Month: February 2017

POST D – Glorious Tempe 

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1200px-tempeh_tempe(Midori, 2006)

The UTS Lab B trip to Yogyakarta was a time of many new experiences for me. My first time in Asia. My first time in Indonesia. And my first experience of the wonderful local delicacy tempe. After this pivotal culinary experience, I decided to research the humble Indonesian staple and establish it’s history and origins.

Tempeh or tempe is a traditional soy product created through a process of fermentation and culturing which causes the soybean to congeal and set into a kind of cake. Tempe differs from tofu in that it does not originate from China, but rather from Indonesia (most likely on the island of Java). The earliest known reference to the soybean staple appears in the Serat Centhini, in 1815, but tempeh could have emerged as early as the 17th century as a byproduct of the Chinese tofu industry in Indonesia. Ong Hok Ham, a Chinese-Indonesian historian – proposes that early, primitive forms of tempeh were the product of excess soybeans from the tofu industry that grew pale fungi and were discovered to be edible (Ubud Food Festival, 2017). Some claim that tempe is in ‘an adaptation of tofu to the tropical climate of Indonesia’ (Diversity of Nature and Culture 2014). Though tofu and tempe are both whole soybean products they also differ in texture, flavor and nutritional value. Tempe has a firmer texture and an earthier flavor, and has higher dietary fiber and protein. Close second to meat and fish, soy (and by extension tempe) is one of Indonesia’s main sources of protein. Perhaps this is why it is known as ‘Javanese meat.’

sliced_tempeh_cropped(Amus, 2017)

Tempe ‘has it’s own place in the heart of every Indonesian’ and is eaten by itself or as a complementary side dish to meals that feature chicken, meat or fish (Diversity of Nature and Culture 2014). Often marinated in various different spices or herbs it’s relatively cheap but highly nutritious nature has made it an intrinsic part of the Indonesia culinary landscape. It is also popular in Japan, Europe and America.

Despite tempe’s status as an Indonesian, indigenous superfood, a dominant meal that ‘characterises  Indonesia, just as kimchi does for Korea or miso and nato does for Japan’ (Ubud Food Festival, 2017) as much as 70% of Indonesia’s soybeans are imported. Producing tempe locally is still problematic because of environmental concerns surrounding tempe production. Production requires plenty of water and energy, and these waste products are often disposed of in rivers or sewage which pollutes the environment. As an affordable and nutritious food staple, many Indonesians are pushing for strategic government investment into the development of a strong tempe production network – especially given concerns about food security with the Southeast Asia region. Ever since the 2007 Indonesia riots and protests in response to a food crisis which saw the cost of staples such as rice and soybeans spike dramatically, Indonesian policymakers have endeavored to ensure all citizens have access to healthy and affordable food (Inside Indonesia,  2013). Perhaps tempe could be the answer to these problems. As Professor Winarno notes, ‘Tempe holds a variety of developmental possibilities not only in the culinary field but also in the fields of medicine, the agricultural industry, and bioprocessing. Tempe is Indonesia’s unique treasure” (Ubud Food Festival, 2017).

Tempe and Tofu - Bali, Indonesia(Uncornered Market, 2017)

References 

Amus, B. 2017, Sliced Tempeh, Epicurina, viewed 10 February 2017, <http://blog.epicurina.com/2014/06/tempe-in-indonesia-staple-food-in-past.html&gt;.

Diversity of Nature and Culture 2014, ‘Tempe’ Traditional Food From Indonesia, viewed 13 February 2017, <http://diversityofnatureandculture.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/tempe-traditional-food-from-indonesia.html&gt;.

Inside Indonesia 2013, Feeding Indonesia, viewed 13 February 2017, <http://www.insideindonesia.org/feeding-indonesia?highlight=WyJ0ZW1wZSJd&gt;.

Midori, S. 2006, Traditional Tempeh, Wikimedia, viewed 10 February 2017, <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Tempeh_tempe.jpg/1200px-Tempeh_tempe.jpg&gt;.

Tasty Indonesian Food 2017, How to Make Tempe, viewed 13 February 2017, <http://tasty-indonesian-food.com/indopedia/how-to-make-tempe/&gt;.

