Jplus 2015 08 09 lores

Vol. 2 No. 37 I August 9 - 15, 2015

If you build it

Architect Sardjono Sani on rethinking the hotel making movies in Timor Leste

Spoiled rotten The pup life

Wanderlust

Iberia in the outback

Noted in passing Jakarta dreams

Office Management

Monument

time with artists in Dili, right around the inauguration of Rui Maria Araujo as prime minister. It’s a rare look at cinema culture in one of the world’s newest nations.

And don't forget to check out our three articles on pets, pampering and parenting.

In the spirit of our cover story, please take a look at the photo (right) of the capital’s most iconic building, the National Monument (Monas), under construction.

I’m not exactly sure where I got the book.

It was one of things I picked up while on my personal mission to visit the 50 or so museums in the city.

Almost every museum in Jakarta has an information center. If you ask you’ll be surprised by how many free books and comic books National

“If a city has a personality, maybe it also has a soul,” wrote Neil Gaiman. “Maybe it dreams.”

For me, the soul of a city begins with its buildings. The spaces we build in Jakarta are vessels for our collective vision of what the metropolis can be.

Imagination and architecture led us to Sardjono Sani, the subject of this week’s cover story. While shooting Zaskia Adya Mecca at the Kemang Icon

by Alila, we learned that the owner of the exquisite space was also its creator. Read our story to learn how the architect became a hotelier.

Meanwhile, this week’s “Inspiring Mind” column features Bety Reis, the woman who directed Beatriz’s War, the first feature film from Timor Leste.

Although she shared the helm with Australian filmmaker, the story Bety told on screen is all Timorese.

Our contributor, the film critic Windu W. Yusuf, filed the report after spending some

Check List

and guides you’ll be given by helpful staff grateful for the visit. It makes the trip worthwhile, especially if you have kids.

Why not start with the bevy of museums that surround Fatahillah Square in West Jakarta, on Sunday? As we mention in our “Talk of the Town page”, Historia Cafe is hosting its Kota Tua Creative Festival. of classes, workshops, tours

TO BE FILED UNDER C FOR CANINE – OR COMPASSION

WORDS IGNATIUS LOW

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close up

Chris Razukas jplus@thejakartapost.com

A happy ending for a nosy parker in [the neighbor’s] position. Some said he should have confronted his neighbour or gone directly to the police and social workers.

Others have countered that what he did was already exemplary, given that Singaporeans are far more likely to mind their own business and keep quiet about it.

When I was growing up, the No. 1 rule drilled into my sister and me by my parents was “don’t be a kaypoh”, meaning, don’t go poking your nose into someone else’s affairs.

Talking about it with some colleagues and friends, I’ve found that this was quite a common piece of parental advice that people here received in their youth. Perhaps the political atmosphere in the early days of Singapore’s nationhood bred some sort of universal fear of getting into trouble.

Better that you keep your head down, you were told, and live your life lawfully and quietly.

Anyway, their sage advice was what immediately popped into my head when my friend suggested reporting Peanut’s owners for animal abuse to the SPCA. We gazed into the house, looking for clues as to the background of the owners.

What if his owner is a secret society ganglord or a Rolex-wearing construction boss with underworld connections?

Better not get involved, I said, channelling my parents. They’ll find out where we live and they can burn our house down when we’re at work.

art of woman

The event is full and more.

Enjoy your Sunday!

mark my words

About a year ago, whenever my friend and I walked our dogs, we used to notice a cute little cross-breed around the corner.

He had the short coarse fur and long rakish nails of a Jack Russell but looked like a mini version of our Japanese spitz, so we figured he must be a designer hybrid. He was so small we affectionately named him Peanut.

Whenever we passed by his gate, Peanut would jump for joy. But that was all he could do. The house has a massive driveway, but he was always penned up in a small area.

Though we looked forward to seeing him every morning, Peanut’s predicament also bothered us. His pen was just large enough to accommodate his food and water bowls and a space to relieve himself.

The fact that he seemed to remain such a joyful and optimistic dog only broke our hearts more. What can we do to change his life for the better? we asked ourselves.

I thought of the dog this week when news broke of a viral video showing a daughter slapping her elderly and frail mother in the common corridor outside their apartment.

The video, taken surreptitiously, was posted by [a neighbor] who lived several doors away. He said he saw the old woman being abused almost daily, and he and his brother decided that they would expose the daughter by capturing evidence of the abuse and posting it online.

The video has since prompted an investigation – and a discussion on what would be the right thing to do if one were

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In any case, how can we be so sure that this constitutes abuse, I asked? We have two dogs on whom we lavish luxuries such as 24-hour air-conditioning and twice-a-week trips to a special playschool where they meet their canine pals. But is that the standard we should hold all doggie parents to?

Moral decisions are hardly ever blackand-white.

I guess that’s what makes [the neighbor’s] decision to expose the abuse of the old woman so heartening. As Singaporeans, we give ourselves all sorts of reasons not to act, so we need to be shown that, sometimes, being a kaypoh does lead to a happy ending.

So did we take action in Peanut’s case?

After talking it through, we wrote a polite letter to the dog’s owner and slipped it into his mailbox.

In it, we expressed concern about Peanut’s welfare and added that if someone had bought or adopted the dog but was having second thoughts, we would happily adopt him.

Since then, you will be glad to know that Peanut’s little pen has at least doubled in size and, on many occasions, it is empty because he has been let into the house. He comes to the door sometimes when we walk past, wagging his little tail enthusiastically.

And best of all, no gangsters have shown up at our door.

This article originally appeared in our ANN partner's paper, The Straits Times.

