One of a series of essays featuring the answers to questions posed to artists participating in the Megacities project of NGV Triennial 2023
In this third decade of the twenty-first century, the megacity – a city with a population of more than 10 million people – may become the dominant human habitat. The NGV Triennial project Megacities is an ambitious, immersive multimedia installation bringing the creative vision of ten leading street photographers into dialogue with the urban environment. These images offer a counterpoint to the myth of the megacity, an urban agglomeration often used as the antithesis of wealthy European and North American metropolis. Here, the megacity is shown through the lens and explained in the words of those that live there.
Can you describe your daily experience living and working in one of the largest cities on the planet?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Delapan tahun yang lalu, saya tiba di Jakarta. Saya meninggalkan kehidupan di desa untuk mengejar mimpi di sini. Saya tergiur cerita indah keberhasilan para perantau, menjadi anti-tesis kisah Si Cebol Rindukan Bulan dan utopia manis lainnya yang ditawarkan oleh Sang Kota Yang Tidak Pernah Tidur. Tidak mudah untuk hidup bersama dengan 11.074.811 orang lainnya di dalam satu ceruk. Kompetisi berlangsung terlalu ketat. Kekacauan akibat gagalnya kebijakan pemerintah dan buruknya tata kota seperti kemacetan, banjir, naiknya permukaan air laut, tingkat kriminalitas yang tinggi dan kecelakaan lalu lintas sudah menjadi bagian dari landskap kota ini. Kesenjangan sosial yang tinggi dengan jumlah masyakarat kelas menengah ke bawah yang dominan membuat Jakarta menjadi kota yang unik, dinamis dan sarat pembaruan. Setelah mengalami proses culture shock dan akulturasi yang panjang, hidup di sebuah megacity mengubah saya menjadi seorang individu yang memaknai problematika kehidupan dengan dualisme sederhana; Getir sekaligus Bahagia.
English:
Eight years ago, I arrived in Jakarta. I left modest village life to pursue my dreams here. I was enticed by the beautiful success stories of migrants, seemingly the antithesis of this local folktale called Si Cebol Rindukan Bulan (The Little Person Who Longs for the Moon). Of course, I was also allured by other sweet utopias offered by the city that never sleeps. Yet, living with over 11.2 million other people in one corner hasn’t been easy, due to the cutthroat competition. All the chaos caused by failed government policies and poor urban planning – traffic jams, floods, rising sea levels, as well as high levels of crime and traffic accidents – have become a familiar sight painting the city’s landscape. The high social inequality with a dominant lower-middle-class population makes Jakarta a unique, dynamic city that is full of innovative ideas. After experiencing a culture shock and a long acculturation process in the megacity, I’ve become an individual who views life with a simple, dualistic attitude, one that acknowledges the bitter realities while also finding happiness in between.
How has this contemporary urban environment shaped your practice as a photographer and artist?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Pekerjaan ini membuat saya terbiasa menikmati perubahan dan cepat beradaptasi. Subjek-subjek baru, kemudian menjadi teman, yang saya temui di lapangan kerap membawa pengetahuan, norma sosial dan kebudayaan yang berbeda-beda. Maka, pembaruan pengetahuan, pendekatan, metode dan teknik fotografi adalah suatu keharusan. Seorang fotografer (khususnya di bidang jurnalistik atau dokumenter) harus terus menjaga relevansi dan tetap setia pada kemanusiaan. Hanya itu satu-satu cara agar bisa bertahan hidup, tetap waras dan mampu bersaing (dalam bisnis fotografi) di kota ini.
English:
This job has made me accustomed to enjoying change and adapting quickly. The new subjects I encountered – who later became my friends – exposed me to various social norms, cultures and pieces of knowledge. As a result, updating my knowledge, approaches, methods and photography techniques has become a necessity. A photographer, particularly a photojournalist or a documentarian, must maintain relevance and remain true to humanity. This is the only way to survive, stay sane and compete (in the photography business) in this city.
Our understanding of cities has benefited from the development of GPS and mobile technology – does this impact your work? Has it changed the way that you work ‘on the street’, with the ubiquitous presence of mobile technologies?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Perlu diketahui, saya tidak pernah bekerja sebagai fotografer sebelum era peta digital. Saya masih belajar di sekolah menengah pertama ketika Google Maps diluncurkan di desktop. Secara umum, teknologi GPS dan peta digital memberikan kemudahan untuk melacak lokasi-lokasi yang belum pernah dijelajahi. Riset dan persiapan pemotretan bisa lebih matang. Saya dapat mengetahui nama tempat, lokasi otoritas lokal hingga perubahan lanskap dalam beberapa tahun terakhir. Peta digital juga bermanfaat untuk menghemat waktu perjalanan karena bisa melihat jalan pintas yang tidak macet pada jam-jam sibuk.