Ubud Food Festival 2017, Indonesian Superfoods: Tempe, viewed 14 February 2017, <http://www.ubudfoodfestival.com/indonesian-superfoods-tempe/&gt;.

Uncornered Market. 2017, Tempe and Tofu, Uncornered Market, viewed 10 February 2017, <http://photos.uncorneredmarket.com/Asia/Bali/Bali-Food/i-nKGQXBV&gt;.

POST B – Icelandic Youth Against Drugs  

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trainspotting(Trainspotting, 1996)

In the film Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle, Renton provides this sage advice ‘You’re an addict. So be addicted, just be addicted to something else.’ (Trainspotting 2, 2017) This is more or less the philosophy adopted by Harvey Milkman and Gudberg Jónsson, psychology researchers who represent a public health movement centered on countering adolescent substance abuse.

Milkman began his research into behavioural addiction when he was an intern in a New York Psychiatric Hospital, in the early 1970’s. His research explored the idea that human beings were not addicted exclusively to a particular drug, but rather to fluctuations in their brain chemistry, and that people’s choice of either heroin or amphetamines was dictated by how they chose to manage stress (by numbing it or confronting it). “People can be addicted to drink, cars, money, sex, calories, cocaine – whatever,” says Milkman. “The idea of behavioral addiction became our trademark” (Mosaic Science, 2017).

In this photograph taken on November 3,(Lopez, 2015)

Milkman hypothesized that people could be on the threshold for substance abuse before they had even come into contact with drugs such as heroin – that coping mechanisms were personal and hardwired, a predisposition to seek out activities that would alter brain chemistry in a specific way. So Milkman proposed a possible solution – “why not orchestrate a social movement around natural highs, about people getting high on their own brain chemistry?” (Mosaic Science, 2017)

Milkman and Gudberg met in Iceland in 1991, and sparked the beginnings of this movement in the form or a residential drug treatment center for adolescents, in a small town called Tindar. Essentially Milkman and Gudberg’s philosophy in Iceland is very simple – provide teenagers with natural high alternatives to drugs and crime.

Twenty years ago, says Gudberg, Icelandic teens were among the heaviest-drinking youths in Europe. Now Icelandic teens are amongst the most healthy adolescents living in Europe, with the percentage of teenagers who consume alcohol, cannabis, and cigarettes on a daily basis plummeting between 1998 and 2016 (Youth In Europe, 2017).

The simple yet effective strategy Iceland has committed to (known as ‘Youth in Europe’) focuses on providing ‘life-skills training’ (teaching self-awareness, communication skills, and positive thinking) as well as providing teens with an outlet of some kind to help them release stress and feel a sense of community. Teenagers don’t enter the program under the premise of treatment, but of being taught any skill or sport they want to learn: from music to martial arts.

“The main principle was that drug education doesn’t work because nobody pays attention to it. What is needed are the life skills to act on that information,” Milkman says (Mosaic Science, 2017).

1484684179187-173-iceland-04(Immi, 2017)

Iceland has now integrated its municipalities into a system that benefits the physical and mental health of millions of its young citizens. However, despite the success of the measures taken in Iceland – the rest of the world doesn’t seem to have caught on yet. Could similar systems be used in Australia, or Indonesia, where the war on drugs has taken a two-pronged approach ‘targeting both supply and demand’ rather than approaching the root of the problem? Perhaps such an initiative could enable Australian and Indonesia to look beyond ‘broad-based education campaigns, increased powers for the judiciary and a high-tech crime-fighting capability’ and take a closer look at the basic human needs and instincts that fuel substance abuse (Inside Indonesia, 2007).

References 

Immi, D. 2017, Iceland Teen Substance Abuse, The Atlantic, viewed 13 February 2017, <https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/01/teens-drugs-iceland/513668/&gt;.

Inside Indonesia 2007, Youth Heroin Use, Jakarta, viewed 12 Feb 2017, <http://www.insideindonesia.org/youth-heroin-use?highlight=WyJkcnVnIiwiJ2RydWciLCJ5b3V0aCIsInlvdXRoJ3MiLCIneW91dGgiLCJ5b3V0aCcuIiwiJ3lvdXRoJyJd&gt;.

