Vol. 3 No. 18 I March 20 - 26 , 2016
raise your voice RAHUNG NASUTION speaks for the silenced
A THING OF BEAUTY CALLIGRAPHY OF A.D. PIROUS
OFF THE MENU CHEF FRANCISCO HOLMES-BROWN
WANDERLUST RESPITE FROM CAIRO’S CHAOS
Editor's note
Check List
reel-world problems We’re proud to present this week’s cover story (p6-8) about Rahung Nasution, who readers may remember from The Jakarta Post’s Museum Week in October, when he cooked for a crowd of culinary fans, serving traditional dishes laden with Indonesian spices. What you may not know is that Rahung is also a filmmaker with several documentaries under his belt. He's dedicated his life to comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, as the phrase goes. Rahung has long been working with communities in Mentawai and Kalimantan, to help reintroduce a
tradition of ceremonial tattooing that was suppressed during the New Order. Coincidentally, Rahung was also slated on Wednesday to present his latest documentary, Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta, about the infamous prison on Buru Island where Pramoedya Ananta Toer and many others were incarcerated. When the premiere was cancelled by the police, citing threats from mass organizations, Rahung moved the screening to the headquarters of the National Commission on Human Rights. The events underscore the theme of Prasiddha Gustanto’s profile of Rahung:
The man has always given voice to the voiceless. Please take a look at the profile. It’s well worth your time We also offer in ArtPLUS (p14-15), a compelling article on the artist AD Pirous, who takes frequent aim at corruption and the abuse of power through his works, as well as a report on the recently concluded art auction in Bali. Wherever this Sunday takes you, please enjoy.
Look At Me SELF PROMOTION IS THE BIGGEST TREND IN FASHION Words Willy Wilson
It was a decade ago when I first attended fashion week as a reporter. It was the 6th Singapore Fashion Festival, and Jean-Paul Gaultier and Diane von Furstenberg were among the showcasing designers. I was overcome with excitement to be in the middle of the fashion week bonanza– the backstage pass, the cigarette break with the models, the fabulous after parties. Fashion week was a place to see and be seen. And yes, people in the industry were snooty and exclusive. You needed to know the right people, which I didn't, but they seemed to like the idea of a young journalist with a low alcohol tolerance making a fool of himself before 11 p.m. Five years on and I feel like a stranger. The people who used to dance the night away with me are now more concerned with selfies–as is the rest of the media crew. Many journalists and bloggers were more interested in posting their latest runway photos than in actually watching the shows. Grandiose exhibitionism is the rage during the fashion week. “This is my life. Jealous?” is the unwritten social media caption. But how did we get here? Is it bad for the industry to embrace social media? Isn’t vanity the core of fashion? Well, there’s no easy way to answer those questions.
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Wanderlust An oasis in Cairo
Chris Razukas jplus@thejakartapost.com
mark my words
Until the 1990s, Hollywood was our principal escape from reality. We dreamed of having hair like Rachel Green. We romanticized the single life of a slender, young attorney named Ally McBeal. But we shifted the attention back to ourselves in the early millennium with the rise of reality television, which turned the allegedly genuine lives of everyday people into fodder for cultural blockbusters. When Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie did The Simple Life, we normalized the unattainable and ostentatious life of troubled rich kids. The dawn of social media then took us into uncharted territories of self-admiration, allowing you and me to broadcast our lives to the rest of the world anytime, anywhere. We became our own television shows and magazines. We directed, we starred in and we edited what we published. We were actors and consumable products at once. In the years that followed, we assumed so many roles in our virtual lives: Facebook trained us to be spies; YouTube made us TV producers; Tumblr turned us into magazine editors; and Twitter brought out the copywriters in us. And Snapchat? Well, it makes Facebook appear intellectual. With these social media platforms at the tips of our fingers, showing-off has never been this easy. But the one platform that truly has had an impact–both good and bad–on the fashion world has been Instagram. A mobile photo-sharing and videosharing application, Instagram is a highly visual platform that allows users find photographs and like-minded people with
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its hashtag feature. As I pointed out earlier, Instagram has turned many of us into narcissistic monsters. But it has also single-handedly transformed fashion week from a closed industry event into consumer marketing spectacles. More importantly, it’s a progressive platform that allows the public an intimate look at fashion. Designers and mega brands alike are able to take the public into their creative process. It’s innovative storytelling that allows the public to see the otherwise overlooked details that make a garment special. Looking at the posts on abstract inspirations and the behind-the-scenes process of haute couture, for instance, are both informative and educational to the public. Today, more brands have become savvier about how they leverage Instagram to impress and engage followers. According to Instagram, fashion-week related images during the last New YorkLondon-Milan-Paris tour attracted over 140 million likes and comments. Applause for the Internet’s ability to level the playing field and to democratize fashion. But I do hope that the peacocking fashion journalists and bloggers don’t forget the main reason why they attend fashion week. They are the arbiters of taste and style. Update your Instagram later, people. Mark My Words shifts focus between fashion, food, parenting, technology and travel each week.
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ARTPLUS AD Pirous
JPlus Team Editor Christian Razukas Art Director Budhi Hartono Graphic Designer Hengky Wijaya Marketing & Advertising Sales & Marketing Director Ady P. Pamungkas
ady.pamungkas@thejakartapost.com
Marketing Executive Faisal Ahmad
faisal@thejakartapost.com
@JPlusSunday
SundayJplus
thejakartapost.com/jplus
On the cover
Rahung Nasution Photographer Christina Phan Stylist Ananda Adityasanti Location Tugu Kunstkring Paleis; Cikini, Central Jakarta
oh, the places you'll go Art
Eat
50 YEARS OF TITIS JABARUDDIN
TASTEBUD LANDS IN JAKARTA
When: March 15 to 26 Where: National Gallery; Gambir, Central Jakarta
When: March 30, April 7 at 9 a.m. Where: Pantry Magic Jakarta, Jl. Kemang Raya 14B Info: pantry-magic.com/jkt
Titis Jabaruddin, Indonesia’s first prominent woman painter to work in soft pastels, is getting a major retrospective at the National Gallery. Eightyfive of her works, including paintings, graphics, drawings, sketches and digital art pieces that date as far back as 1965, will be on offer to honor Titis, who became the first woman to be represented at the Art Market in Ancol, North Jakarta, in 1979.