JPlus Team Editor Christian Razukas Art Director Budhi Hartono Marketing & Advertising Sales & Marketing Director Ady P. Pamungkas

ady.pamungkas@thejakartapost.com

Marketing Executive Dewi Damayani

dewi.damayani@thejakartapost.com

@JPlusSunday JPlusSunday

SundayJplus jakplus.com

ON THE COVER Sardjono Sani Photo Wendra Ajistyatama Location Kemang Icon by Alila

table of FRIENDS Former Puteri Indonesia

furry, feline or otherwise

nadineames

“A dog is a man’s best friend,” King Frederick of Prussia reportedly said 1789, while Charles Dickens once wrote “What greater gift than the love of a cat?” For this week’s edition of Table of Friends, we asked some well-known celebrities about how their pet companions have influenced their lives. +Prasiddha Gustanto Chef and restaurateur quinnfarah

farah quinn

farahquinnofficial

I had a cat for 13 years and I didn’t realize how sad it would be when he died. I think that attachment you have with a pet is not easy to deal with. Now I have one cat. His name is James. He gets away with a lot of stuff. That’s how I “spoil” him. He’s such a brat. He goes under the table sometimes and he bites and runs outside when we open the door. He used to go to the groomer quite a bit, but now we bathe him ourselves. I think cats are more independent. I travel so much, so with cats, as long as they have their food, their water and their sand box, they should be okay. They can play by themselves and do everything themselves. I’m very close to James. I spend a lot of time with him when I’m home. He sleeps in my room every night.

Musician apriliokevin

Kevin Aprilio

kevinaprilio

The first dog I ever had was a labrador retriever named Fabio. The entire family would take care of him. He was a really kindhearted dog. He loved it whenever people would invite him to play. Whenever he’d see others doing fun or exciting things, he would want to join in and do the same. I currently have an Alaskan Malamute named Chronos. He is also very cute, loves to be spoiled and is very friendly. I really love dogs because they’re so loyal and smart. I like other animals too, but I’ve never thought of taking care of them as pets.

Actor

Uli Herdinansyah

uliherdinansyah I was a serial pet owner when I was in elementary school. [There was] a dog named Dingo, then a bird with broken feet under my care for a week before the cat ate it [and] several fish with no names. Their short lives ended in the toilet bowl. Most kids on my street back then were serial pet owners, we rubbed off on one another.

nadinea_dewi

I must have been around 5 or 6 when one night she came to us out of the blue, a black nadine cat - exactly like the ones that you read about alexandra in superstitious stories. She went by the dewi ames name “Penny”, a name that was suggested by my mom. To the best of my capabilities as a young child, I took care of her, but Penny was one of those miraculously easy pets to look after. Now I have a pet dog, a darling and friendly pit bull who goes by the name “Pebbles”. I love cats and their sassy independence all the same, but I love the attachment and loyalty Pebbles shows me. I spoil her by buying her all sorts of fancy grain-free organic treats and a new squeaky toy every time she demolishes the last one. Pebbles and I are extremely close. There were some tough times over the last few years, and she was a big part of what helped me get through things. I really do cherish the bond I have with her – it is pretty incomparable to anything else.

Martial artist, model, actress itsprisia

prisia

Ever since I was young, I’ve had many pets. In my house, there were dogs, cats, birds and even gibbons. I also took care of a baby Prisia orangutan named Tatiana. I helped take care Nasution of her for several months. We took her to a reservation and after that she was released into the Kalimantan jungle. Unfortunately, I don’t know if she’s still alive. A couple of years back, there was this notorious incident where people hunted down the orangutans and set fire them. I don’t know if Tatiana survived that.

I would help with the feeding and cleaning pets whenever I had the time. I’d let Tatiana roam around the house freely. All the monkeys slept in their own rooms.

All of my dogs and cats are rescued animals. Most of the animals in my house are all rescued, even the Rottweilers. I also rescued baby cougars and owls before, and they were are all sent to the zoo after I took care of them for few months first.

I think Dingo was a mix between an anjing kampung [mutt] and a labrador or something. I kept him for several years. Coal black and with a vicious bark, the little guy had some chutzpah!

My best memory of him was riding a bike into the sunset with a dog that scared the locals with its vicious bark. He didn’t bite, though.

We grew up in Aceh in a huge compound surrounded by fields. Dingo would leave in the morning after breakfast and come back every

afternoon to hang out with us. The little fella was quite independent. I like my pets like that.

One day he didn’t come back and that got us worried sick. We went looking for him and found him dead on the street. So we took him home and had a small funeral in the backyard near the sugarcane plants. I had another dog for 6 months, two years ago, but decided to let my neighbor take care of it. So I can’t really say I have one now.

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good living

bark rinse repeat

Spas and cafes to spoil a pet rotten WORDS Sondang Grace Sirait PHOTOS sondang, Courtesy of Vodka & Latte

Y

uya Suzuki studies his coy client, then gently runs his fingers through the thick and long white hair. He initiates a conversation in Japanese, but ends up doing a monolog.

In the drawers near Suzuki was a collection of organic, natural and hypoallergenic hair dyes, trimming and grooming products, all made in Japan. But none of them attracts Suzuki’s attention for now, except for a belt of scissors on his table.

Alfonso, the client, only requires a simple do. This isn’t Chiba, Tokyo. This is Jl. Kemang Timur, where the Japanese dog grooming hype has apparently landed.

Suzuki is one of two highly trained professional groomers working in a luxury dog beauty and wellness salon that runs in partnership with Tetsuya Yoshida, a household name in the industry.

The salon itself is eponymously named Vodka & Latte, after the owners’ pooches, a West Highland white terrier called Vodka and a Poodle called Latte.

“I’ve taken Vodka to every dog salon in Jakarta, you name it, but none ever met my satisfaction,” says the salon’s co-owner Giri Sumantri, an interior designer and businessman. “So I decided to create a place where I would be comfortable sending him, a place with very high hygienic standards and the best you can offer to your dog. If it’s good enough for Vodka, trust me, it’s good enough for the others.”

Giri’s instincts turned out to be true.

Within one year, business at the salon has expanded, with a new vet wing opening up after the Lebaran holiday.