Lopez, G. 2015, Methadone Addiction, Vox Media, viewed 13 February 2017, <http://www.vox.com/2015/7/21/9009253/methadone-addiction-drug-courts&gt;.

Miramax, 1996. Trainspotting, Outtake, viewed 12 February 2017, <https://www.tribecashortlist.com/blog/2016/05/25/in-plain-sight-4-examples-of-hidden-symbolism-in-trainspotting/&gt;.

Mosaic Science 2017, Iceland Knows How to Stop Teen Substance Abuse But The Rest Of The World Isn’t Listening, viewed 11 Feb 2017, <https://mosaicscience.com/story/iceland-prevent-teen-substance-abuse&gt;.

T2 Trainspotting 2017, Motion Picture, TriStar Pictures, Edinburgh.

Youth In Europe 2017, Youth In Europe – Icelandic Centre for Social Research and Analysis, viewed 14 Feb 2017, <http://youthineurope.org&gt;.

POST A – The Beautiful Becak

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becak-in-a-line1(Katherine, 2013)

A back to front Rickshaw, a reverse Tuk Tuk, closer to a warped rickshaw than a Bajaj, the Becak is a delightful mode of transport and a curious design object which occupies a special place in Indonesian culture, history and design.

The ubiquitous Indonesian interpretation of the cycle rickshaw, Becaks consist of a front facing passenger seat and a main cycle behind. A Becak will fit two passengers comfortably and offers a protective canopy that shades commuters from the sun and a plastic adjustable sheet to aid against rainstorms. Fares are negotiable (a euphemism for haggling) and are determined by traveling distance.

abang_becak_by_liemp(Asahjaya, 2011)

Once a common site in Jakarta these iconic rickshaws have been banned at various times in recent history within the city limits, due to their tendency to contribute to traffic jams (The Vine, 2012). But Yogyakarta and numerous other Javanese cities still boast healthy Becak populations and as Inside Indonesia notes:

‘It is Indonesia, and especially Java, that is the true heartland of the pedicab. The Becak is as much a motif and symbol of Indonesia as the silhouette of a wayang kulit puppet, or the smell of a clove cigarette’ (Inside Indonesia, 2002).

The three-wheeled Becak design varies from city to city, in colour scheme, upholstery, and mechanics but the basic concept is resoundingly popular across Indonesia. A likely descendant of 19th Century Japanese hand-pulled rickshaws the seating design of a Becak allows passengers to sit up front and have a comprehensive view of busy city roads, narrow streets and general metropolitan activity (Living in Indonesia, 2016). The attempts of various municipal governments to outlaw this humble form of transport have largely failed (excepting Jakarta) and there are still countless Becaks populating cityscapes and towns across Indonesia. Despite their enduring image Becaks were only introduced to Indonesia during WWII  – first appearing in Jakarta in 1936 (Top Indonesia, 2016). They were initially favored by Chinese traders – the name Becak originates from Be Chia (Hokkien Dialect for “horse carriage”). They were also known as ‘Roda Tiga’ (The Three Wheels).

trishaw(Liemp. 2017)

Becak drivers make up a considerable percentage of the informal work sector in Indonesia – a much maligned but intrinsic element of the national and local economy.

As Inside Indonesia notes ‘No one knows for sure how many people make up the informal sector in Indonesia. Yet it is a central part of life. But tensions between the city administration and the urban poor – particularly Becak (trishaw) drivers – are high’ (Inside Indonesia, 2002).

The informal sector (street vendors, drivers, and laborers) have little or no legal protection and legislation often does not appreciate or protect their status as vital contributors to community and economy. Despite their obvious charm and popularity amongst tourists, expats and locals Becak still face opposition on some political fronts. Let’s hope that Indonesian municipalities follow Yogyakarta’s example and accept the Becak as an ‘unacknowledged slice of the city community [that] is actually its heart’ (Inside Indonesia, 2002).

References 

Asahjaya. 2011, Becak, Asahjaya’s Place, viewed 12 Feb 2017, <https://asahjaya.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/night-photography-on-a-moving-becak/&gt;.