English:
It’s worth noting that I only started working as a photographer when digital maps became widely available. Back when Google Maps was launched on desktop, I was still in junior high school. In general, GPS and digital maps have made it much easier for me to explore new locations for my photography. These technologies have helped me conduct more thorough research and preparation, enabling me to learn about place names, local authority offices and landscape changes in recent years. In addition to enhancing my research capabilities, online maps have also proven to be useful in saving travel time by showing alternative routes that are less congested during peak hours.
Environmental and social problems are often cited as negative outcomes of urbanisation on the megacity scale, but counterpoints include the development of innovative ways of living and employment opportunities. Negative or positive? Can you discuss your experiences and responses to the high-density urban environment?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Masyarakat Jakarta – mereka yang tinggal, menetap, bekerja, dan hidup di Jakarta termasuk para komuter yang tinggal di kota-kota satelit seperti Bogor, Depok, Tangerang dan Bekasi – adalah yang paling brilian dalam merespon masalah-masalah kehidupan mereka. Misalnya, ketika pemerintah memperketat aturan penggunaan masker saat pandemi merebak. Para pengamen jalanan tidak kehabisan akal. Mereka berhenti bernyanyi kemudian mewarnai tubuhnya dengan cat perak. Sejak itu muncul istilah ‘Manusia Silver’ di Jakarta. Lalu saya sering melihat para pedagang keliling tetap menjajakan minuman dan makanan di tengah sebuah aksi demonstrasi di jalan. Mereka mengais rezeki tidak peduli apapun kondisinya, berprinsip cepat saji dan bisa diandalkan. Kemudian para pelanggan mereka menyematkan istilah ‘starling’ atau Starbucks keliling kepada para pedagang ini.
Saya tidak berada pada posisi untuk bisa menilai cara hidup ini adalah hal positif atau negatif. Justru sebagai sesama warga kota, saya ingin merasakan dan terlibat dengan pengalaman itu. Lalu sebagai fotografer, saya ingin merekam dan mengabadikannya karena semua itu bisa hilang akibat satu aturan pemerintah atau unggahan viral di media sosial. Pada fase kehidupan yang serba cepat, masalah yang terjadi terkadang bisa meleburkan batas antara si kaya dan si miskin, memicu munculnya perasaan sama rata sama rata, kesepakatan, dan cara-cara hidup baru.
English:
The people of Jakarta – those who live, settle, work and exist in Jakarta, including commuters living in satellite cities such as Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi – are known for their brilliance in responding to life’s challenges. For example, during the height of the pandemic, when the government implemented strict mask-wearing rules, street musicians didn’t lose their creativity. Instead, they stopped singing and painted their bodies silver to earn money – hence manusia silver (silver people) were born in Jakarta. I also witnessed mobile street vendors continuing to sell food and drinks amid a protest. They persevered, sticking to their principles of being fast and dependable. As a result, their customers dubbed them starling (Starbucks on wheels).
As a fellow Jakartan, I’m in no position to judge whether such way of living is positive or negative. But I want to experience and be involved in those events. As a photographer, I aim to capture and preserve them because they could disappear with a single government regulation or a viral social media post. In this fast-paced era, problems sometimes blur the line between the rich and poor, leading to compromises, new ways of living and an illusion of equality.
Are you witnessing environmental transformation in the city you are working in?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Jakarta sedang sibuk berbenah. Pembangunan sarana transportasi umum, pengentasan kemiskinan, dan revitalisasi kawasan banjir menjadi agenda utama rezim pemerintahan satu dekade terakhir. Tata kota mulai dibangun dengan memperhatikan keberlangsungan lingkungan hidup. Namun, bagai pedang bermata dua. Usaha pemerintah untuk mengatasi banjir kerap diikuti dengan penggusuran massif pemukiman illegal yang berdiri di tepi sungai, rel kereta api atau daerah-daerah resapan. Hal ini kemudian justru menimbulkan masalah kependudukan baru di masa depan. Dalam pandangan yang psimis, saya terus menjadi saksi mata sebuah lingkaran setan yang tidak terputus.
English:
Jakarta is in the process of fixing itself up. Over the last decade, the government has focused on public transport development, poverty reduction and revitalisation of flood-prone areas. Also, urban planning has recently taken into account environmental sustainability. However, the government’s efforts can be a double-edged sword. For example, measures to minimise the risk of flooding often include mass evictions of people living in squatter settlements near riverbanks, railway tracks and recharge areas. This could create a new set of population-related challenges in the future. I may sound like a pessimist, but I’ve continued to witness what seems to be an endless vicious cycle.
Beyond capturing the built environment, we asked you to consider a narrative arc within your images that explores the quality of life in a megacity, the experience of moving around the city, where and how people work, and the impacts for community. With this in mind, what did your project reveal?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Saya bercerita tentang kehidupan yang paling dekat dengan saya; sebagai perantau, warga kota, kelas menengah bawah, dan seorang pekerja. Saya berusaha menangkap momen ‘getir sekaligus Bahagia’ yang menjadi wajah utama sisi lain kehidupan di kota besar. Melalui projek ini, saya ingin mengajak semua orang untuk bisa menikmati Jakarta seperti penduduknya menikmati hidup di kota ini. Karya fotografi saya berusaha menceritakan kembali cerita orang-orang pinggiran, mereka yang terlupakan, mereka yang datang dan pergi, berlalu-lalang di jalanan, berbaur dengan angin dan debu, namun sebenarnya mereka lah motor penggerak kota yang mengubah Batavia menjadi kota metropolitan terpadat di Asia Tenggara. Melalui potret-potret tentang jalanan di Jakarta, saya ingin menghadirkan sebuah ruang liminal di mana kita bisa melihat, mendengar dan merasa kehidupan yang getir sekaligus bahagia sebagai seorang warga kota. Ruang di mana saya dan mereka bersama-sama menjalani hidup sembari terus bertanya; sampai kapan ratusan gedung pencakar langit ini bisa memberikan keteduhan bagi kami yang hidup di bawahnya?
English:
I’m sharing a story about the lives that are closest to me as a migrant, a city dweller, a lower-middle-class citizen and a worker. I try to capture moments of ‘bitterness and happiness’ that represent the other side of life in a big city. Through this project, I want to invite everyone to enjoy Jakarta the way its residents do. My photography works aim to retell stories of people on the outskirts – those who are forgotten, who come and go, who pass by the streets, who blend in with the wind and dust. They are the driving force behind the city, the ones who have transformed Batavia into South-East Asia’s most populous metropolitan city. In my photographs I want to show a liminal space where we can see, hear and feel the bitter yet happy life of city-dwellers, a space where we can live together while continually asking, ‘Until when will these hundreds of skyscrapers provide shelter for us who live below them?’
If we accept the premise that the megacity is an engine for cultural and social change, how do you see that reflected on the street?
Bahasa Indonesia:
Fotografi adalah praktik yang sakral. Memotret bagi seorang fotografer seperti menjalankan muzizat; menangkap substansi tercepat di alam semesta – cahaya – sekaligus menghentikan waktu. Rekaman-rekaman peristiwa yang saya lihat melalui jendela bidik yang sempit itu mengajak saya untuk meratapi, menghayati, dan merefleksikan perubahan, perpindahan, kebudayaan dan cara-cara hidup yang membuat manusia sebagai manusia. Mengutip apa yang dikatakan Malinowsky, seorang antropolog klasik berkebangsaan Polandia, bahwa unsur-unsur dalam kehidupan sosial dan kebudayaan masyarakat selalu terintegrasi secara fungsional. Sehingga setiap aksi dan reaksi, kegiatan atau aktivitas berfungsi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan dasar manusia. Maka, di titik inilah seorang individu pasti memiliki peran dan posisi kritis di dalam mesin sosial kebudayaan. Dengan kata lain, tanpa kehadiran manusia beserta perubahan, perpindahan, kebudayaan dan cara-cara hidup mereka, sebuah kota besar hanya akan menjadi ruang-ruang kosong tanpa makna.
English:
Photography is a sacred practice. For photographers, taking pictures is akin to performing a miracle: capturing light, the fastest substance in the universe, while stopping time. The events I see through my narrow viewfinder invite me to mourn, appreciate and reflect on the changes, movements, cultures and ways of life that make us human. As Bronisław Malinowski, a Polish-British classical anthropologist, famously noted, the elements of social life and culture are always functionally integrated. Therefore, every action, reaction, activity or event functions to fulfill basic human needs. Therefore, at this point, an individual certainly has a critical role and position within the social and cultural machinery. In other words, without the presence of humans and their changes, movements, cultures and ways of life, a big city would be nothing but an empty space without meaning.
MAS AGUNG WILIS YUDHA BASKORO | Jakarta, Indonesia.