Our contributor Theodora Hurustiati, the Italiantrained chef behind JPlus’ weekly Tastebud column, will be offering several cooking demonstrations in Jakarta during a brief visit from Italy. Two separate menus will be on offer: “Easy Italian Entertaining” , on March 30, and “Spanish Fiesta”, on April 6. The demos will be followed by tastings, so make sure to bring your appetite!
See ‘ADIWASTRA NUSANTARA’ TO SHOWCASE FABRICS FROM ACROSS ARCHIPELAGO To highlight the long and proud tradition of Indonesian wastra (the Javanese word for fabric), as well as to make the public aware of the quality and diversity of traditional textiles from across the archipelago; an exhibition called Adiwastra Nusantara will be held from March 23 to 27 at the Jakarta Convention Center. The exhibition, themed “Endless Creations in Fibers and Patterns”, aims at developing the cultural heritage-based creative economy while promoting various handicraft products created by small-and-medium enterprises across Indonesia to boost their competitiveness following the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) late last year. The exhibition will feature activities such as an exhibition of superior specimens of wastra from several regions and a national silk fabric competition, which is seeking to foster innovation in the techniques used to make woven clothes. Also on the agenda is the launch of a book about the batik of Garut, West Java, written by the famed collector Hartono Sumarsono, as well as a dance performance choreographed by former JPlus cover star Atilah Soeryadjaya, the woman behind the colossal production of Ariah at the National Monument in 2013, in collaboration with Jay Subiyakto. When: March 23-27 Where: Jakarta Convention Center Info: adiwastra.com
talk of the town A ROYAL SNACK OF BELGIAN CHOCOLATE
BAZAAR ART JAKARTA PLANS RETURN
Hotel Pullman Jakarta, SCBD
Graha MRA; Cilandak, South Jakarta
The Belgian Economic Mission to Indonesia–which has been hosting a host of artistic and culinary events, in addition to its more business-minded activities–treated local media and business partners to sweet and savory cooking demonstrations at the Hotel Pullman Jakarta on Monday. On the sweet side, celebrity sommelier Eric Boschman (second left) and chef Stephen Vandeparre (left) treated guests to exquisite pairings of Belgian beer and Belgian chocolate (made using local passion fruit), while Princess Astrid, who is part of the delegation, stopped by for a taste of the exquisite concoction.
Bazaar Art Jakarta, one of the capital’s most prominent shows for collectors and artists, held a prelaunch event on Tuesday to introduce its creative team and new booths in the run-up to the launch of its eighth iteration in August. Former JPlus cover star and gallery owner Vivi Yip (second left) will be the fair director. Vivi promises a focus on arts education and on grooming collectors, as well as the introduction of an inaugural Young Curators Award for the bazaar, which is slated to run from Aug. 26 to 28 at The Ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place.
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March 20, 2016
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Photos via AP
wanderlust
Serenity Now Ancient mosque offers a respite from Cairo's chaos WORDS ARON HELLER, AP
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mid Cairo’s cramped mass of humanity and traffic, with its incessant honking and haggling, visitors will be hard-pressed to find some solitude. But if you’re willing to go off the beaten tourist track a bit, serenity can be found. The expansive Mosque of Ahmed Ibn Tulun is not as famous as AlAzhar Mosque or the Mohamed Ali mosque inside the Citadel fortress, but it’s a rare oasis of silence in one of the world’s busiest, and loudest, cities. The mosque, completed in 879, is considered the oldest in Cairo that has survived in its original form, and the third largest in the world by area.
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Local legend claims it was built on the hill where Noah’s Ark landed after the Flood. Upon entering, you encounter the huge square plaza, surrounded by four shaded pathways that include patches of green rugs for prayer and long lines of hanging lanterns. The arches between the columns showcase a variety of sculpted patterns. If the backdrop looks familiar to movie buffs, it’s because Roger Moore confidently strolled down these pathways as James Bond in a memorable scene from The Spy Who Loved Me. It’s not unusual to find only a
handful of other visitors on site and the unexpected quiet allows one to observe the various formations of shadows and the rays of light creeping through the intricately carved stone windows. The only noise here is that of the birds chirping from the rafters. Once you’ve absorbed the calming karma of the courtyard, you can ascend the minaret’s exterior stone staircase where a panoramic, albeit hazed-bypollution, view of Cairo is revealed and you can take in the sheer expanse of the sprawling metropolis. From this vantage point it’s easy to see why Cairo is known as “The City of the Thousand Minarets.” The vista of mosques, broken roads, bumper-tobumper traffic and roofs littered with satellite dishes will remind you of the intensity from which you have just escaped. Entrance to Ibn Tulun mosque is free but donations are gladly accepted and actively encouraged from the men who attach cloth bags to your shoes in deference to the site’s sanctity. Within the same compound one can include a visit to the Gayer-Anderson Museum, which boasts an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts and relics. It provides a glimpse into the life of history-obsessed retired British officer John Gayer-Anderso–who made it his home–and offers perhaps the best example of domestic Cairo architecture. The museum is built from two houses dating back to the 15th and 16th century and is connected by a bridge supported by the outer wall of the mosque. Highlights include an internal well, rooms devoted to the varied Chinese, Turkish and Syrian oriental styles and a courtyard that has another unlikely feature for Cairo–green grass. The rooftop terrace is impressive and has been used as a set for several movies, including the Bond one where Moore battles a henchman on it and then flings him off the roof. The museum, too, can be quite empty, with an accompanying guide turning on the lights of each room for a lone visitor. Entrance costs 40 Egyptian pounds (about US$5). But it’s worth a visit if only to prolong a relaxed outing before heading out once again into the hectic streets of Cairo.
