Biennale Jogja Equator has now ended its 10-year journey with artists from collaborative countries such as India, Arabia, Nigeria, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. The biennial Biennale Jogja will enter the second Equator Biennale which will be held in 2023.
During the first round, there were many significant changes from a technical to work culture perspective. The making of this documentary film is presented to bring back the memories of the people who were behind the scenes of the exhibition’s success. The committee, which also consists of volunteers and apprentices, was presented using the interview method and processing of archival materials. The film screening also introduces the work of the Biennale Jogja in the equator series which has involved many parties and hopes to open a new discourse for further work on art education and a forum for young people.
This documentary film, which is a continuation of the previous series, was directed by Putri Harbie. Putri is a graduate of Cinematography at Multimedia Nusantara University, was an assistant exhibition manager at Biennale Jogja XV Equator #5 2019, co-curator of Asana Bina Seni 2020, and Assistant Curator of Biennale Jogja XVI #6 2021. This documentary consists of two titles, namely “Biennale Jogja- Education and Art Appreciation” and “Biennale Jogja-Wahana Kaum Muda.” Last Monday 5 December 2022, a documentary film entitled “Biennale-Wahana Kaum Muda” accompanied by discussions was successfully held in the Meeting Room, Building D, Department of Anthropology, Diponegoro University, Semarang. This event was attended by 40 participants consisting of the academic community of the Department of Anthropology, general participants, and the team from the Biennale Jogja.
This 30-minute film tells the story of Putri’s interview with volunteers and apprentices who have been involved in the equator series Biennale Jogja exhibition, accompanied by video and photo archives. The film’s cast includes Alia Swastika, Jundan Aries, Robertus Panggah, Anggita Feby, Vattaya Zahra, Fuji Riang Prastowo, and Ladija Triana Dewi. The resource person was asked about their experience of being part of the Biennale Jogja big family and recalled the memories of having worked together. After watching, the program continued with a discussion with the guest speaker Putri Harbie (Director), Adin Hysteria (co-founder of Hysteria), Izmy Khumairoh (Lecturer in Social Anthropology, Diponegoro University), moderated by Nabila (Anthropology Student).
During the discussion session, Adin recounted his experience when he became an exhibition manager at the 2011 Jogja Biennale. He repeatedly expressed his high appreciation for the trust that the Jogja Biennale has for young people who don’t have the experience to take part in big events, even being asked to take a position right away. that was important at the time. According to Adin, volunteers who previously worked with him have become important figures in Jogja, namely writers, lecturers, art workers, and artists. Likewise one of the Biennale programs, namely Asana Bina Seni, according to him today is a place for collectives to flourish in Jogja. Encouraging young people to join makes the Biennale Jogja not lack personal and communal resources. This statement was reinforced by Putri’s response to the moderator’s question regarding the Biennale’s reasons for accepting students as apprentices and volunteers, namely wanting to continue to regenerate and adapt to today’s youth dialogues.
Not much different from Adin’s opinion, Izmy responds that Biennale Jogja is not only a place of experience for today’s youth. Students don’t only have to do internships at BUMN or offices, the Biennale Jogja can be another alternative for Anthropology students to practice the theories they have learned in class, especially for those who like art. Izmy also expressed his curiosity about what the Biennale Jogja had in common during the 10 years of organizing the equator series with artists from collaborator countries.
Art is very closely related to the world of anthropology, especially as one of the 7 elements of culture. Likewise, the patterns of human behavior are the object of research by every anthropologist. Izmy believes that visitor behavior while in the exhibition hall is an interesting thing to study. He also appreciated one of the gallery sitter’s statements in a documentary film scene which stated that “We are not security guards but educators, we educate every guest who comes to appreciate works of art” according to him this statement is very anthropological.
Adin, Izmy, and Putri also discussed topics around residency and its relation to anthropological theory. According to Adin, who is also an extraordinary lecturer at the Department of Anthropology UNDIP, the research results that students do and return to society are not necessarily important, and it could be that the group concerned does not understand what students have done. Through art, the abstraction of the data obtained makes it easier to return it to the community, it can be in the form of art projects, performances, or videos that are very familiar to their daily lives. Agreeing with Adin’s statement, Izmy added that it is important to sit together and be equal, involve yourself in every activity, and not become an exploiter when you are in a group that you want to study, whether for students or artists who want residency.
In response to this, Putri explained that so far the Biennale Jogja residency has indeed avoided exploitation and exoticization of the areas visited by artists, therefore as long as the residency continues, artists must establish a forum for public discussion. Apart from that, there will be artists from the respective regions also taking part in residencies in Jogja, the goal is clear so that both are accompanied and the contrast is visible.
Biennale Jogja would like to thank the Department of Anthropology, the University of Diponegoro for accepting us to be able to successfully screen this documentary film. We hope that there will be creative work and other joint projects in the future.
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Below are some portraits of the Documentary Film Screening event “Biennale Jogja-Wahana Kaum Muda” at Diponegoro University:
