Jez O’Hare and his trike, at home in Bandung.

You’ve probably seen his photographs in magazines, perhaps in a coffee-table book on the Wallace Line or the Indonesian archipelago, maybe even in an advertisement for a high-definition television. They are those rare images that capture the essence of a place, showing us an aspect that is unique and rare; images that require not only passion, drive, planning, and courage, but also a piece of equipment that creates its own centrifugal force, called a gyro stabilizer, and a micro light aircraft. Jez O’Hare’s images from above inspire travel, exploration and poetry, offering us an escape into a world that we can’t quite make tangible and triggering a mind, heart and soul reaction of awe at the beauty of Indonesia.

Flying towards Bromo, East Java.

Driving through Bandung to meet Jez, it’s not hard to see why so many artists, architects and intellectuals have made this city their hub in Java. Dotted with ancient evergreens around winding roads wrapping up and down hills, I went past Indonesia’s most esteemed Universities and made my way through a residential neighborhood that ended on the edge of a valley. I could see a slice of the view behind what has been Jez’s home for the last 8 years.

Several dogs welcomed me with barks of varying tone and volume. Slowly a lean, Celtic-looking gentleman made his way through the canine mass and approached the large green wrought iron gate. “Hi Avi, have you had lunch?” he inquired softly as a boyish spark twinkled in his eyes. His accent was unusual; British grammar school mingled with soft hints of Indonesian. “I haven’t been speaking too much English these days, at least not with people who have English as their first language.”

Above the Kei Islands.

Still in his early forties, Jez has been capturing images of Indonesia for almost 25 years now. His family moved to Indonesia in early 1974, when his father took an expatriate position as a director of a major British safe manufacturer. His specialisation in photographing Indonesia was like a karmic calling when he was on holiday from university in the UK, where he was studying scientific illustration.

“I always thought photography was too difficult,” he said with a smile. “I was still a student and had some time off, that’s when I heard there were still some stone-age people living in Papua – Irian Jaya back then – and I couldn’t believe it.” Grabbing a couple of cameras and lenses, Jez set off on the Pelni at age 19. “I ended up staying for two months!” he grinned. “Then when I got back, my Dad’s secretary invited me to submit my images to a travel magazine, Suasana, now out of print. And I got the cover!” His excitement is still palpable.
At the heart of Jez’s photography is a deep passion for exploration. “It’s about getting that photograph that no one else has taken before.” And this, perhaps, leads me to the best way of describing Jez; an explorer with a desire to go where no one’s gone before.

Ngga Glacier, Papua.

Things started to move pretty quickly after that first publication. He worked with a film production company – “they threw me in the deep-end, and I was learning a lot,” – and continued developing his photography and exploring Indonesia. This took him on various aerial photography projects: “I figured, the only way to see Indonesia is to go by air.” Then, in 1995, he had a crash in a microlight “and I thought, shit, better I learn to fly myself.”.
Shortly after getting out of the hospital the first thing Jez did was to get flying lessons. Starting with a paramotor, flying with a parachute and a fan strapped to his back, he had to overcome the fear from his recent accident, learn to fly and “learn how to take photographs from the air while strapped to a parachute and motor.” The first two flights were “not so good,” but on the third, “it was at sunset and I was thinking to myself, ‘I’m flying!’” Eventually he moved on to a microlight aircraft, or trike, which he modified to make the seat lower so that he would have the freedom to use his camera.

Jez on his trike.

Jez is meticulous in his planning and self-discipline. “There’s basically three things, three conditions that you need to be sure of,” he explained as I learned what it took to get flying. “First, the condition of your craft; second your own condition and the third; the media – your runway, the weather. Don’t fly unless you’re sure about these three conditions.”

“I’ve got desalination tablets and a lifeboat on my trike, so it’s okay to fly over large expanses of water,” he added in a matter-of-fact tone.

In 2005, Jez took Indonesian citizenship. “I could spend the rest of my life photographing this place,” he told me. “And also, I just got tired of going to Immigration every year.”

And his next adventure? “My dream is to fly throughout Indonesia on my trike, starting from Java.” I’m already beginning to dream of where he’ll take us next.

