Fiesta Fatahillah Marks New Dawn for Old Town Revitalization
The opening of the three-day Fiesta Fatahillah on Thursday evening marked a new chapter in the efforts of the city administration and communities to revitalize the Old Town area.
Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo at the opening of Fiesta Fatahillah at Old Town area, Jakarta, Thursday (03/13/2014). Photo: headline / Anhar Rizki Affandi
The enthusiasm of hundreds of people gathered in Fatahillah Square during the opening of the fiesta and at the Jakarta Art Space and Visitor Center in West Jakarta could be a harbinger of what is in store for capital’s Old Town area, where dozens of old buildings with beautiful architecture are decaying.
Light fantastic: Video mapping is displayed on the Jakarta History Museum during the Fatahillah Fiesta in the Old Town area in West Jakarta on Thursday. The three-day fiesta, which began on Thursday, aims to revitalize the historic district. (JP/P.J. Leo)
An attractive video mapping performance on the facade of the Jakarta History Museum set the fiesta underway before Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo officially opened proceedings.
“I officially open the new Jakarta Art Space and the beginning of the revitalization of the [Old Town],” said Jokowi.
In his speech, Jokowi said based on his study of several countries like China and Russia, those countries spent around Rp 3.5 trillion (US$307 million) per year on revitalizing their old buildings. “After the revitalization was complete, many tourists visited those places,” he said.
Both the festival and Old Town revitalization efforts are organized by the Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation (JOTRC) and a cultural group, the Jakarta Endowment for Art and Heritage
(Jeforah).
The consortium includes 11 companies and state-owned enterprises such as PT Kawasan Industri Jababeka, PT Plaza Indonesia Realty, PT Ciputra Development and PT Saratoga Intiperkasa.
The chair of the consortium, Lin Che Wei, earlier said JOTRC would renovate 85 old buildings at the cost of millions of dollars.
Opening Fiesta Fatahillah at Taman Fatahillah, Kawasan Kota Tua, Jakarta Barat, Tuesday (13/03/2014). Foto:VIVAnews/Anhar Rizki Affandi
The start of the festival and the whole revitalization project was marked by the opening of the Jakarta Art Space, a new art gallery built on the second floor of the Pos Indonesia building across from the Jakarta History Museum and Fatahillah Square.
Oei Hong Djien, a member of the Jeforah board of advisors, said the design of the art space was unique as the architect, Andra Matin, had designed it without ruining the original architecture of the Pos Indonesia building, which was a protected cultural heritage site.
Over 40 contemporary pieces of artwork from 47 artists, including visual artist Agus Suwage and sculptor Dolorosa Sinaga, will be displayed at the art space from Thursday until Sept. 13.
Anex, 26, one of the visitors, said the establishment of the art space in the middle of the heritage area was “rather refreshing”.
“I think this new place will attract the upper class to the Old Town,” he said.
Besides the new art space, the fiesta also includes the Fatahillah food festival, which is scheduled to last until March 16, with more than 40 traditional dishes from across the country. The food festival is curated by Laksmi Pamuntjak, writer of the Jakarta Good Food Guide series.
The city administration and several art and heritage lovers have been trying to turn the Old Town —an area of empty, decaying buildings and seedy nightlife — into a national attraction hosting art galleries, good food and reputable shops.
Past efforts have failed to convince building owners to invest in renovating their neglected buildings due to bad infrastructure and the negative reputation of the neighborhood, especially at night.
Source: Jakarta Post / nai