“The Rose of Cikembang” Tells Story of Love and Betrayal
Bunga Roos dari Tjikembang or “The Rose of Cikembang” is a 1927 vernacular Malay-Chinese language novel written by novelist and journalist Kwee Tek Hoay. It was inspired by the lyrics to the song “If Those Lips Could Only Speak” and William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Nights Dream”. On 4 February, a literature-loving audience had the chance to
The Art of Batik Gedhog
Amid the dazzling variety of batik available in Indonesia, batik gedhog or Tuban batik, as it is also known, stands out because of its rough, handwoven cotton fabric and its simple indigo-blue and morinda-red patterns representing cotton, rice, edible gourds, creeping vines, small birds, and phoenixes. Batik gedhog is produced in the rural village of Kerek,
Laksmi Pamuntjak’s New Poetry Book
Laksmi Pamuntjak reflects on her 15-year career as a poet and novelist and talks about her upcoming book, the wisdom of a seasoned writer and the beauty of poetry. A bilingual novelist, poet, short story writer, journalist and food critic as well as the co-founder of Aksara Bookstore in Jakarta, Laksmi has been an integral
Hunting Rare Antique Maps and Prints at Bartele Gallery
Bartele Gallery was founded in 2009 by Bartele, who lived and worked in Indonesia for 25 years. When he first bought a batch of maps and prints of the East Indies at an auction in Europe, Bartele noticed the great interest shown by his Indonesian friends in these historical maps and prints. His passion for
A Gallery of Broken Hearts
Because love stories don’t always end with a happily ever after, there’s a place where heartbroken souls can share their feelings and be inspired by others’ perspective on the meaning of a broken heart. In the month of February, most people become wide-eyed and lovey-dovey and think about how to best spread the love. However,
All (well, not quite all), The Presidents’ Art
Long awaited, many of the masterpieces from the collection of the Presidential palace will be showcased in an exhibition held at the Galeri Nasional Indonesia in August. In the collection of the Presidential Palace there are around 3.000 artworks. Currently the works are spread around the palaces which are located in Jakarta (The Istana Negara
Bazaar Art Jakarta, Paving the Way for Indonesia to be the Art Capital of Asia
Continuing the success of previous years, Bazaar Art Jakarta by Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia returns for the 8th time this month. Running from Thursday 25 until Sunday 28, Southeast Asia’s foremost international art fair will see artists from eleven countries (and 40 international galleries) showcase their work in the Grand Ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta Pacific
August Concerts
The Resonanz Children’s Choir (TRCC), led by renowned choir director Devi Francisca, made headlines last month with their victory at the Claudio Monteverdi Choral Competition in Venice, Italy, winning first prize in the Children’s and Youth Choir category as well as the Grand Prix as the best choir overall. In fact, a number of Indonesian
The Mighty Olympians
Sports film has become such a big genre that it might have just spawned a sub-genre of its own: Olympics movies. With the whole world all psyched about the Rio Olympic Games, let’s take a look at some films about Olympians – past, present, and future. This is by no means a “best of” list,
Musings With a Master Forger
I have never met a criminal before, let alone engaging in a conversation with one. But John Myatt, the man behind what Scotland Yard called “the biggest art fraud of the 20th century” is charming and likeable. Together with John Drewe, Myatt was behind bars for selling more than 200 forgeries of famous 19th and
James Cameron for New Zealand
Earlier last month, Tourism New Zealand launched a global video featuring Hollywood filmmaker, James Cameron to entice more travellers, including from Indonesia, to choose New Zealand as their next holiday destination. James Cameron is sharing his love of New Zealand, fronting a new video that gives the world a glimpse of what it is about
Dance of Two Countries
Earlier last month, Jakarta hosted a prestigious ballet show called ONCE—a collaboration between the dancers from West Australian Ballet and Indonesian Youth Ensemble at Teater Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki on 6-7 August. Taking less than a year to prepare and supported by the Government of Western Australia through the Department of Culture and the Arts,
Salihara International Performing Arts 2016
The long-awaited biannual Salihara International Performing-arts Festival 2016 will finally be presenting the most innovative and moving musical and theatrical performances from both local and international prominent artists from 1 October to 6 November at Komunitas Salihara, Jakarta. As many as 14 internationally-acclaimed performers such as the German theater group She She Pop are to