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Elizabeth Pisani.

As a fundraiser to sponsor emerging Indonesian writers to attend the 2009 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, the Indonesian Heritage Society is organising a lunch with Elizabeth Pisani on April 7th in Jakarta. Pisani’s life as an HIV prevention researcher has taken her from the brothels of southwest China to the gay bars of Bangkok, and in Indonesia she has worked with the health ministry to map HIV risk. She will speak about her experiences and her book The Wisdom of Whores at the IHS lunch, in a talk entitled ‘Landscapes of Desire: sex, politics and AIDS in Indonesia.’
Funds raised at the event will be used to send two or more Indonesian writers to participate in the October festival, and also to fund 5 Indonesian readers, students and aspiring writers to attend.
For more information and to buy tickets (Rp.300,000), contact IHS at +62 21 5725870.

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Bull races on Madura.

The passionate blur of “kerapan sapi”, the bull races on the island of Madura, begins our journey on a momentous high. The preparation and setting for the event are equally spectacular. After the toil of the harvest season, the bulls enjoy a special treat combining fodder with a gourmet concoction of crushed ginger, pepper, honey, beer, and a hundred eggs! Surely this potent brew would rouse any animal (or human for that matter) to extraordinary feats of athleticism, but some tender loving care doesn’t hurt, either. A soothing massage and inspiring whispers in the bulls’ ears from the owners before the race act as perfect catapults for the ensuing frenzy. The real heroes of this amazing spectacle guide their thundering charges on a bamboo sled or “nanggala”, attached to two bulls. Having to harness and channel the energies of a released demonic power, these jockeys seem to exist in a surreal world of swirling motion and chaotic control. The bulls and their masterful charges leave us reeling with the spontaneous thrill of life at its outer margins.

Child in Kalimantan.

In Kalimantan, another region known for its rich indigenous traditions, my camera searched for living traces of ancestral culture, and was well rewarded at the “lamin” or longhouse of the Dayak Benuaq group at Mancong and the elongated ear lobes of the elderly Dayak Kenyah women. However, I soon found myself delighting in the energy and laughter of the younger generation. We were surrounded everywhere by pranks, pouts, and peeling knees, overseen by the warmth of child-rearing that seems to be the natural asset of all Indonesian people. My slightly reluctant model at Muara Mantai sat within the handsomely crafted boat of his father, preparing him for a life amidst the riches and swaying tides of the river. Indonesia is a young country, surging with the hopes and desires and aching vitality of fresh blood. While we may regret the passing of some old ways, this land is ripe for the renewal of an unleashed vigor and new dimensions of beauty.

Anggrek bulan in front of Gunung Lokon.

Stunning landscape vistas complement the aesthetic appeal of the people and their cultures. Upon our arrival in Manado, the eyes feast on the beauty of the Minahasan people, refined and tempered by an ethnic cauldron that combined groups from mainland South East Asia, Indonesia, and the Philippines with the colonial blood of three European tribes – the Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch – as well as enterprising Chinese migrants. Blessing this land with fertility and exuberant color stand tall volcanic cones, forming a protective ring around the peninsula. At the pleasant resort town of Tomohon, the magnificent vista of Gunung Lokon energized my lens. Appropriately, the summit carried a crowning layer of foggy cloud, underlining its mysterious majesty and its active qualities. “Anggrek bulan” (the serene white orchid, literally “moonlight orchid”) enframe this ethereal scene, for Tomohon is indeed “Kota Kembang”, the Flower City. This is the perfect setting for the exuberant Minahasa culture, with its celebratory dances, the lilting tones of the “kolintang” (wooden xylophone), and the fiery gastronomic juices released by the spicy cuisine, layered with the subtle flavors of the bamboo cylinders used in its preparation. Joy and generous hospitality come naturally to these delightful people.

At Rante Lombok.

The pride of the Tana Toraja in Southern Sulawesi, grave sites carved into limestone cliffs, preserves the continuing influence and blessing of the ancestors, who cannot stay away from the emerald symphony of this cool plateau. I came across a rather more mysterious site at Rante Lombok, hidden deep within the recesses of a bamboo jungle. Although the “bombo” (souls) of these ancestors were pacified and interred in exquisitely carved wooden coffins, this rebellious group decided to come back to life and recreate their favorite pastime: theater. As I looked around at the amazing groupings of “actors”, I was particularly struck by the solitary figure, who appeared ready to star in yet another new version of “Hamlet”. Was he Hamlet’s father, haunting his tortured mind, or was it Hamlet himself, launching into the most beloved soliloquy of all time, “To be, or not to be…” I knew this Hamlet’s answer, a ringing affirmation of the beauty of his land and culture:
“To be, to be
In this glorious land
Of sunshine and thunderous rain,
Of sweet-odored mist and emerald grain”.

The Dani warriors of Papua.

Papua brings you the thrill of encountering human origins and the crafting of our earliest civilizations. The handsome Dani warriors, accompanied by apprentice boys and “cheer leading” women, hark back to a tradition of “weem” or war, inevitable in a group of 50,000 people divided into twelve alliances. However, from the standards of present-day warfare (or rather, butchery), an estimated annual death rate of 20 or 30 per group does not appear excessive. “Weem” has now become a mock spectacle, and Dani men continue to use the occasion to appear at their fearsome best. Pig fat adding a sheen on their sleek muscular frames, many bedeck themselves with precious ornaments of cowrie shell, animal fur, and bird plumage. The real beauty of the Dani people, though, resides in the region of the solar plexus, called “etai-eken” or “seeds of singing”. Fusing our concepts of soul and personality, the “etai-eken” are regarded as the vital center of every individual’s being. I find the connection between soul and singing a perfect affirmation of my passion for music. For the Dani, as for us, pleasurable sound creates the harmonious accompaniment of life, transforming and uplifting the inner self.

From dizzying motion to serene calm, from the powerful mystique of ancestors to the spontaneous giggle of children, from volcanic stirrings to gentle waves, this archipelago fulfills a hunger for completion.

By Vivek R. Bammi, photographer and author, “Indonesia: A Feast for the Senses” (Jakarta, PT Sukarya & Sukarya, 2005).

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gedungDUA8

The space evolved from a project in which two existing buildings were connected, to create a most delightful and varied architectural experience. Architect Andra Matin juxtaposes the primitive with the modern, using clean lines and elegant edges with rough unfinished surfaces to create a fresh and important edifice in today’s Indonesian architecture.

Dea Sudarman, documentary filmmaker and traveller, conceptualized geduangDUA8 as a place to share the experiences of various indigenous populations from parts of eastern Indonesia, whose lives she had witnessed through her work. Through her travels, Dea has amassed a diverse collection of hundreds of everyday artifacts from about 20 different indigenous populations, and has dedicated three levels of gedungDUA8 to present these pieces and allow the visitor a glimpse into their culture and way of life. The building offers a guided tour (in English) of the galleries housing these artifacts, which is accompanied by a viewing of one of Dea’s documentaries. You can get more details on booking this tour, and on the documentaries, from www.gedungdua8.com.

Gallery at gedungDUA8.

The galleries represent an important aspect of the spaces in gedungDUA8, as does the amphitheatre. However, the variety of spaces available extends to two rooftop terraces dubbed teras Mimpi (dream terrace) and teras Mandang (contemplation terrace) as well as host of elegant multipurpose rooms and more galleries with lots of fresh light as well as a public library, galeriMandu , which carries more than 1,500 titles on Indonesian arts and culture in Bahasa Indonesia, English, Dutch, German, French and Japanese.

The many spaces of gedungDUA8 must be experienced first hand, whether through a guided tour of the various galleries or mid-afternoon contemplation at one of the terrace spaces. The structure serves a multitude of purposes and is an edifice with an energy that is set to transcend time and grow in significance.

gedungDUA8 is located at JL KEMANG UTARA 28, Jakarta Selatan.
To book a guided tour or to rent a space at the building :
t. +62 21 71702049/52
f. +62 21 71791419
For more information
e. gedungdua8@cbn.net.id
w. www.gedungdua8.com

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