Inside Indonesia 2002, Whose City?, Jakarta, viewed 10 Feb 2017, < http://www.insideindonesia.org/whose-city-2?highlight=WyJiZWNhayIsImRyaXZlcnMiLCJkcml2ZXJzJyIsImJlY2FrIGRyaXZlcnMiXQ%3D%3D&gt;.

Katherine. 2013, Becak, Katherine and Bruno’s Adventures, viewed 10 February 2017 <https://noforeignlands.org/2013/07/18/in-central-java-taking-our-time-in-a-becak/&gt;.

Liemp. 2017, Abang Becak, Deviant Art, viewed 9 February 2017, <http://liemp.deviantart.com/art/abang-becak-150244875&gt;.

Living in Indonesia 2016, Traditional and Modern Public Transport in Jakarta, viewed 11 Feb 2017, <http://www.expat.or.id/info/traditionaltransport.html&gt;.

The Vine 2012, All About Indonesia #4: Modes of Transport – The Becak, viewed 11 Feb 2017, <https://thevonline.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/all-about-indonesia-4-modes-of-transport-the-becak/&gt;.

Top Indonesia, 2016, Becaks, the traditional transportation in Indonesia, Indonesia, viewed 11 Feb 2017, <http://www.topindonesiaholidays.com/blog/?p=4191&gt;.

Post A: Design in Context

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useme
Context is everything when understanding and solving problems

The scope and influence of Design is seemingly endless and it plays some role in almost every industry, society, and culture today. Design determines the systems, technologies and structures we live by and as these evolve and shift, as does the role and practice of the designer. Human-Centered design researcher Gozde Goncu-Berk explained, “In the last decade, graphic design has gone from being defined largely by style to something that is influenced and can influence international policy, consumption, education and the environment (Drucker and McVarish, 2009).” This limitless flexibility is what makes context a key element in every design problem and solution.

Graduating designers are no longer simply experts in the elements and principles of graphic design, products, architecture or fashion, but equally important is their understanding and approach to the many complex contexts they may need to engage and collaborate with.  Assistant professor of art and design at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukeein, Adream Blair-Early, reinstated this when she explained, ‘New designers are valued as much for their ability to collaborate, innovate and creatively solve problems as they are for their understanding of typography and layout.’

Designers frequently must take into consideration shifting environmental, economic and  technological contexts, but with ever-growing globalisation, one of the most challenging tasks for designers today is working across a diversity of cultures. Without undergoing extensive and immersive research, understanding the needs and sensitivities of a foreign culture can be very problematic. Gozde Goncu-Berk highlighted these difficulties when she said, “Designing for another culture is less intuitive and vulnerable to assumptive thinking; therefore cross-cultural design requires constant validation of design decisions with the users. Designers need to be aware of their biases and assumptions as much as possible to draw insights from the user’s reality.”

For example, the culture of a country such as Indonesia is significantly different to Australia in many ways. Therefore an Australian designer must take time to understand the religious, social and political climate of the country before embarking on any kind of user-centered design. Without gaining this information, the designer cannot assume they know how the locals would interpret, receive, understand or interact with their design.

Throughout their practice designer’s must develop skills in innovation and creativity. These invaluable tools, when implemented in a way that is harmoniously integrated with the given contexts, have the power to significantly reshape and improve global society.

References.

Gonku Berk. G, 2013.’A Framework for Designing in Cross-Cultural Contexts: Culture-Centered Design Process,’ PhD Thesis, University of Minnesota, viewed 18 February 2017, <http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/arts/docview/1429798745/fulltextPDF/ADB579FC5323499CPQ/1?accountid=17095&gt;

Blair-Early, A. 2010, ‘Beyond borders: Participatory design research and the changing role of design,’ Visible Language, Vol.44 ,No.2 ,Pp.207-218.

Xiang, X. 2007, ‘Product innovation in a cultural context: A method applied to Chinese product development,’ Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol.68, No.03, Pp.73-77.

Image

Ahlefeldt, F. ‘It’s not that deep,’ viewed 19 February 2017, <http://www.shakiarenee.net/enough-is-enough/&gt;

Post D: Indonesia Specific Food

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img_2530

Indonesia food is one of a kind. Indonesia cuisine is mainly inspired by India Hindu food, which you can see different sauce’s in curry. At the same time, they also had their own developed food, which is based on their environment and agriculture. Such as Nasi Goreng (friend rice), Pisang Goreng (Fried banana cakes) and Teh Halia (ginger tea).

