dreams, budgeting micro-films and alternative distribution, as well as interviews with Shinta about her writing journey, Kala Teater and the importance of citizen perspectives in experiencing their own city. In addition, we also have several archives from Lisa Hill, regarding her book review of Muhammad Salim’s "The Birth of I Lagaligo", Sapardi Djoko Damono and John H. McGlynn as well as the "therian trait" exhibition by Ina Waloni, a female artist from Makassar, which took place at Rumata ArtSpace.
We hope reading through the Rumata' newsletter adds to our community’s treasure trove of knowledge and ideas about literature, literacy, arts and culture in Indonesia, especially Eastern Indonesia.
If you have suggestions, comments or want to send us a post, email us at rumata.artspace@gmail.com. We are always glad to accept them.
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Rumata' ArtSpace Newsletter Team:
Coordinator: Rachmat Hidayat Mustamin
Author Contributors for August 2020: Dicky Senda, Al Adi Fitrah, Riri Riza, Rahmadiyah Tria G, Shinta Febriany, Pamula Mita Andary, Ina Waloni, Lisa Hill, William Pakan, Yoga Pratama, Nurabdiansyah.
Proofreader: Amy Djafar.
Translator: Edan Runge & Wawan Kurniawan.
RumaTalks is a podcast initiated by Rumata' ArtSpace. RumaTalks contains interesting chats about art, culture, literacy and film. In addition, this podcast also addresses social issues that are packaged in a lightweight, simple and informative way. The RumaTalks podcast is released once a month.
The Population Census conducted by BPS in 2010 shows the composition of Indonesia's population living in cities has reached 49.8%. In fact, until the end of this year it is projected that the urban population will reach 56.7%, while in 2035 it will reach 66.6%. Many still believe by the old doctrine of success that would be much easier to achieve if they moved to the city. The majority of them thought the village could not provide sufficient opportunities for success. In addition, the large number of job opportubities available in urban areas allows them to find jobs with wages that are (considerably) higher than those in rural areas, which results in high rates of migration from rural to urban areas.
In this episode, RumaTalks talked with Dicky Senda, a man from Taiftob Village, North Mollo, NTT who is active in literacy, his works include "Sai Rai" (Grasindo, 2017), "Kanuku Leon" (Grasindo, 2018) , "Hau Kamelin and Tuan Kamlasi" (Grasindo, 2018). The man who has been invited to MIWF and the Asian Literary Festival several times is a graduate of Mercu Buana University majoring in psychology, Yogyakarta. Dicky was a teacher in Kupang. But he felt there was a responsibility that had not been resolved, so he left his job in the city and returned to his hometown by building a community called LAKOAT KUJAWAS. In this podcast, Dicky tells about his decision to return home to work in his hometown, as well as his struggle to grow the Lakoat Kujawas community and how he runs a financially sustainable social community.
Listen to the conversation about defining the homecoming in the latest episode of RumaTalks.
Diam sejenak Datu Patoro,
Kepada permaisurinya ia pun berkata,
“Bagaimana pandanganmu, wahai, Datu Palinge
jika kita turunkan saja anak kita
menjadi tunas di bumi
agar tak kosong tanpa penghuni?
Kita bukanlah dewa
jika tak seorang pun
di kolong langit menyeru kita sebagai Batara’ (p.10)
Kerabat I Wé Cudai menuntut perdamaian dan pernikahan yang tidak diinginkan pun sebagai bentuk pemaafan Sawerigading. Akan tetapi, tetap saja, I Wé Cudai menetapkan beberapa persyaratan yang tegas, seperti hanya di dalam ruangan yang gelap gulita, di atas tempat tidur yang dikelilingi oleh tujuh lapis kelambu, dikelilingi oleh tujuh dinding, dan dijaga oleh tujuh pejabat istana, Sawérigading pun mampu memenuhi keinginan hatinya ...
“Masukkanlah ke dalam belanga pecah
masukkan bayi ini, sembunyikan di rakit
lalu hilirkan saja di sungai
supaya mengalir bersama air.
Tak pantas sebagai pengganti keturunan Luwuq,
jangan biarkan tinggi di istana,
memendekkan telinga suara tangisnya” (p.104)
By: Lisa Hill
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This short book is my introduction to an ancient myth from Indonesia. It’s this month’s selection for our Indonesian book-group, and this is the blurb:
I La Galigo, the vast Bugis epic myth, is one of the most voluminous works in world literature. Set in Luwuq, the cradle of Bugis culture, the cycle tells the story of the initial residence on earth of the gods and their descendants. “The Birth of La Galigo”, the poem found herein, represents a contemporary retelling of one of the epic’s most popular sections.
Wikipedia tells us this:
Sureq Galigo or La Galigo is an epic creation myth of the Bugis from South Sulawesi, written down in manuscript form between the 18th and 20th century in the Indonesian language Bugis, based on an earlier oral tradition. It has become known to a wider audience mostly through the theatrical adaptation I La Galigo by Robert Wilson. (Wikipedia, lightly edited to remove most links, viewed 13/4/19)
(What’s really nice about this Lontar Foundation edition is that it includes double page B&W stills from the theatrical performance to illustrate scenes from the story. You can see some of these images here.)