If You Go... MOSQUE OF AHMED IBN TULUN: 4 Maydan Ibn Tulun, off Abd alMagid al-Labban (Al-Salbiyya) Street in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood. Best way to get there is by taxi.
Living Good
LOOKING
AHEAD THE SILOAM HOSPITALS GROUP’S PRESIDENT DIRECTOR TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IN INDONESIA
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iloam Hospitals Group, owned by the Lippo Group, is developing its vision for the future of healthcare in Indonesia. Healthcare is an area that will come under increased scrutiny in coming years, as the nation’s population gets grayer, according to Siloam Hospitals Group President Director Romeo Fernandez Lledo. A Philippine citizen who came to work in Indonesia in 1992, Romeo was trained as an accountant and later became passionate about the healthcare industry. “When I take a break from work, I would walk to the lobby and see nurses and doctors who are committed to their work, as well as the smiling faces of some patients after receiving treatment. These things are very heartwarming,” he said. Romeo, who was Siloam’s chief financial officer when he joined the organization in 2010, was appointed president director during the company’s initial public offering in 2014. JPlus recently sat down and talked with Romeo to explore the approach of Siloam Hospitals Group in expressing care and compassion for its patients. What’s the challenge in making sure people in Indonesia can access good healthcare? It’s demographics. Currently, of around 250 million people in Indonesia, only around nine percent are aged 60 or above. The rest are young people, who are typically healthy and therefore don’t need to see doctors very often. Once you reach the age of 55 or 60, however, that’s the time you might start frequently consulting with your doctors, because you’re getting older. In the next 10 to 20 years, our total population numbers might increase to 300 million, with 23 percent in the 55-to-60 age bracket. This is why ensuring that there are adequate healthcare facilities and services in Indonesia is very important right now. How has Siloam been keeping up with the latest developments in technology and medicine? Our hospital collaborates closely with the
Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology in Tangerang, Banten, which has been developing cutting edge methods used to treat diabetes and breast cancer, among other ailments. We, for example, have already implemented use of the “Gamma Knife”, which allows for non-invasive surgery for brain tumors. This procedure is already available at our Lippo Village Hospital. High-tech equipment, however, needs to be operated by highly competent individuals. This is why we conduct intensive trainings for our radiologists, so that they are able to keep up with the latest technology. We also cooperate with institutions from Singapore, Taiwan and Japan to learn about best practices in terms of technology. We’ve also learned about population research methods from these countries.
Second, we want to provide services to Indonesians across every socioeconomic bracket. The BPJS [Social Security Management Agency] has been really good at this, since it has helped more people to access healthcare. Siloam also participates in the BPJS. If your company provides it, along with another type of insurance, then you can upgrade your healthcare. When you can’t get access at a puskesmas [community health center], you may go to the hospital, cover your expenses with BPJS and let your corporate insurance cover the difference.
How has the group approached holistic philosophies of healing? I also believe that healing is psychological. This is why we have a garden here, in our Lippo Village Hospital in Karawaci. We often take our patients there. We also have prayer groups, which, aside from helping the patients, also help the families, who are going through a hard and exhausting time when accompanying their ailing family members. We have also just launched our “Patient-Centric Initiatives” starting with the Lunar New Year, where the CEOs, hospital directors and staff members across all of our 21 hospitals in Indonesia visited and spent time with patients one by one, handing out oranges to them and their families while engaging with them. I hope this can help to lift the patients’ spirits-and yes, we will continue doing this during big holidays in Indonesia throughout the year, like the start of Ramadhan, for Idul Fitri, and for Christmas.
How do you plan to reach more people in big cities like Jakarta-and in other parts of Indonesia? This year, we will open eight hospitals in different locations all over Indonesia: Yogyakarta; Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara; Buton, Southeast Sulawesi; Papua; Bangka Belitung; Bogor, West Java; Jember, East Java; and Lubuk Linggau, South Sumatra. We also have 17 clinics already set up in Jakarta, in the form of Siloam Medical Centers, which are integrated with shopping centers. As you know, traffic is very bad here, and sometimes it takes more than an hour to reach a hospital or for an ambulance to reach a place. Medical conditions often get very complex and some even lose their lives because they can’t get the help they need in time. I had an instance a few years ago when a colleague of mine collapsed during a meeting due to a heart attack. He died because it took so long for the ambulance to reach when we were holding the meeting. I find it important to set up these clinics and medical centers, especially in very congested areas in Jakarta.
What’s the vision for Siloam in the future? First of all, we would like to make healthcare accessible to more people across Indonesia by opening more hospitals and clinics.
This article is the first in a bi-weekly series about health and healthcare sponsored by Siloam Hospitals Group. For more information, visit siloamhospitals.com.
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March 20, 2016
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nbowed, nbroken
RAHUNG NASUTION TELLs THE UNTOLD STORIES OF INDONESIA– including the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY Words prasiddha gustanto
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ahung Nasution was slated on March 16 to present his latest documentary, Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta. The film explores the infamous prison on Buru Island where the great author Pramoedya Ananta Toer and many other political prisoners were incarcerated during the New Order. Just hours before show time, however, the screening, at the Goethe Institute in Central Jakarta, was unexpectedly cancelled by the venue, following threats of a demonstration from the Islamic Defender's Front. The screening, which would have touched in part on the bloody destruction of the Indonesian Communist Party during the ascension of the New Order dictatorship, is the latest of several events that have been cancelled after police declined to challenge hard-line protesters. In Jakarta, Rahung hustled to move the event to the cramped headquarters of the National Commission on Human Rights. Speaking to the crowds that assembled in the ad-hoc theater, Rahung was unbowed. “We have to reflect on history and be at peace with our past by giving room to this community of survivors to express themselves,” he said. “It is our collective responsibility to voice that suffering.” The crackdown on March 16 was nothing new for Rahung, who is no stranger to the challenges of activism. He has spent over a decade making videos and documentaries, writing essays and hosting events to teach people about the ugliness of contemporary Indonesian history–as well as the richness of the nation’s traditions.