The Nasi Goreng is everywhere in Yogyakarta, and very famous there as well. Indonesia is one of the biggest countries of producing rice. And rice is the country’s staple food (Food By Country).Indonesia has multi-cooking ways to the rice.And they will place the rice into a bowl shape, put different types of meats, sources and vegetables around it. Some restaurants will lay big banana or bamboo leaves underneath.

screen-shot-2017-02-17-at-3-14-08-pm

The local people are used to eat by hand. They use thumb to mix the source with rice. That’s why the rice in Indonesia is a bit hard and can separate easily. (Anderson, S. 1995) However, in the restaurant, they will offer a spoon and folk, but no knife.

Another interesting aspect of the food in Indonesia is the side dishes called a savoury snack, which are deep fried crackers made from starch and other ingredients that serve as flavouring. For Indonesians, whether you are rich or poor, they have a habit to eat the savoury cracker, which comes in different shapes even different colors.“Such as light red, orange, yellow, baby blue, light green and white” in round, square or free style shapes (Wiroreno, W. 2016). Kerupuk is a big one, which can also enjoyed on its own or as a snack. The local people would like to eat with different source such as chill because the kerupuk has no taste (Wiroreno, W. 2016).

screen-shot-2017-02-18-at-4-08-23-pm

 

For the drinks, Teh Halia (hot ginger tea with Ambon) is a representative Indonesia drinks. The country’s soil and climate support sugar cane as the largest agricultural and commercial crop (Food By Country). Therefore, the drinks there are very sweet and full of sugar. Interestingly, you can see lot of ants on the table because of the sugar.

 

Indonesia ‘s food culture is various because it has influenced by different foreigner cultures. There are still more to explore about the food and eat habits.

 

Reference:

 

  • Anderson, Susan. Indonesian Flavors. Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd., 1995.

 

 

Images:  Photographed by Yilin Yao

 

Post C: Indonesian NGO(Non-Governmental Organizations) is Penetrating Its Local Areas That Government Cannot Reach

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It is a very precious opportunity that I can interview a local graduate student, who is programing a project called draw your dream in a very poor village.

His name is Bhima Saputera Effenddie, but he prefers to be called Bimbim, who is a very friendly and active boy. And he had studied nursing in a university in Indonesia 1 year ago.

After graduation, he had a vast and hazy about what he could do as well as what he wanted to do in the future. One of his friends invited him to join a program, which was helping kids in poor areas to find their dreams. They ride motorbike for 2 hours to the village, in the middle of a jungle called Datar Batung in South Bornoe that is his hometown.

screen-shot-2017-02-17-at-4-46-18-pmThe kids there don’t know what television is and also have no idea about how cars look like. However, they are very innocent and also very strong. Bimbim explained to us that they were such independent kids that they wash their own clothes, cook for themselves and play without parents’ company. I was mostly surprised by Bimbim’s words that once the kids ran as fast as their motorbikes and asked for kelereng (marble). Because Kelereng is the only toy that they have and can offer. What’s more, you may not believe it common that children there dropped off school for working or for marriage in young ages, particularly, 12-year-old girls may have marries and give birth. Therefore, the kids don’t know what dream they can dream about, since the whole jungle just blocks their mind.

img_4573

Bimbim was teaching kids about dental health, photographed by Bhima Saputera Effenddie

That’s why my friend Bimbim was trying to bring other people’s dream to this village. In one side, children can get ideas about what dreams can be. In another side, they can learn English words and get to know outside world. At meanwhile, Bimbim was studying nursing, so he also helped the local people to improve their health knowledge. During this project, he felt he found the meaning about what life is. His motto is that life is not about living, is about giving, which encourages him to continue this hard but meaningful “job”. After he was back to city, Bimbim and his friends collected around 20,000,000 Indonesia rupee for this village. And he used this money to make uniforms for the students.