Interesting, isn’t it, that we know the ancient myths of Greece and Rome, and increasingly we are encountering the ancient stories of our Indigenous people, but that we tend not to know the stories of our near neighbours? It’s a pity because La Galigo is a great story. As the Introduction tells us, the original epic of about 300,000 words, is longer even than the Indian Mahabarata (200,000 words) and Homer’s Odyssey – but the episode that is best-known and loved is the story of the tempestuous relationship of Sawérigading and the princess I Wé Cudai, a union which produced the hero I La Galigo.
The tale begins with the creation of the world, which as in other classic myths, consists of the Sky, the Earth and the Underworld. The creation of people to populate the earth comes about because the King of Destiny is challenged to recognise a fundamental truth: gods need people to worship them.
After a moment’s silence,
the King of Destiny conferred with his consort,
‘What do you think of this idea, Datu Palingé?
What if we settled our children there,
encouraged them to plant their roots on earth,
to give that barren place inhabitants?
Can we call ourselves gods at all
if there is no one in the land beneath the sky
to worship us as gods?’ (p.11)
(This lyric translation by John H McGlynn is published side-by-side, page-by-page with the Indonesian poem by Sapardi Djoko Damono, which is derived from the original Bugis version translated into Indonesian by Muhammad Salim.)
BEWARE: SPOILERS (but myths are meant to be well-known so it hardly matters)
So they send Batara Guru down to Mayapada to create and rule over the world and in accordance with the Creator’s decree, he marries his cousin Wé Nyilik Timo from the Underworld so that they can have descendants. Three months later we know that that the predicted twins are on the way because she gets cravings of a rather unusual kind:
So many things she craved:
two-headed deer from Botillangi,
fleet-footed mousedeer from Senrijawa,
tanri flowers with roots growing in Heaven
and blooms draping into the Lower World,
twin coconuts from the sky’s edge,
rose apples from the spirit world,
ring-necked deer from Botillangi,
nutmeg from Ternate,
and deadly fish with dagger spurs from Heaven. (p.37)
Batara sends Ladunrusséreng, the king of all fowl and all the birds of the land to fetch these demands threatening to pound them into flour/should they be slowed by even the strongest wind.
When the twins are born, the boy arrives equipped with a golden dagger and battledress, while his sister is attired as a priestess. And in accordance with the Creator’s decree, they are immediately separated so that they don’t fall in love with each other. But of course as in all myths of this type the inevitable happens, and Sawérigading falls for his sister Wé Tenriabeng as soon as he comes of age and sets eyes on her. No way, he is told, in no uncertain terms and in fear of the threatened drought and famine should he break the rules, he agrees to go in search of the beautiful woman who resembles his sister instead.
There are, of course, travails to be undergone: a tree that can only be cut down with an axe from heaven, with timber that can only be assembled into a flotilla of ships in the Underworld. Then there are seven enemies to be despatched, including the betrothed of the woman he seeks. But alas for Sawérigading, after all that he endures, the princess I Wé Cudai doesn’t fancy him. She overhears women gossiping about him:
“Our lady will suffer greatly
if forced to lie with a man not of this country,
to bed with a seaman with so much body hair
you could braid his back
or use it as tinder to start a fire. (p.89)
And she tells her father that she would prefer exile/ or better yet, death! rather than marry him. Her father returns the wedding gifts, which (unsurprisingly) offends the would-be groom:
He looked as if he would explode,
felt as if shards of glass were in his eyes,
such was the feeling in his heart.
Like a wave striking the shore,
his response was immediate,
ordering his men to rip out the stakes
and tear down the wall now encircling the town.They then set fire to the place
and very soon the town was in flames. (p.91)
I Wé Cudai’s relatives sue for peace and an unwanted marriage to him is the price of his mercy. Still, she sets some firm conditions, and only in a pitch dark room, on a bed surrounded by seven layers of mosquito netting, circled by seven walls, and guarded by seven royal court officials is Sawérigading able to have his heart’s desire…
Cravings signal her eventual pregnancy – and they are equally unusual!
(As before, and under the same duress, the birds go out to fetch all this.)
Sawérigading is delighted when the child is born, the very image of his handsome father. Alas, I Wé Cudai doesn’t behave in a very motherly way when the child Galigo is born.
“Put him inside a broken cooking pot
and place him on a raft.
Set the raft adrift in the river
and let it be taken away downstream.
He must not be the heir to Luwuq’s throne;
he shall not stay in this palace.
His wailing is misery to my ears!” (p.105)
Just as well Sawérigading has a concubine handy to foster the child!
Robert Wilson’s production of I La Galigo has been performed around the world, including at the Melbourne International Festival in 2006. You can see a short video of the performance here.