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Photos Christina Phan
POINTS OF ORIGIN Born on December 3, 1974, to rice and rubber plantation farmers in Batang Angkola in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra; Rahung, an eldest son, spent his childhood cooking and caring for four younger siblings as his parents worked in the fields. Reluctant to be a farmer–and inspired by the images he saw on television–Rahung ran away from home. “We Batak have a tradition of merantau,” he says, referring to wanderlust or moving to follow opportunity. “This tradition is so strong that I wanted to wander.” He spent about two years living on the streets of Jakarta, eventually returning home, where his parents arranged for him to study in the regency capital and eventually to go to high school in Yogyakarta. After graduation, a lack of funds meant Rahung couldn’t pay the fees for the entrance exams for state universities. Following opportunity again, he met students from Gadjah Mada University and the Indonesia Arts Institute in Yogyakarta, learned from activists and continued his education on his own. TRIBUTE IN INK Look at Rahung and you’ll note his tattoos. He has seven, none of which are for show, he says. His facial tattoo, for example, comes from the Koita people in Papua. “The Papuans are different from us–they’re of a different race with a different language. At the same time, we force them to [assimilate into] Indonesia and
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yet we marginalize them. This tattoo is my way of sympathizing and showing solidarity,” Rahung said. Tattoos are another story of suppression: The New Order effectively banned the practice when cracking down on the preman (thugs) it used to do its dirty work–and local communities practicing ceremonial tattooing were also affected, Rahung says. “Even my uncle, who wasn’t a preman, ironed out his tattoo because he was scared.” While the New Order bias remains in the Reform era, people are slowly becoming more accepting of tattoos, he says. “Maybe I can’t be like the Dayak or Mentawai peoples because I don’t follow their religion, but I can immortalize them on my body with a different meaning,’” he adds. “Why Batak? Because it’s my roots. Why Dayak? Because I’ve once felt close to them. Why Papua? Because I felt close to them too.” Rahung’s first tattoo, however, was a piranha, which he got when living in Australia for several
Unlike as in Europe, food isn’t considered an important part of ‘civilization’ [in Indonesia]. It’s considered the business of mothers in the kitchen,” Rahung says. “For me, cooking is a means to tell a story–to tell of rituals and of my Batak heritage."
months. He chose it thinking that it was cool–and later covered it up with an amoeba tattoo after he realized the fish was the mascot of the Hot Tuna surfer brand. REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST Similar to the purpose of Rahung’s tattoos, his documentaries–he’s made about a half-dozen–help preserve local voices while confronting political issues. One example is his Mentawai Tattoo Revival, available on YouTube. The 30-minute work-inprogress explores his collaboration with the famed Jakarta-based tattoo artist Aman Durga Sipatiti as the pair worked to save the long-stymied indigenous tattooing tradition of the people of Mentawai Island, West Sumatra. “I realized that their traditions and beliefs would eventually disappear. There was no one to preserve
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them,” Rahung says. “There were elders in their 70s and 80s in these places who still practiced tattooing. I wanted to document them and understand what tattoos meant to them so that people in the future could still study them.” While he’d like the final version to be 90 minutes, Rahung notes that making the current version has almost bankrupted him. Among his other projects are Ukun Rasik An, based the six years he spent in Timor Leste after the nation’s referendum on independence in 2000, and Tribal, which explores the ritual life of the Dayak Iban in Kalimantan. “I don’t have too many expectations. I want to use these documentaries to heal people’s problems,” Rahung says. “In Timor Leste, the violence has been extraordinary. We give a voice to things that people can’t speak. I don’t speak.” He continues. “They tell me their problems, such as the political violence during the New Order or in Timor Leste. By talking about their problems they experience; hopefully, they can heal their wounds.” Rahung, who freelances as a content creator for websites, among other gigs, says that he’s been busy with a new documentary-this time about food. Titled Di Ufuk Timur, it shows Rahung visiting remote locations in Indonesia to capture how people are making food in the kampung. The topic only seems like a departure.
For me, what’s important about food is not just enjoying it on a fancy plate and the flavors,” Rahung says. “There is a story in a dish.”
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In Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta, for example, Rahung describes a sort of prison-industrial complex: Political prisoners on Buru were made to farm during their incarceration. Their labor turned the island into an important center for rice production in the 1970s. For Rahung, food is never far from politics. IN THE KITCHEN Rahung reinvented himself as what he calls a culinary activist in 2010, realizing that he could put to use the skills he developed when cooking for his siblings in Sumatra. Joining a group called Aku Cinta Makanan Indonesia (I Love Indonesian Food), he began traveling the archipelago, investigating local culinary traditions that he would introduce to local youths and the world. “Unlike as in Europe, food isn’t considered an important part of ‘civilization’ [in Indonesia]. It’s considered the business of mothers in the kitchen,” Rahung says. “For me, cooking is a means to tell a story–to tell of rituals and of my Batak heritage.” Critical of the nation’s lack of culinary schools, Rahung has joined programs to teach people how to be creators and chefs, such the Ubud Food Festival in Bali or the SpiceLab in Bandung, West Java, where he promoted local cuisine using historical narratives–or “recipes with stories,” as he puts it. Rahung’s culinary travels have given him a unique
appreciation of the aroma, flavors, history and spices underscoring Indonesian cuisine. “There’s a story–a long journey–on how the people of India came here, how the Arabs influenced Indonesians and how they brought their flavors, kitchens and dishes,” he says. “Like when we make nasi kuning [yellow rice]. When the Arabs and Persians were here, they couldn’t find saffron or other spices from their native countries. They used kunyit [local turmeric] and now nasi kuning has become a ritual food for Indonesians.” While his food activism, blogging and cooking have made him a local culinary celebrity, Rahung says that he’s no chef. “People here? They graduate from a tourism school, learn the template for making Western food and call themselves chefs. Then what do they cook? What do they create or innovate? What is their signature dish? They make pizza or spaghetti. Well, grandmas in Italy can do that! I can do that! That’s why I’m always careful to say I’m not a chef.” Rahung is passionate when he talks about local food as a reflection of national pride. “People are more familiar with sushi and sashimi, even though Maluku has gohu, which uses raw fish, and the Batak have nanihura,” he says, referring to a sashimi-like dish made without heat or fire. “For me, what’s important about food is not just enjoying it on a fancy plate and the flavors,” Rahung says. “There is a story in a dish.”