Offering full service dog grooming in a stress-free, relaxing environment, this is the place to be for those who want to pamper their furry friends.

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Here, services range from washing, grooming, coloring, spa, massage, daycare, hotel, walking, swimming and more.

Gourmet meals are available upon request.

A little shop in the corner carries imported Japanese dog treats, some even with collagen concentrate. Also available are bejeweled dog collars, designer sofas and other accessories, all personally handpicked by Giri and, naturally, approved by Vodka.

For treatment, there’s the highly recommended organic green tea spa, perfect for detoxifying, replenishing and

revitalizing the skin, with massage available as add-on service.

As for styling, fret not, the groomers will make sure your pooch walks away with the hottest, latest looks.

Meanwhile, back in the salon area, Alfonso the Bichon Frise is done with his haircut, looking ever more handsome. Giri takes a peek into the salon area as Suzuki wraps up, proud looks on the faces of both men.

Customer satisfaction is indeed what keeps the waiting list here growing longer each day, on weekdays and especially on weekends, with community gatherings and events.

“It’s always packed and fun on the

weekends at Vodka & Latte,” says Kiana Lee, a regular customer who owns a line of locally produced gourmet dog biscuits called Trick or Treat Barkery.

A dog lover, she knows a thing or two about pampering them and doesn’t mind paying premium prices. The same can be said of her own clients, who tenaciously hunt for her beef and cheddar, Atlantic salmon, Australian lamb and brown rice biscuits.

In a country where dog meat trade still exists, it’s a rare but pleasing phenomenon to witness increasing pet ownership and care.

In fact, according to a 2014 report by the market intelligence firm Euromonitor International, retail value sales of pet care in this country have been recording healthy yearon-year growth along with the rise of pet population, thanks to increasing disposable incomes among the urban population in Indonesia.

Here though, being home to a majority of Muslims, cats are the more preferred pets, compared to dogs, so it comes as no surprise that the population of cats outnumbers that of dogs.

For many feline lovers in Jakarta, treating their pets as royalty has become an addicting pastime.

More than a few have developed the habit of hanging out at the city’s newly opened cat cafes, relaxing and playing with cats in the playpen and at the same time enjoying a selection of meals.

“Customers need not worry about hygienic issues concerning our kitchen.

All the preparation and presentation are secure from cat access. We also maintain a biweekly checkup for all of our cats,” says Tyas Nagatrihastuti, manager of The Cat Cabin in Kemang.

In Jakarta, pampering options far outweigh caregiving services for ailing or dying pets, as countless owners rely on an already overcrowded pet cemetery and crematorium. Then there’s the classic problem of the lack of urban open space.

“We need a dog park. I have to go all the way to Sentul or Parung to take my dogs off leash. It’s too far,” complains dog lover Sarah Sayekti.

Nevertheless, Jakarta is not far behind in keeping up with a trend that’s already swept through the region.

Parentingcorner

Taking care of

of puppy RAISING A PET TEACHes MORE THAN RESPONSIBILITY WORDS & photos Sondang Grace Sirait

and physical health of kids.

Nurturing comes naturally when we have pets. The idea of caring for others tends to show up more consistently among children above five years old,” explains University of Indonesia child psychologist Anna Surti Ariani. “This is the right time for parents to teach children how to clean the cage, feed, have the pet vaccinated and many other things. Consistently involve the children, and give them more responsibility, one step at a time.”

Anna recommends first-time pet owners to start with fish, gradually moving onto dogs, cats or rabbits. “Parents need to introduce the safe ways to interact with pets. Do not play with their mouths or tails,

W

hen Nicholas Sulistyo turned nine about three months ago, he made a proposition his parents couldn’t refuse.

No toys this time, said the fourth grader at Asisi Primary School in South Jakarta. He wanted a puppy.

His parents marveled at the idea.

“My wife and I thought, why not?

I’ve always believed that having a pet will teach children to be more responsible and help them interact with others,” says Aloysius Sulistyo, Nicholas’ father.

With the help of a family friend, soon a puppy arrived at their Duren Tiga home. Pocky is the name Nicholas gave him.

Soon, the novelty of having a cute little dog caught up with the responsibility of caring for his needs.

Nicholas soon found out that it isn’t enough simply to take Pocky out for walks or to feed him twice a day.

The puppy also needed medical attention. He developed cold symptoms and had fleas.

On his dad’s day off from work, Nicholas tagged along with him to the Animal Clinic Jakarta in Kemang.

psychologist would tell you, never underestimate a child’s ability to understand and inspire.

As Mary Rench Jalongo, an education professor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, wrote in The World of Children and Their Companion Animals, “It is possible to marvel at the sincerity and intensity of a child’s response to another species, a response that is less tainted by the customs, routines and habits that adults may have failed to develop or forgotten to question. If we are sufficiently open-minded, children can take us back not only to old, familiar terrain, but also into uncharted territory.”

Pros and cons PROS Pets are the best mood booster.

Research shows how pets have helped people deal with loneliness, stress and anxiety, by providing companionship. As dog and cat lovers will tell you, pets also make a great icebreaker.

Pets promote physical health. Stroking a pet or simply watching a fish swim in an aquarium has proven beneficial in reducing your heart rate and your lowering blood pressure at the level equivalent to eating a low salt diet or cutting down on alcohol.

It was Pocky’s first visit to the vet, and Nicholas was suddenly feeling a bit anxious.

His dad calmed him down. “Don’t worry,” he says, sitting next to his son in the waiting room. “But you do need to listen to what the vet says and take good care of your pet.”

Like Aloysius, scores of parents out there are finding the benefits of raising children around animals to be tested and true.

Psychologists believe having a pet in the house helps the emotional development

do not grab toys from them, recognize their change of mood, especially when they’re angry. At the same time, children need to look after their own hygiene,” she advises.

When it comes to dealing with the death of a beloved pet, Anna says it’s natural for the family to grieve. However, it may also serve as the right moment for parents to share with their children healthy ways to cope with the loss.