 

I think what Bimbim and his friends did reflect to the reality. People there complain about their government even fight against it, but there are still lots of people never gotten government’s attention. Anyway, Indonesian NGO (Non-Governmental Organizations) is penetrating the area that government can not reach and some of the areas are taken care of by them. I believe in the future there will be more people willing to give a hand to those areas.

img_4571
The kids were wearing uniforms in the village, photographed by Bhima Saputera Effenddie

Reference:

Photos: Effenddie, Instagram.

 

Post B: Design Takes Apart in Public Health

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Design can be very generous, but it can also be specific. At the same time, design is a visual language, which conveys a concept or a thought. The power of design in public health is in its significant performance.

screen-shot-2017-02-17-at-2-38-44-pm

In the past, smoking is not seemed as a bad habit. But after the awareness of health increased, more and more people realized the harm of this bad habit. Therefore, more and more people or organizations stood out to help people reduce this harm even to quit smoking. But without designs, this project cannot be promoted obviously and fast. For example, advertisements, logos and tools that can help to quit this negative habit. Here is an example, the graphic warning labels on cigarette package tell people the negative of smoking. Anyway, We will all be asked if this will work or not.

 

But based on the data that I had researched, people are holding different opinions. The survey from the Ohio State University points different thoughts. Some people think, the image didn’t threaten the smokers (Grabmeier, J, 2015). Because some people themselves can just buy another stylish cigarette cases or they can put a sticker on the warning images (Grabmeier, J, 2015), so as to find their methods to ignore the warnings. But most of the interviewees think that the images can definitely stir their emotions, help them think about quitting this habit among smokers, and prevent others from ever starting it (Grabmeier, J, 2015).

screen-shot-2017-02-17-at-2-39-38-pm
Indonesia adding graphic warnings to smokes

The survey from International Tobacco Control (ITC) of four countries, Canada, Australia, America and UK, shows that the warning photos on cigarette packages do effect on smokers and make them think about the risk of smoking.

 

However, the answers are far from clear, since William Shadel who is an associate director of Population Health Program pointed that “there’s little evidence for the effect of graphic warning labels on smoking initiation or cessation. There are estimates of the potential impact but almost no direct evidence for an actual effect on smoking.” (Deborah M. and Shadel, W. 2014 )

That’s true. But smokers at least are aware of the harm of smoking through the directly design of warning graphic images.

 

Another controversial design that helped quit smoking is Electronic cigarette. The idea came up by Joseph Robinson in 1930. But the first commercially successful electronic cigarette was created in Beijing, China by Hon Lik, a 52-year-old pharmacist, inventor and smoker. (CASAA, n.d) His father is a heavy smoker and died of lung cancer. That was what encouraged him to create the E-cigarette. And this design got approved by government, because at that time they thought E-cigarette was no harmful than normal cigarette. However, During 2008 to 2015, some scientist found E-c would course more health problems. So lots of countries banned to sale it. Nowadays, this design is considered to be 2 types, one including nicotine and one without nicotine. The revolution of e-cigarette is kept on and this design may be refined in the future as a helper for quitting smoking.

 

Above all, the designs that use for public health normally have to go through a process to be improved more perfectly by different judgments.

 

 

Reference:

 

 

 

Images:

 

Post A: Each Place Has Its Stream In From All Over The Country

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In China they have a proverb, says “each place has its stream in from all over the country”, and design also includes. Design for me is advanced, but successful designs always absorb from the site environment and develop in its own way at the same time. Such as a very well-known café brand – Starbucks.

With more than 18 stunning in-house designable stores around the world, designers driven by Starbucks commitment to the local environmental friendly and also pushing themselves to bring bold and innovative design to customers (Go Chengdu, 2015). For examples, the one at UBPA, shanghai, China, is honored one of the best practical store, which designed by Chinese Original Design Studio.

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Bird eye’s view of the Starbucks

 

The perfect combination of glass and concrete is one of the most standout part (Gooood, 2014). The design concept that they wanted to state is a western culture and eastern culture’s communication. The outside surface used simple glass boxes to deal with the aesthetic fatigue. “The continuous external oblique glass ribs processed the extremely rich shadows around into slices, looking for unification among complication.” While, the very modern surface is against a Chinese style courtyard, which was rounded by a few walls with white pebbles texture. This design adopted the contemporary materials and style but also kept Chinese courtyard culture in the aesthetic concept.