tasteBUD
Granola goodness HOW TO AVOID A HEFTY PRICE TAG WHEN MAKING YOUR MORNING BREAKFAST Words and photos Theodora Hurustiati
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packet of granola at the health-food store can cost a fortune. I myself stopped buying granola, once I found out how easy it was to prepare at home. While it may seem like quite an investment, since you’ll need to buy a packet of each ingredient, they go a long way. You’ll be able to make many batches of granola at a fraction of the cost of the store-bought variety. When making this breakfast cereal on your own, varieties are endless and you're free to choose the seeds, nuts and dried fruits you prefer. Include as many or as few as you fancy, as long as rolled oats–the main ingredient–are dominant. Should you experiment, keep the proportion of wet and dry ingredients used in this recipe to about the same ratio–and add the dried fruits during the last few minutes of baking to avoid
burning. I sometimes add 25 grams of flaked almonds for a nutty hint. You can also swap the sweetening and binding agent with other types of syrup, such as agave, barley or rice malt. Although they’re all natural, keep in mind that syrups are still sugar and should be consumed cautiously. While granola is usually served as breakfast with milk, fresh fruit or yogurt; it also makes a handy and healthy snack–especially when transformed into bars. Just compact the granola mixture into an about 2-cm thick block when adding the raisins and coconut and cut into bars once it’s cooled and hardened.
Makes about 300 grams 75g maple syrup 25g (1 tablespoon) honey 10g (1 tablespoon) neutral vegetable oil, like rice bran or sunflower 75g rolled oats
25g pumpkin seeds 25g sunflower seeds 15g sesame seeds 15g flax seeds 15g desiccated coconut 35g raisins
• Preheat oven to 125-130°. • Whisk maple syrup, honey and oil in bowl to emulsify. • Combine rolled oats and the four types of seeds. • Mix to coat oats and seeds with maple syrup. • Spread an even layer over an oven tray previously lined with parchment paper. • Bake for 25-30 minutes–until granola seems dry and lightly golden–before including raisins and coconut. Bake for further 5 minutes or until golden brown. • When straight out of the oven, granola will still be slightly sticky. Cool completely to room temperature before crumbling into smaller pieces. • Store in airtight jar. It should maintain its freshness for a month, if it lasts that long. I can’t seem to resist grabbing and munching a handful of it every time it’s within sight! Jakarta-born chef Theodora Hurustiati, a 13-year resident of Udine, Italy, was the runner-up in the TV cooking program La Scuola – Cucina di Classe (The School: Classy Cooking).
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March 20, 2016
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culturevulture
‘SHREK’
the MUSICAL COMES TO JAKARTA raising the curtain for a modern classic
Photos via ciputraworld
Words Sebastian Partogi
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ollowing up on the success of Shrek, the people at DreamWorks Theatricals have turned the beloved film into a musical. Fans both old and young can exult: The Shrek troupe is coming to Jakarta to give 24 performances at the Ciputra Artpreneur Theater from May 5 to 22.
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THE STORY Most people are familiar with the tale of Shrek, the popular animated movie from DreamWorks that tells of a green ogre who breaks the stereotypes of the handsome hero as he comes to rescue Princess Fiona when she is in trouble. The story starts with a tragedy, when
culturevulture
Shrek has to leave his home after the Fairy Tale Creatures, banished from the Kingdom of Duloc by the evil Lord Farquaad, are dumped on his precious land. In the outside world, however, Shrek encounters a host of hilarious characters, including a talkative donkey, a hyperactive gingerbread man–as well as a highly temperamental enemy. A hero is needed to save the day and Shrek comes forth to answer the call. The story was originally created by illustrator William Steig as a children’s book in 1990. Steig, who spent decades creating over 600 drawings and 117 covers for The New Yorker magazine, was a late bloomer in his career as an author for children’s books. The Shrek story became a favorite of children and adults in 2001, when DreamWorks adapted it for the screen to worldwide acclaim. THE MUSICAL The musical was performed for the first time in Seattle in the summer of 2008 before opening on Broadway in December the same year. During its Broadway run, the show,
which has a cast and crew of over 50, was performed over 500 times, garnering eight Tony Award nominations, and became one of the top-10 highest-grossing musicals of 2009. “We are very happy that Shrek the Musical is going to be performed in places that we have never visited before, and that families across the world will be able to enjoy beautiful performances, as well as witness their favorite characters from the story coming to life on stage,” DreamWorks Theatricals said in a statement. Meanwhile, Ciputra Artpreneur President Director Rina Ciputra Sastrawinata said her organization was very proud to host the troupe for the Asia premiere of its international tour. “This is part of our commitment to strengthen Indonesia’s position on the map of international theater performances,” Rina said. Broadway Entertainment Group CEO Liz Kopps said that the group was thrilled to continue its cooperation and partnership with Ciputra Artpreneur in bringing one of Broadway's best performances to Jakarta, especially following the success of Disney's Beauty and the Beast last year. The performances, which will cover two 70-minute acts and a 20-minute
intermission, are presented by the art center in collaboration with DreamWorks Theatricals, Broadway Entertainment Group and NETworks Presentations. Tickets for the English-language performance, which includes lyrics crafted by Pulitzer Prize-winner David LindsayAbaire and music by Olivier Awardwinner Jeanine Tesori, can be purchased online via kiostix.com and Raja Karcis. Ranging in price from Rp 750,000 to Rp 2.95 million, tickets are available at a 10 percent discount when purchased with a BCA credit card. The show is directed by Stephen Sposito, famous for his work on the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business, starring Daniel Radcliffe. Meanwhile costumes were designed by Tim Hatley, a designer who received a Tony Award for his work on Private Lives and Spamalot. THE VENUE The Ciputra Artpreneur Theater has gained a reputation as a superior venue for superb musical performances. Following the success of its landmark presentation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the theater continues to offer worldclass musicals to Jakarta’s audiences. In August, the theater will stage the musical Annie, one of the world’s bestloved family musicals.