Most importantly, as any child

Pets encourage nurturing. Studies show that children with pets are less self-centered and more mature. By caring for a pet, children develop an understanding of daily care, as well as attention and responsiveness.

CONS Pets can be destructive, especially if left alone without supervision.

Some pets carry health risks, such as allergies.

Sources: hopeforpets.org, helpguide. org, parents.com

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coverSTORY

The art of

LIVING

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Architect Sardjono sani looks to the modern Words Aulia R. Sungkar Photos Wendra Ajistyatama & COURTESY OF BIAS TEKNO-ART KREASINDO

S

ardjono Sani had recently returned from a trip to North America when he greeted me before an interview and photoshoot with JPlus at his hotel, the Kemang Icon by Alila, in Kemang, South Jakarta.

“I’m a simple guy and I hope you all don’t mind that I’m not wearing formal attire,” he says. "I’m still suffering from jetlag. I didn’t get jetlag so easily in the past. It’s a sign that I’m getting old.”

But despite his 52 years, Sardjono is still fueled with an energy to remake the world of architecture, as well as the hotel industry.

Sardjono, for example, is the owner of the Kemang Icon – and also designed it.

Over breakfast, we chat about what led the director and principal architect of architecture and interior design firm Bias Tekno-Art Kreasindo, to venture into hotels.

“In the past, the Dutch architecture was very dominant in Jakarta," he says. "I was lucky to witness 1991 and 1992 as the years where a major breakthrough in the modern architecture started to emerge. This condition later urged me to own a boutique hotel."

The intimate nature of a smaller operation attracted Sardjono.

“Until eight years ago, the public perception of the hotel industry was still rigid when it came to the way a hotel delivered services to its guests," he says. "Especially for a small hotel, the perception was limited to being merely a place to stay. A hotel, regardless of its size, should be more than just an accommodation.”

Sardjono launched the hotel in 2007 with 12 themed suites in a building that fuses contemporary architecture with touches appropriate for Jakarta’s high-end lifestyle.

Sardjono doesn’t regret his decision.

“With more and more Indonesians appreciate the art of living, boutique hotels have also gradually been setting a trend, especially among Jakarta’s upper segment,” he says.

I don’t go mainstream, not only in the side of architecture but how I design buildings and their space

On the Upbeat

Sardjono, who was born in Malang, East Java, embarked on his architecture and interior design career working at Craig Hodgetts & Hsin Ming Fung Design in southern California, soon after he earned a master's degree in architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver, US in 1990.

Despite the firm’s great reputation and an auspicious start to his career, Sardjono returned home to Indonesia, where he established Bias Tekno–Art Kreasindo in 1992.

Soon after launching the design firm, Sardjono's first project won accolades.

“Actually, that project was my own house in Pondok Indah," he says. "It’s was my maiden

project, which truly paved the way for more works in our portfolio.”

Bias Tekno-Art Kreasindo has since gone on to success, designing buildings as diverse as residences and apartments to hotels and villas to offices, and even retail space sand religious facilities.

The firm's works are mainly in Jakarta, although it has also completed similar projects in Bali and Central Java.

“I don’t go 'mainstream' – not only in the side of architecture, but in how I design buildings and their space. Every building has its own uniqueness, which lets

us create innovative living spaces,” Sardjono says.

“We want to create more than just iconic buildings.

No less important is the uniqueness that represents the individuality," he adds. "That’s pretty much our philosophy. Our buildings are different from one another.

In other words, we create a singularity in design that is tailored to the specific needs of a client."

In running his firm, Sardjono said he was not afraid of the competition, due to a strong belief in the power of individuality.

He also incorporates the concept of de-constructivism

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coverSTORY

SiDe spin What are the buildings or architectural feats that you admire?

Any modern building with cultural element and standout designs.

Japanese architecture is also among those I admire. There are many buildings in Japan that incorporate cultural elements into modern designs.

Are there architects that you could cite as inspirations for your own works?

I don’t think I have any, but I admire Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and the American architect Steven Holl for their philosophy: Architectural works must have a soul that conveys a message so that anyone who lives there can feel it.

What's your favorite dish?

Any good dish from any region in Indonesia, such as ikan patin, a fat and meaty fish with thorns, from Palembang, bakmi Aceh, Acehnese noodle soup, and gudeg Abimanyu from Semarang. I also like seafood.

How about your favored travel destinations?

Singapore, New York and Bali are on the top of the list. I like Singapore for its culinary variation, New York for the city’s hipness and happenings – and also for several extraordinary steak houses. I love Bali not because of its beaches, but its beautiful hills with Ubud being my favorite place.

into his architecture and design concepts.

“De-constructivism is part of post-modernism," Sardjono says. "It’s a concept to create innovative products that stand out from the crowd.

Rigidness is no longer valid in today’s era – or you’ll be left behind.”

Sardjono said his personal preferences in the design world leaned away from the contemporay and toward the modern.

“Contemporary means current, so the time frame is shorter, as trends can change from one era to another," he says. "Modernism is a character. It lingers for much longer period.”

Despite his support of a modernist design ethos, Sardjono says that buildings have to also evoke an element of culture.

He then cites the Imperia suite in the Kemang Icon as an example: Its decor features a curated selection of antiques that exude a classic, yet romantic, ambience.

“I’m always upbeat on the future of Indonesian architecture, as more modern buildings are erected in the country’s big cities," he says. "But I see many of today’s modern buildings have left the cultural elements. In my dictionary, being modern is looking to the future without ignoring history.”

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ala MODE

Poise & beauty GALERIES LAFAYETTE IS OFFERING FASHION LOVERS A DELIGHTFUL MONTH-LONG PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION WORDS Sebastian Partogi PHOTOS courtesy of Galeries Lafayette

G

aleries Lafayette department store in the Pacific Place shopping center in Central Jakarta, in cooperation with the Bank Negara Indonesia, has just launched an exhibition called ARTmosphere, which will thrill both fashion and visual art lovers alike with its combination of fashion photography and art installations.