There is no doubt that this store becomes a landmark in Puxi area in shanghai.

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This Starbucks store in shanghai absorbed from both foreigner culture and local culture.

Fortunately, this trip to Indonesia, we also had involved in a local anti-smoking program. During this process, we also learned how important is to adjust our design to suit the local condition.

The first time we chose Tarp as our shelter material, but at the end we chose bamboo, which we inspired by local restaurants and housings as our final material. The weather in Yogyakarta is very rainy; therefore the tarp will catch rains and become heavy (Waterson, R. 1990). On the contrary, the bamboo is cheap and dry very quickly, so it’s suit the local hot and humid condition.

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All in all, materials that we chose during this process are also limited by the local condition. But at the same time, the inspiration that came from to our design also sourced from the local environment and sharped by the local context.

 

 

 

Reference:

 

 

 

  • Waterson, Roxana. The Living House: An Anthropology of Architecture in South-East Asia , 1990.

Images:

 

POST C – Ari Bowo on Traditional Dance and Culture in Java

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102921(Ballet Purawisata. 2017)

On my second day in Yogyakarta, Indonesia I decided to visit the Kraton, a palace which serves as the main seat of the Sultan of Yogyakarta and a focus of traditional cultural activity in Java. Still wide-eyed and in the grip of culture shock I arrived in time to witness an abridged version of the Ramayana Ballet – an epic Sanskrit saga told through traditional Javanese dance. When the performance ended I walked around the palace grounds in a daze, processing the beauty and energy of the performance, and stumbled upon Ari’s community studio.

Ari is a traditional craftsman and dancer, part of a community of families whose lives are dedicated to working as craftsmen, artists, and dancers in service of the sultan. Ari studied dance for 12 years under a master dance teacher of Yogyakarta, who introduced Ari to competitive dancing but also taught him how to “begin to introduce the beautiful aspect of life into dancing.”

Dance to Ari is “the most beautiful art that I have ever done and that I ever will.”

dsc_5519(Vagabond Images. 2016)

After his training, he continued dancing – and endeavored to “understand the connection between dancing and life – as a spiritual subject.”

“We try to relate to the atmosphere around us, how we can be honest to self and how comfortable we are when we try to relate to lots of different people. How we can use this emotion in dance to begin to accept things.”

Ari explained elements of Ramayana to me, particularly the binary conflict between protagonist and antagonist, good and evil, Rama and Ravana, which can be seen as an allegory of the Rama’s internal struggle between elements of his personality.

“If there is nothing good there is nothing bad and this is a good way to teach us how to face ourselves and understand parts of ourselves.”

Ari also spoke about beauty in Ramayana, and the importance of masks in representing ‘the surface of the person.’

sendratariramayana(Adam, 2014)

“we should see beautiful things from the inside – beauty is not what they [the dancers] wear but about the movement.”

Sound is also intrinsic to expression in Ramayana, accompanying the transfixing music of gamelan, dancers often wear bells or chimes on their ankles to signify the entrance of giants or demons into the narrative. Characters that are ‘good’ tend to be quiet or silent (Inside Indonesia, 2007).

‘These two sides help understand self’ says Ari ‘but never expect to be a perfect person. It is about how we can feel the process of being self.

Ari decided to stop dancing because, though he enjoyed sharing energy with people through performance, he felt there were not enough positions available for young dancers. His fear was that Javanese dance culture might be lost if the younger generation were not given such opportunities.

“I love this culture and this tradition so personally, that I can’t imagine nobody doing it anymore.”

After much discussion, Ari and I settled upon the word catharsis to explain his experience of dance. Javanese dance is physical and spiritual, traditional and vibrant and enables dancers to respect their ancestors, understand themselves and communicate this energy or feeling to others.

On preserving culture Ari had this to say – “Some people do not want to accept culture that has nothing to do with their own belief. You need to understand the meaning inside a culture or a religion – and not practice on the surface. In Indonesia, but especially in Java – culture and dance is way to communicate with another spirit. We use connections to create beauty.”

prambanan-ramayana-ballet-dance-33(Royal Ambarrukmo, 2017)

References 

Adam, A. 2014, Ramayana Ballet, Antonie’s Travel, viewed 13 Feb 2017, <http://antonietravel90.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/ramayana-ballet-dance-prambanan-temple.html&gt;.

