Understanding Jakarta as a Symbolic Space

Understanding Jakarta

as a Symbolic Space

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the urban landscape has grown rapidly with the complexity of its elements and problems. One urban problem and its people can be examined through the concept of modernity, to explain more diversely about urban history in Indonesia, as said by urban planning expert Ilham Makkelo. From the perspective of history and archaeology, cities are a representation of national identity and identity because of their material culture. The history of the city is local because the city is a small institution under the province and the state. Therefore, the chronology of urban history is different from the chronology of national history. Changes in the context of the state may have an impact on the city so that the chronology of the city’s history must be independent – not necessarily dependent on the chronology of national history. Cities can also be seen as non-geographical spaces. Post-structural scholars see the city as a more complex space. Henri Lefebvre views space not merely as a geographical space, but also a social space that is not only produced through the relations of production and reproduction but also complex social relations. Simultaneously, space is production,

The towering Monas in 1979 - Fridus Steijlen - KITLV D13240;

Hotel Indonesia roundabout during MRT 2016 construction - Syefri Luwis.

means of production, part of the social forces of factors of production, and, at the same time, objects for consumption.

Not Just A Space

The study of space was conducted, for example, by Hans-Dieter Evers and Rudiger Korff in their book Urbanism in Southeast Asia: Meaning and Power in Social Spaces. The book discusses more about the city as a living space with all its problems. Other studies of city imagery are also included in the book edited by Peter J.M. Nas, Urban Symbolism (1993).

The history of a colonised city can be attributed to the colonial era. In general, the stages are the era of the traditional city (or pre-colonial city), the colonial city era, and the post-colonial city era. A traditional city is a city that developed when it was under the rule of local rulers, such as kings and regents, before the arrival of foreign invaders. The city is physically characterised by being centred around the pavilion where the traditional ruler resides. The characteristics of a traditional city do not disappear when colonialism comes.

The colonial city era is when the cities are under the control of the colonial government. For Indonesia, the colonial

Hotel Indonesia roundabout in 2016 - Syefri Luwis.

city first appeared when the Dutch began to establish their power. The Dutch first landed in Jayakarta, which later changed to Batavia, and was changed again to Jakarta during the Japanese occupation. The city of Batavia was built by the Dutch in the early 17th century and later became the centre of colonial rule in Indonesia.

From the point of view of material culture – especially archaeology – the development of a city is part of a long cycle of urban life, including the processes of decay, revitalisation, and reclamation. One contemporary trend in urban history writing is to use an approach in urban anthropology, namely urban symbolic ecology, which emphasises the cultural dimensions of the city and is oriented towards the formation, distribution, meaning of symbols, and rituals in relation to the built environment. Urban symbolism is expressed through city layouts, architecture, statues, street and place names, poetry, rituals, festivals, and processions. Also, through other facets such as myths, novels, films, poetry, music, songs, and websites, all of which can be called carriers of material, discursive, iconic, and behavioural symbols.

The City of Jakarta That is Full of Meaning

The city of Jakarta (especially the city of Central Jakarta) is full of symbols, including the meaning of the main monuments of Soekarno’s reign. Markus Zahnd sees it in context as a “post-colonial Javanese city”, which was generally built at the beginning of Indonesia’s independence until it entered the era of globalization. The city of Jakarta can be said to be a representation of the city of Java which is a strong symbol of a modern Indonesian state. At the beginning of Indonesia’s independence, President Sukarno helped design the city of Jakarta as the central power of the city, which at that time was the centre of an independent state. Soekarno built a national monument (Monas), the Istiqlal mosque, and the magnificent Hotel Indonesia, but was considered to have paid little attention to the construction of public facilities. Jakarta became a “city without urbanism” by placing a monument in the middle of the city centre.

According to Eryudhawan, in the 19651985 City Planning, the Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ali Sadikin (1966-1977) brought new changes to the modernization of the city. Old areas such as the Old Town and the historical buildings in it garnered attention. Then, in 1968 the local government made efforts to protect and develop the old buildings.

Furthermore, during the New Order era, President Soeharto built the Lubang Buaya Monument to commemorate the betrayal of the PKI in 1965 and built Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) as a miniature of Indonesian ethnicity and culture. The economic development of the 80-90s which gave rise to new middle classes was reflected in the construction of shopping centres and luxury apartments. Gradually, the emergence of skyscrapers (city skyline) neutralised the symbolic layers that had been built in the previous era, including the Kota Tua area on the north coast of Jakarta.

The city of Jakarta was popularised with the image of a modern and international city, the imagination to become a big country. It is exhibited in the form of advertisements and news. Jakarta in Evers’s view is a “theatre country”. The symbols create a facade of modernity with an identity as an international city, but there is something that Jakarta is hiding.

Marsely L. Kehoe said that Jakarta was built on the Dutch colonial identity, which was represented by the revitalisation of the National Archives Building on Jalan Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, and the identity of Indonesian nationalism and culture represented by the construction of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in 1971 by then President Suharto. However, until now, colonial elements are still part of Indonesia’s postcolonial identity in many revitalised colonial buildings.

The identity of the city of Jakarta cannot be separated from the moment of Indonesian Independence in 1945, although it is still strongly influenced by Dutch colonial elements. The city of Central Jakarta is a spatial unit of various historical events that are manifested through material remains. In the Decree of the Governor of DKI Jakarta No. 473/1993, there are 63 buildings and 4 historical structures in Central Jakarta. Post-independence Central Jakarta was designed full of material symbols, with Monas, the Istiqlal mosque, and office buildings, which represent a pre-colonial city with the palace, alun-alun, and adjacent centres of economic activity. Unfortunately, the appearance of skyscrapers neutralises these symbols, including in the Old City area of Jakarta and the Sunda Kelapa Harbor. (Ary Sulistyo, Directorate of Cultural Protection Kemendikbudristek)