The cornerstone of the event is an exhibition of photographs taken by acclaimed fashion and beauty photographer Hartono Hosea, with a help from fashion director Mira Warganegara and creative director Tengku Arshaly.

Titled “La Femme De L’art”, the show features photographs that evoke three themes common to Hartono’s work: the beauty of the models, fashion and style – and the underwater environment.

“Galeries Lafayette is the one who came up with the concept,” Hartono said, when asked to explain the creative process behind the images.

“I developed further details from the concept. I took the photographs a month ago. From all the photographs taken, I chose the ones that exuded smooth expressions and poise.”

The photos feature the model and actress Atiqah Hasiholan, as well as the starlets Pevita Pearce and Raline Shah.

Several Puteri Indonesias, such as Nadine Chandrawinata and Whulandary Herman, also posed for Hartono; as well Puteri Indonesia 2014 Elvira Devinamira, who also went on to win Best Costume at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant.

The most recent incumbent Indonesian beauty queen, Anindya Putri, was captured by the photographer in one of several stunning underwater shots.

Hartono has only been shooting since 2007; most of his career was spent in business – he’s also the executive director of the Sun Motor Group as well as the president director of the Sunindo Indah Hotel group.

After starting small, Hartono developed a talent led him to fame: He took the official photographs for the 2010 and 2014 Puteri Indonesia contests, and he is also a brand ambassador for Nikon Indonesia.

According to Hartono, his favorite photographs for the exhibition were those he shot with the models submerged, which he said was quite challenging.

“This is a major collaborative initiative between Galeries Lafayette and local artists, which is centered on the belief that art is fundamentally vital to urban growth,” Handaka Santosa, CEO of Galeries Lafayette Indonesia, said about ARTmosphere.

“Bringing together emerging designers and art photography, we’re promoting original artwork in an innovative form in this multi-faceted open space," Handaka said.

To keep the synergy of ARTmosphere, Galeries Lafayette is presenting a KENZO pop-up store, for an exclusive shopping experience.

They're also planning for the local bow of a new modern women’s wear line, NIKKIE, later this month.

NIKKIE, which offers feminine, sexy, elegant and cool designs appropriate for everyday use as well as for stepping out at night, was launched by Dutch celebrity Nikkie Plessen in 2011.

Based in Amsterdam, NIKKIE has showrooms in Europe and Asia and a retail network of over 350 medium to high-end boutiques, department stores and brand-owned stores in 15 nations.

It’s Plessen’s eye for detail that makes every piece in the NIKKIE collection strong, elegant – and distinctly Dutch.

Growing up in The Netherlands, Plessen was drawn to fashion at a young age. She started young in the television

world as an actress, acted in several movies and comedies.

Fashion was always in her veins and when she was asked to be the leading lady of the TV program Best Fashion Designer, she was assured of making a dream come true to start her own fashion label.

ARTmosphere and “La Femme De L’art” will run on several floors of Galeries Lafayette until Aug. 30. lafayettejkt

"From all the photographs taken, I chose the ones that exuded smooth expressions"

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wanderlust

The mark of Spain NOTES FROM An outback TOURIST TOWN WORD & PHOTOS Duncan Graham

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wanderlust

I

t’s one of the more startling sights encountered while driving in Western Australia.

Sweeping seascapes are to be expected along coastal highways.

Turn a corner and there are the beaches, the sky-blue ocean melting into an ocean-blue sky.

Deep inland are the multihued crumbling cliffs of the parched Pilbara known as breakaways. The arid zone reveals itself slowly like a strip tease; the trees shrink, thin out and eventually disappear – a gradual revelation while entering the naked desert.

But there’s little to prepare the traveller for the sudden

and dramatic appearance of towers, domes, arches and battlements in broadacre farmland where buildings are rare.

It looks as though a Spanish settlement has been lifted from the Iberian peninsula and another age by a giant hand and dropped into the bush 16,000 kilometers and a hemisphere away – and that’s just about right.

New Norcia, Australia’s only monastic town, is just over a two-hour drive north of Perth on a quality highway.

However that wasn’t the situation when Dom Rosendo Salvado Rotea and his fellow monks trudged behind an ox cart through the tick-infested undergrowth of the Victoria Plains. Their quest was to find Aborigines that they knew, with the certainty of zealots, were in need of the Bible.

The sun scorched black-robed Europeans eventually found their potential

flock on the banks of the Moore River, known to the Aborigines as Garban; this sounds like a grand waterway but is little more than a narrow stream prone to flooding, nothing like the wide watercourses found further north.

However, in 1846 the British settlers, who had only been in the colony since its founding 17 years earlier, had yet to clear-fell the timber, sow wheat and free their merino flocks to turn the native vegetation into fine wool. The ring of axe striking hardwood was drawing close, but when Salvado trekked north much was virgin.

The Noongars, the tribe that had occupied the State’s Southwest for probably 50,000 years, maybe double that timeline, were using the river as a bottomless larder of fish and waterfowl. In the hinterland were kangaroos, emus, wild turkeys, edible nuts, roots and berries – protein aplenty.

Dom Salvado, then a 32-year old Benedictine Order missionary, was a big-picture visionary. He must have kept the sceptics chuckling as he battled huge obstacles to bring Christ to those considered heathen though they had their own complex and ancient spiritual beliefs.

At Moore River the Spaniard recognized a Garden of Eden only lacking the word of God, a situation not to be tolerated. With his European mind-set a settlement had to be established, though the Aborigines were nomadic.

The Central Mission was founded with a few wooden huts to the bemusement of

Turn a corner and there are the beaches, the skyblue ocean melting into an ocean-blue sky

the mobile Noongars, who camped in small temporary leaf and bark shelters – and the discomfort of Salvado’s fellow Catholics, who needed more substantial dwellings.

