The idea of trans-local and trans-historical was raised to make room for another history with the same spirit, even though it is in a region outside the global south. Experience during the First Round of the Biennale Jogja Equator (BJE) showed how important it is to maintain local beliefs and knowledge, skills based on a philosophy of nature and life, and the sovereignty of indigenous peoples. In the Global South Region, where people still live in a communal spirit and a spirituality that represents closeness to nature, many life principles are valuable to become knowledgeable of. BJE through the concept of translocal seeks to connect knowledge in one locality with other localities, art, and cultural systems based on specific customary situations, as well as an articulation of knowledge that is more rooted in local languages.
Kuat Akar Kuat Tanah becomes a metaphor to show trans-national solidarity and trans-local movements as a basis for collaborative work by artists, culture, and activists from the Global South. By tracing grassroots movements in various regions of the archipelago which are diverse and have specific contexts, this symposium seeks to connect different practices and forms of movement to become spaces for sharing and imagining the future of a new world. Awareness of the importance of building local knowledge networks to expand roots will strengthen the ground above, becoming a stronger collective.
Trans-national(ity) becomes a way to connect local movements across national and regional boundaries, where their post-colonial situation becomes a strategy to achieve equality.
The Equator Symposium 2022 has been held on October 28-29, 2022 at the Concert Hall, Postgraduate ISI Yogyakarta, Jl. Suryodiningratan No. 8, Mantrijeron, Yogyakarta. It was opened by the Head of the Culture Office: Dian Lakshmi Pratiwi, SS, MA, and Director of the Yogyakarta Biennale Foundation: Alia Swastika. Followed by a seminar entitled Global Art Practices and Decolonization by keynote speaker Jeebesh Bagchi (Raqs Media Collective, India) and then followed by 3 other sessions. On the second day, the seminar continued with the title Collectivism and Trans-National Imagination by the second keynote speaker namely Baan Norg Collaborative (Jiradej Meemalai & Pornpilai Meemalai), then other presenters in 4 sessions. This event has been attended by approximately 50 participants, both students, and the general public.
So here is the video clips about the 2022 Equator Symposium “Kuat Akar Kuat Tanah: Trans-National Solidarity and Trans-Local Movements”, and some coverage from participants who attended the event at the Concert Hall, Postgraduate ISI Yogyakarta. Check it out!