SCHEDULE Tuesday shows May 10, May 17 8 p.m. Wednesday shows May 11, May 18 8 p.m. Thursday shows May 5, May 12, May 19 8 p.m. Friday shows May 6 8 p.m. May 13, May 20 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday shows May 7, May 14, May 21 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday shows May 8, May 15, May 22 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Ciputra Artpreneur Theater Jl. Prof. Dr Satrio Kav.3-5 Retail Podium level 13 Ciputra World 1 Jakarta ciputraartpreneur.com.
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at your leisure
Recipe for Success
Francisco Holmes-Brown is spicing things up at the JW Marriott Jakarta WORDS Dian Arthen
T
STARTER Francisco was born to an English father and Italian mother in Buenos Aires. He said that he fell in love with cooking after watching his maternal grandfather cook for the family in the summer. His late mother, who always was exploring new recipes that she’d get from books or television, also played a role in his culinary awakening, he adds. While cooking since childhood, Francisco said he took a degree in marketing at university. “I wasn’t sure who I wanted to be back then." After graduation, he worked at a bank for almost two years before starting at the Gastronomic Institute of Argentina in 2005 at the prompting of a friend.
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Photos courtesy JW MARRIOTT JAKARTA
alk to local foodies, and they’ll say that the city’s hotels have been offering cuisine that is creatively prepared and surprisingly diverse. Francisco Holmes-Brown, the executive chef of the JW Marriott Jakarta hotel in Mega-Kuningan, agrees. “Every five-star hotel always has a good, decent food– and little bit expensive,” the 42 year old says. “However, it’s not the same [everywhere], because each plate has its own influence. I’ve worked in so many countries. Each hotel [where] I've worked has a component of local food, plus a component of international food. Why? Because we work with people from all over the world.” Living in Jakarta for over half a year, Francisco says he eats Indonesian food every day, citing rendang (beef simmered in coconut milk and spices) and sate (grilled meat) as particular favorites. “I come from Argentina. We eat a lot of beef. So whatever you do with it, I like. Of course, barbeque–sate grilled on top of charcoal.” Francisco says. “I’m still exploring,” he continues. “You have a very big cuisine [in Indonesia]. I really like it, because you mix a lot of flavors and ingredients in a dish.” On Argentine cuisine, Francisco says that the nation’s Spanish colonizers and Italian immigrants were of course an influence, although Argentina's foodie horizons have been expanding, taking inspiration from many other cultures, including those in Asia. In general, though, the food of Argentina involves a smaller number of ingredients than Indonesian cuisine, he adds. Francisco says that his menu at the JW Marriott Jakarta, where he heads up all the hotel's dining establishments, including the popular Sailendra Restaurant, will reflect a penchant for exploration; his experience working as a professional chef in several nations, such as Malaysia, the Seychelles and the UAE; and his Latino, Italian and Arabic heritage.
at your leisure At a special dinner to introduce Beringer Estate's wines and Francisco's cuisine to Jakarta, (from left) chef Francisco and Beringer's brand ambassador Kristen Araoz Gridley pose with US ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake and JW Marriott Jakarta General Manager Karan Berry.
“I was cooking with a few friends and one of them jokingly said to me, “You chose the wrong career.” That stayed with me for a few days. I said, ‘You know what? You’re right.’ I quit the bank and started working in a kitchen.” INTO THE FIRE Working in a kitchen can be both mentally and physically exhausting. Francisco, however, says it’s not the irregular hours, heat or constant pressure that comprise the hardest part of the job for him. “I became a chef because I like to make people happy–going back to my experience with my family, sitting at the dining table and sharing good food,” he says. “The biggest challenge is that I cannot make everybody happy. I’m always going to have some type of discontent, because it’s impossible to make everybody happy. I wish I could, but I can’t." To thrive in the kitchen a chef needs to be realistic as well as flexible, according to Francisco. “There’s not one day where this is boring, because there’s always something new–some new challenges or issues that you have to deal with.” Success, in the end, comes down to a passion for cuisine, he
side dish adds. “I ask everybody who wants to work in the kitchen why. Why do you want to be here? If you’re going work in the kitchen because you need a job or you need money, then don’t. Go for something else.” Francisco describes himself as a nice guy when behind the stove, saying he dislikes projecting the image of a chef with a fiery temperament, a la Gordon Ramsay in television shows such Boiling Point or Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. “There’s lot of ego in the kitchen,” he says. “I’ve worked with [plural expletive deleted] and I don’t like it. I think we can get things done much more with honey than vinegar.” When it comes to his cooking philosophy, Francisco, who says his mom’s recipes remain his favorites, wants to produce dishes that are simple, well executed and well presented. On what diners can expect at the JW Marriott Jakarta, he’s upbeat. “You’re going to see a little bit of my personality–not only mine, but my team’s, as well,” Francisco says. “I do my part, and I want everybody to contribute their own part, too.”
What can we always find inside your kitchen? If you open my fridge, you’re always going to find some type of cheese. Fave comfort food? I like Mexican [cuisine]: Tacos, enchiladas–anything that comes between two breads or a type of dough, I love. Fave cookbook? Chef recommends Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef by Massimo Bottura, the founder and chef behind Osteria Francescana, the famed three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena, Italy.