They’d already been through a searing summer – now they faced a wet and chilling winter.

It was a test of faith and many failed.

Only Salvado and his mate Joseph Serra had the Right Stuff needed to plant the cross in the wilderness. But that needed funds, so Salvado walked back to Perth where he held piano recitals to raise cash.

The donations were welcome but

insufficient to match the man’s ambition so he sailed back to Europe, returning in 1853 with tougher monks and harder currency.

Although appointed to run the Diocese of Perth he convinced the Vatican that his real place was with the Noongars.

In 1867 he became Lord Abbot of New Norcia, named after the fifth century Saint Benedict who was born in the Italian town of Norcia.

The cemetery includes the graves of 130 monks and nuns who gave their lives to the mission. The tangible legacies of Dom Salvado, who died in 1900, are the assertively European buildings making no concessions to the local environment.

These include the Georgian-Italian style Mission Church where he’s buried, a monastery, two colleges that educated more than 3,500 Aboriginal students, and two orphanages.

When these closed in the early 1970s it looked as though New Norcia would collapse back into the ochre soil from which it rose. The huge brick and stone buildings needed substantial maintenance and no longer suited the times.

The Aborigines, whose presence was the reason for the establishment of New Norcia, have shifted. A few embraced Catholicism and settled round the mission.

However, most moved to the towns as white settlers forced the original residents off their land and turned the bush into wheatlands.

Yet New Norcia [population 318] hasn’t crumbled – instead it’s starting to thrive as a multi-purpose destination, supported by tourism. A museum and art gallery have been opened. Arts and crafts are being developed; its textile collection is claimed to be the largest and most significant in Australia.

Visitors can wander the complex freely except for private quarters. It’s only a 130-kilometer drive from Perth, though 40-plus-ton road trains heading north to the iron mines compete for space.

For the faithful, whatever their denomination, there are live-in spiritual retreats held throughout the year. They are presented by the monks and visiting religious leaders, men and women.

The monks maintain their 1,500 year old traditions and invite visitors to join them in the six daily prayers.

Salvado and his followers planted olives and these continue to yield oil that’s pressed and bottled for sale. A flour mill ground wheat to make bread.

An education center has been built recording the history of the Noongars and their reliance on the land and river which has turned saline following massive clearing. Some wildlife, like white cockatoos and kangaroos have adapted to the invasion of alien farming practices – other species have vanished.

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inspiringmind

Eastern promise BETY REIS directed TiMOR LESTE’S FIRST FILM – AND SHE’S STILL FIGHTING TO DEVELOP CINEMA IN THE NEW NATION WORDS WINDU W. JUSUF

Bety Reis (bottom)

I

met Bety Reis at the Peace Cafe in Dili earlier this year. It’s a small coffeeshop and hub for artists, filmmakers, musicians and writers. “Here’s my loyal assistant,” Bety said, introducing me to her eight-year-old daughter, Manche.

The 31-year-old is the co-director of Beatriz’s War, which has been promoted as the first feature film from Timor Leste.

“Will you come to the inauguration tomorrow?” Bety asked me.

At the time, people in Dili had been preparing for the swearing-in of Rui Araujo, a former health minister from the opposition Fretilin party, as prime minister.

“It’ll be impossible to make a simple overview in just five days in the capital,” said a local friend upon learning of my visit to explore the local arts community. In fact, due to the pre-inauguration mood, meeting the city’s artists became a bit of a struggle, as they, too, geared up for the inauguration.

In a two-hour conversation with Bety, followed by an email correspondence, she told me about what it is like to make and screen films in Timor Leste, the youngest state in Asia - and one still recovering from decades of occupation and war that ended with a referendum on whether to break with Indonesia in 2006.

“After the referendum, I went to high school and started acting in stage plays in and short films,” says Bety, who spent most of her early

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twenties as part of Bibi Bulak (“Mad Goat”), a theatrical group staging folk stories.

The troupe traveled to rural areas, campaigning for issues such as gender equality, HIV/AIDS, as well as staging populist narratives about Timorese history.

Most of the plays Bety presented were comedies, a style she said was appropriate for exploring the hardships, violence and political uncertainties during the country’s transitional period.

But it was the local production of Balibo, an Australian-made film about the killings of Australian journalists during the Timorese war with Indonesia, that opened the cinematic horizons for Bety and Irim Tolentino, who would later write the script and star in Beatriz’s War. The women, cast as extras in Balibo,

PHOTOS COURTESY of BETY REIS

were later to team up with some members of the film’s production, to make their own story of the conflict.

Beatriz’s War is set against the 1975 Indonesian invasion and decades-long occupation of the former Portuguese colony, which shares a border with East Nusa Tenggara province on Timor Island.

The story begins with Beatriz and Tomas, who flee the invasion.

Captured, they settle in Kraras, 300 kilometers from Dili, where Beatriz has a son. Later, during a reprisal raid, Indonesian forces kill almost every man and boy in the village in a dramatic recreation of the 1983 Kraras massacre.

Tomas is arrested and “disappeared”.

He returns 16 years later, after Timor Leste is independent, claiming to have fought for the resistance. However, Beatriz begins to doubt that the man is her long-lost husband – and eventually makes a chilling discovery.

The challenges of making the film were legion, whether dealing with a large crew shooting on location or when working on a non-professional cast of children, teenagers and the elderly, Bety says. “A few local crew members were also a bit resistant to the idea of working with female directors. We Timorese are knee-deep in this problem: Men ‘overseeing’ their female counterparts, who are doing all the work.”

Bety co-directed the film with Australian documentary filmmaker Luigi Acquisto. “I rather focused on working with script and giving direction to actors, while Luigi dealt with technical stuff. Still, we collaborated to select actors and locations.”

The result was a sentimental story of political turmoil that stands in contrast to

inspiringmind the film’s loving depiction of the nation’s beautiful scenery – something that local audiences objected to, although Bety dismisses the criticism.