Authors: Muhammad Salim, Sapardi Djoko Damono and John H McGlynn
Title: The Birth of I La Galigo (I La Galigo Lahir)
Publisher: The Lontar Foundation, 2013, 117 pages, first published in 2005
ISBN: 9786029144338
The Papermoon Puppet Theater was holding its first show outside Java at the 2019 Makassar International Writers Festival. The efforts to bring Papermoon to Makassar required a three-year process. Check out the story behind this memorable performance and the latest updates from Papermoon, which is adapting readily to the Covid-19 pandemic with Ria Papermoon guided by Riri Riza
Pameran seni dua tahunan di tiga kota Indonesia tahun ini menerima dampak dari pandemi Covid-19. Dengan situasi semacam itu, Jakarta Biennale, Biennale Jogja, dan Makassar Biennale berkolaborasi dalam satu program bersama, yakni Karya Normal Baru. Respons terhadap pandemi senyatanya menghasilkan kelaziman anyar yang tak terhindarkan. Akibat situasi hari ini, tidak memungkinkan bagi para seniman memamerkan karyanya di ruang fisik, maka ruang virtual/daring menjadi saluran utama bagi perupa untuk tetap menyalurkan gagasannya ke publik.
Di dunia seni, kini lazim memindahkan ruang pameran dan pertunjukan ke jalur daring. Yang jadi persoalan, apakah jalur daring sebagai ruang presentasi itu sekadar memindahkan karya ke medium digital semata? Bukankah normal baru itu lantas membuka kemungkinan-kemungkinan estetik lainnya? Panggilan terbuka proposal Normal Baru ini bertujuan hendak memberikan tantangan bagi para perupa kontemporer untuk bereksplorasi dengan medium digital. Mereka yang proposalnya telah terpilih wajib memilih salah satu tema dari ketiga Biennale. Pilihan tema tersebut adalah Esok – Membangun Sejarah Bersama (Jakarta Biennale), Tata Bumi Baru, Tata Seni Baru (Biennale Jogja), dan Maritim – Sekapur Sirih (Makassar Biennale).
Karya-karya terpilih dari ketiga biennale ini sudah dapat disaksikan di berbagai platform digital, misalnya Youtube, Instagram, Website maupun secara khusus dengan mengirimkan email untuk menerima instruksi mengakses karyanya. Karya-karya terpilih dapat ditemukan dengan menuliskan tagar #karyanormalbaru. Selamat menonton!
This year's biennial art exhibitions in three cities in Indonesia have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. With such a situation, the Jakarta Biennale, the Biennale Jogja, and the Makassar Biennale collaborated in one joint program, New Normal Works. The response to the pandemic is inevitably producing new conventions. As a result of today's situation, it is not possible for artists to exhibit their work in a physical space, so virtual / online space is the main channel for artists to continue channeling their ideas to the public.
In the art world, it is now common to move exhibition and performance spaces online. The problem is, is the online channel as a presentation space merely transferring works to digital medium? Does the new normal open up other aesthetic possibilities? The open call for the New Normal proposal aimed to provide a challenge for contemporary artists to explore art using digital media. Those whose proposals have been selected had to choose one of the themes from the three Biennales. The theme choices are: Tomorrow - Building a Joint History (Jakarta Biennale), New Earth System, New Art System (Biennale Jogja), and Maritime – Lime and Betel Nut (Makassar Biennale).
Selected works from the three biennales can be watched on various digital platforms, such as Youtube, Instagram, the Website or specifically by sending an email to receive instructions to access their works. Selected works can be found by writing the hashtag #karyanormalbaru. Happy viewing!
Rumata’ ArtSpace adalah rumah budaya yang resmi berdiri 18 Februari 2011, dijalankan secara independen dengan pendanaan yang sebagian besar berasal dari sumbangan publik. Selain menawarkan fasilitas yang bisa diakses secara luas khususnya bagi seniman dan komunitas di Makassar, Rumata’ dikenal dengan program-program unggulan yang telah menjadi bagian penting pengembangan kebudayaan dan kesenian, antara lain Makassar International Writers Festival (MIWF) dan SEAScreen Academy. Ratusan seniman dan relawan telah terlibat dalam berbagai kegiatan di Rumata’ dan ribuan pengunjung telah mengikuti berbagai kegiatan Rumata’. Perluasan kerjasama, peningkatan kualitas kegiatan dan upaya melebarkan jangkauan audiens adalah tiga hal mendasar yang akan terus dikerjakan Rumata’ Artspace.
Rumata’ ArtSpace is a cultural institution officially established on the 18thof February 2011. It operates independently and receives most of its funding from public donations. Apart from offering facilities that can be widely accessed, especially by artists and the Makassar community, Rumata’ is famous for its featured programs which have become an important part of cultural and artistic development, for example the Makassar International Writers Festival (MIWF) and SEAScreen Academy. Hundreds of artists and volunteers have participated in various activities at Rumata’ and thousands of visitors have also got involved. The three objectives that Rumata’ ArtSpace will continue to strive for are extending its collaborations, increasing the quality of its activities and growing its audience.
Jika ada saran, masukan dan informasi yang perlu kami ketahui, Anda dapat mengunjungi Rumata' ArtSpace dan menghubungi email serta nomor telefon yang tertera:
Jl. Bontonompo No.12A, Gn. Sari, Tamalate, Kota Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan 90221. Indonesia