Ballet Purawisata. 2017, Ramayana Ballet, Magnificant Ramayana Ballet, viewed 10 February 2017, <http://purawisata-jogja.rezgo.com/details/49630/ramayana-ballet-package&gt&gt;.

Inside Indonesia 2007, The Theft of Sita, Melbourne, viewed 12 Feb 2017, < http://www.insideindonesia.org/the-theft-of-sita?highlight=WyJyYW1heWFuYSJd&gt;.

Royal Ambarrukmo. 2017, Sendratari Ramayana, Ambarrukmo, viewed 12 February 2017, <http://www.royalambarrukmo.com/en/destination.html&gt;.

Vagabond Images. 2016, Amazing Ramayana Ballet of Java, Vagabond, viewed 10 February 2017, < https://vagabondimages.in/2016/10/04/amazing-ramayana-ballet-of-java/&gt;.

Post B: Maggie’s

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The garden at the Gartnavel Maggie Centre designed by Rem Koolhaas at OMA  

The possibilities for change and innovation when it comes to design are limitless and inspirational examples of the scope and power of design are everywhere. One such initiative is the Cancer Care Charity Maggie’s. created by Architectural writer and theorist Charles Jencks and his wife Maggie Jencks, there is now 19 Maggie centres assisting people across the world and online. Maggie’s centres combine breathtaking architecture with professional therapy to facilitate holistic healing and support families affected by Cancer.

In May 1993, Maggie Keswick Jencks was diagnosed with breast cancer and informed that she had only two to three months to live. Receiving this shattering news, and the stream of subsequent treatments in the sterile, neon-lit, and ultimately dehumanising environment of her general hospital, Maggie resolved to create a space where cancer patients would not have to “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying.”

Based on this simple concept, Maggie Centre’s are a carefully designed environment that features elements of  light, space, openness, and connectedness to nature in order to allow cancer patients to heal not only their bodies, but their spirit. Generally the key elements of healthcare buildings today are determined by practical restraints such as budgets and deadlines – Dutch academic Cor Magenaar blames the separation of Architecture and healing on Modernism and points to examples of ancient temples where healing of the spirit was equally important to that of the body.

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Zaha Hadid’s Fife Maggie Centre

Distinguished architects who have designed Maggie’s Centres include Richard Rogers, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Rem Koolhaas. Though it may not be entirely necessary for such famous architects to work on the buildings, it does heighten the charity’s profile, resulting in generous donations that allow them to create such incredible spaces to be enjoyed for free. The Maggie’s centres vary significantly in their size and form. However, they are all modest in size to create an intimate and human environment and they each consist of spaces for gathering, meditation, therapy, consultation, and reading.

Karl Johnson explains, ‘Architects play a critical role in shaping the qualities of our environment; they work in collaboration with end users and their needs and ambitions, and they have the power to restore and promote solidarity, mental and physical health and be a source of happiness” (Karl Johnson 2013). Maggie’s Centres exemplify this and are a unique initiative where design is used to inspire and rejuvenate people as they undergo and recover from cancer treatments.

Rose, S. 2010, ‘Maggie’s Centres: Can architecture cure cancer,’ The Guardian, viewed 16 February 2017 < https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/may/06/maggies-centres-cancer-architecture&gt;

Johnson, K. 2013, ‘Place and public health: the impact of architecture on well being,’ The Guardian, viewed 16 February 2017, <https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2010/may/06/maggies-centres-cancer-architecture&gt;

Merrick, J. 2014. ‘Raising the level of Care, Maggie’s Oxford by Wilkinson Eyre,’ The Architects’ Journal, 05 October 2016, Pp. 20-25.

Foster, N. 2016, ‘Designing Maggie’s Manchester,’ Maggie’s, viewed February 2017, < https://www.maggiescentres.org/about-maggies/news-and-publications/latest-news/designing-maggies-manchester/&gt;

2003. ‘Made for Maggie,’ Building Design, 3 October 2003, Pp. 16-32.