“I wanted to show the world that Timor Leste posseses largely unexplored talents, wonderful landscapes and stories. I believe that would do much to invite foreign tourists to come to Timor Leste,” she said.

Bety said that small-scale production houses have been on the rise in Dili in recent years.

While there are no film schools in the nation, young people shoot films, produce documentaries, shorts, commercials and company profiles. Would-be filmmakers learn from workshops and informal training, as is common in Indonesia. Instructors are mostly foreigners, Europeans or Australians.

Beatriz’s War and its production house, Dili Film Works, are the products of such a workshop.

Jakarta-based Nick Calpakdjian, who edited the film, told me last year that Irim began to develop the script in 2010 and the team started preproduction in 2011, after a hiatus for fund raising.

Cinema, however, is not popular in Timor Leste, where movie theaters are a rarity.

Platinum Cineplex, the only theater in Dili, opened in December 2012. Among the first films screened there were The Life of Pi and the Bollywood coming-of-age Student of the Year.

Owned by the Jakarta-based Multivision Group, Platinum Cineplex offers mainly films from Hollywood, Bollywood, and

Indonesia. Local films, such as Hanung Bramantyo’s Cinta Beda and Soekarno, as well as Grade-Z horror films such as Hantu Selfie (Selfie Ghost) also figure prominently.

Admission can cost as much as US$8, which is quite a luxury, given that 52.9 percent of the population still lives on less than US$1.25 a day, according to the most recent edition of the Human

A few stores in Timor Plaza, the only mall in Dili, sell DVDs – mostly Australian co-production documentaries on life during the Indonesian occupation or about Portuguese Timor in World War II. Commonly found were two DVD titles issued by Dili Film Works: Beatriz’s War and one collection of short films.

But it’s not home videos, official or pirated, that have become the staple of Timorese households. One of the most prominent legacies of Indonesian colonization of Timor Leste is the sinetron (soap opera).

Given that the Timorese National Television (VTL) broadcasts news and government-sponsored ads for about two hours a day, people in Dili seem to be more familiar with soap operas such as Putri Yang Ditukar and gossip shows focusing on Jakarta’s celebrities.

Like many Indonesians brought up watching privately-owned TV stations in 1990s, Bety began to develop her taste for movies while watching Indonesia television during the occupation. “Long

We Timorese are kneedeep in this problem: Men ‘overseeing’ their female counterparts, who are doing all the work.

Development Report.

Another venue in Dili is the Portuguese Cultural Center (CPA), which offers a space for new talents to have their first screenings, or for regular viewers to see foreign arthouse fare for free.

“We screen our films at CPA,” Bety says. “We charged for tickets and managed to save 10 percent of the box office for our next production.”

before the heyday of pirated DVDs, we we’re brought up with sinetron,” says Bety.

Before the fall of the New Order, watching television was a daily struggle in Timor Leste. Unlike today, television ownership was then a symbol of privilege— and often of a person’s political leanings.

TV owners were either local elites working for the Indonesian government or army soldiers. One Dili-based documentary filmmaker, Victor de Sousa, described how pay-per-view televison worked when he was younger. “When I was a high school student, I used to pay Rp 100 just to see Brama Kumbara or some Indonesian films on TV.” Osme Gonçalves, a poet and musician from Lospalos who arranged the score for Beatriz, told me that he cleaned the toilet of an Indonesian soldier so he could watch cartoons.

But unforgettable for Osme are the gems of classic Indonesian cinema that he did get to watch. “Deddy Mizwar’s films have left tremendous impact on me. I saw his movies in on television. Of course, we had no movie theaters back then.”

“Deddy Mizwar is now the vice governor of West Java,” I told him.

“No, you can’t be serious!” Osme said.

While cinema has yet to be a priority for the state, Bety says that the Timorese government supports Beatriz’s War. “They even include the film in their civic education syllabus, and support its screening in a number of disctricts, although through limited means.”

Aside of preparing for a travelling film festival to four districts in Timor for August and September, Bety is working on a script for her next project, a feature-length comedy-drama.

I asked Bety whether she would return to the stage some time.

“Perhaps,” she answers, with a nostalgic look. “I’m sometimes still asked to help train new actors, but I have this dream of collaborating with old friends and colleagues to stage a really huge play.”

Irim Tolentino (left) scripted and starred in the film

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talk of the town Fashion Festival Bali kicks off next week

Winning choirs to perform “Simfoni Untuk Bangsa”

The Resonanz Children Choir (TRCC) and the Batavia Madrigal Singers (BMS) say they will perform the “Simfoni untuk Bangsa” (Symphony for the Nation), with the Jakarta Concert Orchestra on Aug. 29.

The choirs, which are run by the Resonance Music Studio, have recently picked up several international accolades. TRCC took top honors in historical and folk, second in gospel and spiritual and third in contemporary music at The Golden Gate International Choral Festival in Berkeley, the US in July.

Meanwhile, the BMS, took first place for Equal voices/female choir and second for mixed or chamber choir at the 36th International May Choir Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, in May. The concert will be held at the Teater Jakarta in the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts complex in Cikini, Central Jakarta.

Creative Room @Historia showcases creative public space

As part of the Kota Tua Creative Festival (KTFC) 2015, Creative Room will be present architecture installations and creative industry programs involving artists, designers and musicians.

A series of event will be held at Historia Café, such as an architecture exhibition, introducing a co-working space concept by SHAU; an architecture installation and workshop by guest artist Noa Haim; a paper workshop for children aged 7+ and cardboard workshop for teenagers, adults and design lovers.

From August 8 to 15, the cafe will also host “Installations by Architects” from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/creativeroomhistoria.

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The Fashion Festival Bali (TFFB 2015) has announced its third installment, which will kick off with a variety of off-site events and runway shows.

There’ll also be a pop-up showroom, featuring hot off-the-runway collections available for purchase.