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T H E
B I G
P I C T U R E
Photos courtesy of iSA ART ADVISORY
S E E I N G
THE TRANSFORMATION A.D. PIROUS OF MEDIA AND MESSAGES Words Sebastian Partogi
A.D. Pirous, the 84-year-old artist specializing in calligraphy, told reporters about one particular person who would not let go of one of his paintings during an auction of his work in the 1980s. “I finally approached him and asked what was going on. He said that he was a silk-screen [sablon] artist who really cherished the painting, but didn’t have enough money to buy it,” Pirous said. Thrilled to find a person who understood his aesthetics, Pirous sold him the painting for a nominal sum. Jump to 1997 and an exhibition at the CIMB Niaga Tower in Jakarta, when Pirous says that he sold another painting, this time for US$30,000, although he adds that the sale did not bring him much joy. “I needed the money. I was disappointed when I realized that he [the buyer] put the painting in storage, maybe in order to sell it to another person,” he says. “He didn’t buy it out of genuine appreciation.” Pirous said that he seldom sold his works, especially after the advent of the Reform era, when he started to incorporate messages about social and political problems, such as corruption or the abuse of power, to reach a wider audience. According to art dealer Vivi Yip, Pirous is a key figure among Indonesia's artistic calligraphers, who
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share a market niche with their abstract peers. “Any collector who is versed in the local art world must have owned a piece by pak Pirous. You need to be careful, however, to distinguish between calligraphy artists and craftsmen,” she says. “The craftsmen mass-produce their works for religious purposes, thereby exclusively focusing on Koranic scriptures, whereas the artists–including pak Pirous–don’t always use scripture.” Since the 1980s, Pirous has created works using the Latin alphabet and in the Indonesian language, instead of exclusively creating works in Arabic. In the 1970s, he used Koranic scriptures, due to their sacredness, without thinking too much about social relevance, he says. “You can’t stop growing as an artist. In the 1980s, I became dissatisfied with the thought that my works contained only a religious breadth, without
any relevance to the development of our civilization. That was when I started to stretch as an artist.” Now, Pirous says he views his paintings as scribbles containing commentaries and thoughts about social, political and economic issues. The transformation of the painter’s works over almost 50 years is evident at a 13-work retrospective curated by Deborah Iskandar of ISA Art Advisory titled “A.D. Pirous: Spiritual Calligraphy”, which runs until April 1 in the lobby of the World Trade Center 2. Born on March 11, 1932 in Meulaboh, Aceh, Abdul Djalil Pirous is known as a pioneer of Indonesian abstract and modern Islamic art. Graduating from the Bandung Institute of Technology’s (ITB) fine arts department, Pirous was a lecturer in painting, typography and calligraphy at the prestigious university until he retired in 2003. He interrupted his teaching duties in 1969 to study print making and graphic design at the Rochester Institute of Technology in the US, where he fell in love with calligraphy after seeing a painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that reminded him of Aceh's spiritual culture. “When you’re away from your hometown, you develop a detached view from your culture of origin. This detachment, paradoxically, heightens your sensitivity to it,” Pirous said. The exhibition showcases the artist’s creative evolution, such as in Tulisan Biru (Blue Letters, 1974), a blue canvas with a small space for a string of Arabic letters embossed in greyish white, or the inscription in Etika Gonjang Ganjing Antara Penguasa dan Pengusaha (Deceitful Ethics in Bureaucracy, 2008), which features the text of the Indonesian proverb “Ada Oebi Ada Talas, Ada Boedi Ada Balas”, which encourages positive reciprocity in our relationships. One reporter asked Pirous how he learned to create in so many different alphabets. “I really loved handwriting, ever since I was a kid. I learned the Japanese language when I was 10 to 12, during that country’s occupation of Indonesia. I also learned Chinese
characters.” Pirous said that he saw his creative process as a dialogue between himself and his paintings, which reflected the social issues that disturbed his mind at any given time. “I almost never finish a painting in one go,” he says. “I usually create a number of unfinished paintings that I keep in my studio. I will enter the studio again some other time to discover which painting ‘speaks’ to me at a given time. I will continue working on that particular painting.”
“A.D. Pirous: Spiritual Calligraphy” Until April 1 World Trade Center 2 SCBD, Jakarta.
rEPORTAGE
'The Witch and the Servant', Gusti Nyoman Lempad. Sold for Rp 120 million.
'Tari Legong', Ida Bagus Made Poleng. Sold for Rp 750 million.
Sold!
'Patih Lahwel', Ida Bagus Made Togog. Sold for Rp 40 million.
the HAMMER is DOWN for LARASATI’S AUCTION OF BALINESE ART
WORDS Richard Horstmann
L
Photos via LARASATI
arasati Auctioneers’ Balinese Modern Traditional and Contemporary Art Auction, held on Feb. 28 at Ubud’s ARMA Museum, shows that the market for Balinese traditional art is growing steadily, providing excellent value through the low-to-medium and high ranges. For sale among the 81 lots were wood carvings, one contemporary sculpture, sets of lithographs, watercolors, pastel-and-ink sketches on paper and paintings on canvas in natural colours, oils and acrylics. While prices began at Rp 1.5 million, sold works incurred a buyer’s premium on top of the hammer price. Larasati Auctioneers broke ground by putting realtime auction data online for the first time, giving direct opportunities to buy to a global audience. The auction was a success, with all major lots sold. Ninety percent of works on offer sold and phone sales accounted for more than 25 percent of sales. “When we started our Bali auctions 10 years ago, the buyers were 95 percent Indonesians,” Larasati Auctioneers CEO Daniel Komala said. “In attendance at the auction was a great mix of people, the majority non-Indonesians.
'Harmoni Kehidupan', Ketut Gelgel. Sold for Rp 65 million.