TFFB has added a wide range of designers of women’s wear, men’s wear and accessories to the its line-up, which is slated to include both emerging and well-established talents from, Australia, India, Indonesia and Singapore “It’s going to be inspiring and entertaining for the consumers, exciting and engaging for travelers, and creatively stimulating for our partners – there’s everything for everyone,” said festival founder Nicholas Meimaris in a statement.

TFFB 2015 will run from Aug. 15 to 22.

GRAND OPENING OF FAIRMONT JAKARTA

Following a soft launch in January, the Fairmont Jakarta hotel celebrated its grand opening on Aug. 7.

The evening featured an exclusive cocktails and dinner session, as well as a show-stopping performance by the everglamorous pop singer Agnes Monica, better known as AgnezMo. Making bows were several of the Fairmont Jakarta’s new outlets, including the Peacock Lounge, which offers an innovate take on afternoon high tea, as well as the Barong Bar, with a carefully curated selection of fine whiskeys.

Also marking its formal debut is K22, a semioutdoor rooftop bar on the building’s 22nd floor, offering stunning views of the city.

tasteBUD

Easy Summer Berry Tarts F Words & Photos Theodora Hurustiati

ruit tartlets are a classic in pastry shops in cities across the globe, even Jakarta. These posh teatime nibbles are usually filled with pastry cream but, to make my Sunday easier, I cheated by using simply sweetened mascarpone cheese. You can choose any sort of fruit you prefer as a topping. I decided to go with summer berries, since they’re currently in season here.

Makes 20

Short crust pastry 250 g flour, plus extra for dusting 100 g caster sugar 125 g cold butter 1 egg

• Insert flour, sugar and cubed cold butter into food processor with blade attachment. Pulse for about 30 seconds until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

• Add egg and pulse for further few seconds until the dough starts to come together leaving the food processor walls clean.

• Alternatively, without a processor, place flour and sugar in a bowl. Rub butter into the mixture using your fingers tips until everything turns crumbly. Incorporate the egg using a fork or a knife until the dough comes together.

• Divide pastry into two balls and cover with cling film. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

• Once pastry is rested, dust the kitchen counter with flour and roll the pastry into a 3-5 mm thin small discs. Work with one ball of dough at a time and keep the other refrigerated. Keeping the pastry crust at room temperature for too long in Jakarta’s heat will soften the pastry too much and it will be difficult to handle.

• Line each tartlet tin (7-8 cm) with the pastry crust. Trim the excess dough from the edges using a pairing knife or with your thumb.

• Prick the bottom with a fork. Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and hold with few ceramic baking beads or, alternatively, a few dried red beans.

• Bake tartlets in the oven at 165°C for 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool at room temperature before taking them out from the tins or they’ll break easily.

• Once they’re cooled, fill with cream and position the berries on top to your liking.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

• Keep refrigerated and serve within few hours.

Mascarpone cream • 500 g mascarpone cheese • 100 g fresh cream • 60 g confectioner’s sugar, plus extra for dusting • ½ vanilla bean • 250 g strawberries • 125 g blueberries • 125 g raspberries

• Place mascarpone cheese, cream and sugar in a bowl. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds and combine using a balloon whisk or a spatula.

• Work the mixture just enough to loosen the mascarpone.

There’s no need to whip air into it.

• Transfer cream into a pastry bag. Choose the piping tip you fancy to fill the piecrusts.

Jakarta-born chef Theodora Hurustiati, a 12-year resident of Udine, Italy, was the runner-up in the TV cooking program La Scuola – Cucina di Classe (The School: Classy Cooking) in 2011.

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trendDIAL VICTORIA BECKHAM

Victoria Beckham is turning the circus into gorgeous wearables after the recent merger of her denim line with Victoria, her new collection. Emphasizing oversized cuts, big ruffle sleeves, superflared culottes and screen-printed denim; Victoria (the collection) features easy-towear separates. The outcome is a set of bold looks, as Beckham only focuses on basic color tones, such as whites, blacks, yellows, reds and blues.

Although the dressmaking process has a touch of the big top, Beckham delves deeper. The results are wonderful twists with a tad of floral ornamentation that give her creations a whimsical, if theatrical, feel.

ELDORADO JOURNAL & ALFRED KERBS

Sunglasses are something that you should never be without.

So Eldorade, a “multi-platform editorial project” on travel and outdoor sports, is teaming up with Barcelona-based eyewear maker Alfred Kerbs to produce a series of limited-edition shades.

Kerbs sourced Italian Mazzucchelli acetate and Divel mask lenses that were assembled with bold “clay” color frames and gradient leaden-blue lenses.

The sleekly livid, rounded frames come with a black leather case – ready to grab and go for your next travel destination.

TORY BURCH WATCHES

DAYS OF SUMMER your never-ending vacation

CLOVER CANYON

Make your summer daring with Clover Canyon, which just released its Swim Resort 2016 collection. The L.A.-based label has always been surprising, but this time they have outdone themselves with colorful graphic prints as well as floral, polka-dot and stripped patterns that are unexpectedly sweet.

The flattering pieces feature sculpted, neoprene-based rash guards, high-waisted bikinis and plunging one-pieces. The series is also complemented by lace-up details and grommets.

These California-made swimwear pieces are hand-engineered, enhancing a woman’s body and perfectly emboding the Venice Beach vibe.

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The Fall 2015 collection from Tory Burch has just arrived, with two new limitededition timepiece series, the Amelia and Dalloway.

The watches, with production capped at 500 each, feature Tory Burch’s signature and numbered case backs.

Swiss-made craftmanship inspired

by Tory’s love of vintage are evident in the textures and shapes.

The feminine Amelia is braceletlike, featuring a hexagonal case and symmetrical links. Meanwhile, the Dalloway offers a more retro look, with bolder architectural details and a more masculine nuance. Both pieces come in gold tones and stainless steel, with iconic decorative fretwork. +Banyubening Prieta