Even though the Balinese traditional market is a small niche market, it's truly an international market.” Daniel was pleased with the three online sales reported during the auction. “Our first experience with a realtime online platform functioned excellently. We are excited about the future prospects for the growing pool international collectors.” AUCTION REPORT Paintings by A.A Gede Anom Sukawati, renowned as one of the finest young masters, are rarely available on the primary or secondary market. Such rarity saw his Lot 40, Tari Joged Bumbung, estimated to go for between Rp 80 million and 120 million, selling for Rp 180 million, making it one of the most prized works of the day. Lot 39, Pementasan Calon Arang, by Ida Bagus Putu Sena–a piece of extraordinary quality by an artist whose works are difficult to find, sold at the top end of estimates at Rp 200 million. Another highly sought-after painting was Lot 38, Arja Dance, by Wayan Sudana. Intense interest on the floor and by phone pushed the sale price for the vibrant 120x150cm acrylic-on-canvas composition well above initial estimates to Rp 65 million. Moving on, Ida Bagus Made Poleng, a ritual specialist from a high-caste Brahmin priest family, had a special relationship with his paintings, which he rarely sold and called his children–something that makes him the most prized of all Balinese painters. Therefore, Lot 80 from Poleng, Legong Dance, received much attention from phone bidders, selling for a staggering Rp 750 million. Good buys were available at the top end of the auction, such as Lot 79, The Witch and the Servant, ink sketch on paper by Gusti Nyoman Lempad. The piece by the modern master of Balinese art sold for Rp 120 million, just under estimates.
'Tari Arja', Wayan Sudana. Sold for Rp 65 million. Other good buys, all museum quality, included Lot 66, Playing Dominos, by Ida Bagus Made Nadera, estimated at between Rp 10 million and 15 million and selling for Rp 10 million; Lot 76, Upcara Potong Gigi, Ida Bagus Made Widja, sold for 18 million; and Lot 65 Harmoni Kehidupan, a glowing flora and fauna composition in the Pengosekan style by Ketut Gelgel, sold for Rp 65 million. Three of the most highly coveted works on auction sold within estimates: Lot 77, Blissfully Sleeping by maestro wood carver Ida Bagus Nyana for Rp 280 million; Lot 81, Boy With Bamboo Stick, by Made Sukada for Rp 105 million; and Lot No.78, Triwikrama, by Gusti Ketut Kobot, for Rp 80 million. Meanwhile, Lot 75, Patih Lahwel, by Ida Bagus Made Togog, an extraordinary black-and-grey ink sketch on paper, sold for more than twice its estimate, at Rp 40 million. LOOKING AHEAD The auction offered good works by favored artists at low prices. New collectors take note that auctions are typically less expensive than buying directly from an artist’s studio. Ten-year forward projections indicate that buying now is a sound investment–an assumption backed up by comparison with Larasati auctions from the previous decade. Balinese traditional art offers enormous scope for the investor. Prices for old masters remain strong and the market is expanding in a slow, sustained and healthy way.
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trend DIAL J.M Weston ‘Le Moc’ Loafer
French luxury shoemaker J.M Weston is paying tribute to the pioneer of nouveau réalisme, Yves Klein, with its Le Moc special-edition collection. The reissue of the 2015 Le Moc comes in a striking royal blue, a homage to Klein’s “Blue Epoch”. For those not in the know, Klein is famous for his monochrome paintings featuring a hue dubbed “International Klein Blue” after him. Crafted from plush pebbled leather and suede, the Le Moc features a Goodyear-welted sole and classic penny loafer-style upper. J.M Weston produced only 1,500 pairs in men’s and women’s sizes. Available at J.M Weston boutiques in Paris, London, Geneva, Aoyama, and Shanghai.
Nobility Misery Eccentricity It’s time for some retail therapy
Miu Miu Ready-to-Wear 2016
When asked what Miu Miu was all about in its latest collection, designer Miuccia Prada exclaimed: “Nobility and misery!” Featuring a multitude of themes in one show, the brand covered almost everything, from denim jackets to white shirts to military tailoring to velvety evening wear. One section featured a posh/conservative London-style tribal look the 1980s, as well as offering a turn for the romantic-gone-middle-aged tapestry maxi-skirts and jackets of the 1970s. There were so many things in one go, but it’s worth it to check out all the evocative pieces, which express contrasts and harmony at the same time.
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Lancome Juicy Shaker
Inspired by their 1946 "The Shaker" lip gloss, Lancome is set to launch a remake, dubbed Juicy Shaker. Lancome is making this gloss with a martini-shaker-shaped silhouette to celebrate the time when cocktails were in vogue. Juicy Shaker has 20 different tints, each with its own delicious scent, featuring aromas ranging from berry to mango, and a bright-blue formula called Mint to Be, which enhances your complexion while making your teeth look whiter. Once you unscrew the cap, you’ll find the formula will shake up your lip ritual! Juicy Shaker will be available starting April 21 at lancomeusa.com.
Kaibosh’s eccentric collection
Check out the new collection from Norwegian eyewear label Kaibosh. Perfect for welcoming spring, Kaibosh released a new range of silhouettes inspired by clear crystals and reflective surfaces. Colors range from blues to oranges to greens in seven new models. Inspired by the world of precious stones, the label adopted acetate names, such as “Ruby Red” and “Jungle Jewel”. Select styles have mirrored detail with a complementary accent that adds a touch of sophistication to the frame. Available via kaibosh.com from US$110.
Prada Candy Kiss
Time to upgrade your Prada Candy to Prada Candy Kiss! After the first version of Candy in 2011, Prada has returned, offering a distinctive musk scent with orange blossoms, to enhance the soft-focus theme, and a vertical note of white musk, to fill out the composition. Notes are associated with calming, childhood scents such as traditional desserts, with top notes of bergamot and muguet segueing into a heart of white, cottony, sweet and seductive scents thanks to vanilla. The eau de parfum was composed by Daniela Andrier of Givaudan, the woman behind the fragrances of Gucci, Guerlain, and Yves Saint Laurent. +Banyubening Prieta