Krack!’s commentary: The Dutch architects presented a replica of Candi Sari, Yogyakarta, and a traditional Minangkabau house with a few “improvements.”
The original reference image published in Le supplément illustré of Le Petit Journal, 1900, was sourced from Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Krack!’s commentary: The advent of air transport in the 1920s meant consumer goods could be cheaply distributed across the archipelago. For the first time, the pribumi (natives) were able to access and afford the consumer goods they had once only dreamt of. The formation of the Indonesian “middle class” is seen as a key factor in the nationalist awakening.
The original reference image published in Bintang Hindia, 1924, and reprinted in James T. Slegel and Audrey R. Kahln, eds., Southeast Asia over Three Generations: Essays Presented to Benedict Anderson (Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University Press, 2003), and Abidin Kusno, The Appearances of Memory: Mnemonic Practices of Architecture and Urban Form in Indonesia (Duke University Press, 2010).
Krack!’s commentary: By the 1930s, most of the population was dreaming of “A Land of Hope” and “A New Life.” The Indonesian tobacco industry was (and still is) quick to align itself with the aspirations of its market.
Klembak menyan: a type of traditional Indonesian cigarette made of rhubarb root.
The original reference image published on a packet of Siluman brand cigarettes was sourced from Komunitas Kretek.
The original reference image published on a packet of clove cigarettes was sourced from an online antique shop.
Krack!’s commentary: Java Industrial Film produced the first locally made feature films, starting in 1936. These films were dismissed by critics for ages because they were made by “ethnic Chinese” and were more influenced by Hollywood’s dream of the “Orient” instead of local reality. More recently it has been argued that the “self-othering” of Indonesia was an important step in defining a national identity.
The original reference image was sourced from the collection of Sinematek Indonesia.
Krack!’s commentary: Club Bali was a popular nightspot (and illegal casino) in Florida in the 1940s. Tiki lounges were a mishmash of Southeast Asian, Polynesian and Hawaiian exotica that were popular in the 1940s and 1950s, built by people who had probably never left their home states. And yet their exotic appeal has persisted and continues to influence the way Indonesia is dreamt of internationally.
The original reference image printed on the cover of a matchbox was sourced from arkivatropika.com, a now-obsolete personal blog of tropical-themed ephemera by Mimi Payne.
Krack!’s commentary: Indonesia was occupied by Japan during World War II from 1942 to 1945. Japan offered a dream of a united Asia, free from the influence of Britain, United States and the League of Nations, emphasising the difference between “Us” and “Them.” They aligned their dream with that of the Independence movement and formed unlikely alliances with the future leaders of the Republic.
The original reference image printed on the cover of a matchbox was sourced from the collection of Museon, The Hague.
The original reference image is a print by anonymous, sourced from the collection of NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Amsterdam.
Krack!’s commentary: Petji (or peci) is a small velvet hat famously worn by Soekarno, who deliberately popularised it as a new symbol of Indonesian identity. Since then, there has always been a symbolic relationship between the peci, nationalism and the masses.
The original reference image published as a ticket in 1950, was sourced from Pikat - Pameran Iklan Cetak Generasi ke-2 (Bentara Budaya, 2006).
Krack!’s commentary: At the dawn of the Republic, the Indonesian dream finally became a reality, for the first and maybe the only time.
The original reference image published as “Anggur 3 Pendakar,” Madjalah Star, 1953, was reprinted in Pikat - Pameran Iklan Cetak Generasi ke-2 (Bentara Budaya, 2006).
Krack!’s commentary: Over the 100 years of popular imagery that we surveyed for this project, ads for cosmetics, soap products and household goods tell an interesting story about the changing aspirations of Indonesian women. Up until the 1970s the traditional role of women as homemakers was never challenged.
The original reference image was published in Wanita, no. 22, 1962.
Krack!’s commentary: In 1970, for the first time, Indonesia has a national dish. Has any other brand ever aligned itself so successfully with national identity? The ultimate comfort food, and the cheapest meal in the supermarket. But not exactly penuh gizi (full of health).
The original reference image was sourced from Wikipedia.
Krack!’s commentary: At Taman Mini, a theme park in East Jakarta, you can visit every province of Indonesia (in miniature form) in one day—or at least, Indonesia as re-imagined by the New Order—plus, inexplicably, a Disneyland castle. Opened in 1975, Taman Mini was the dream of Ibu Tien Soeharto, wife of the then president.
The image of Taman Mini was reconstructed based on images from various sources.
Krack!’s commentary: This cassette cover of an album of love songs was dedicated to East Timor after its invasion by Indonesia in 1976. More than 200,000 East Timorese (25% of the population) were killed by the Indonesian miliary during the occupation from 1976 to 1999.
The original reference image was sourced from Dr Iwan Cybermuseum, http://driwancybermuseum.wordpress.com/.
Krack!’s commentary: In the 1970s, advertising agencies finally realised that women had dreams beyond being a homemaker or going to heaven.
The original reference image was published in Intisari, 1975.
Krack!’s commentary: Before the 1970s, advertising campaigns tended to be designed around conservative definitions of home, community or nation. In the 1970s this shifted, and consumers were encouraged to embrace symbols of individual success: money, career or material possessions.
The original reference image was sourced from https://gogorbangsa.wordpress.com/.
Krack!’s commentary: In the 1980s, gambling (both illegal and legal) became hugely popular. Books like 1000 Tafsir Mimpi (1000 Dream Interpretations) were used to divine lottery numbers based on one’s dreams. The 1980s was an economic boom time, but not for everyone. Maybe winning the lottery was the only way one could catch up.
The original reference image was published in 1000 Tafsir Mimpi, 1982. Collection of Wok The Rock.
Krack!’s commentary: ACI was one of the first soap operas in the nation, produced by PUSTEKKOM, a government department. It was vaguely “developmentalist.” The plotlines were mostly about how teenagers should behave. But it is still fondly remembered by most people today. Perhaps that’s because modern Indonesian soap operas bear so little resemblance to actual life.
The original reference image was published in Gambar Umbul from the collection of Ibnu “Benu” Wibi Winarko Iswanto.
Krack!’s commentary: Basically, this schoolbook told children what they should dream of, how they should dream and how they should realise their dreams. It followed the Pembangunan (developmentalist) agenda of the New Order, which stated you could do whatever you wanted ... er ... as long as it’s in the interests of Bapak Pembangunan, also known as Soeharto.
The original reference image is a book cover of Ilmu Pengetahuan Social published by Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia (c. 1985).
Krack!’s commentary: This hotel and convention centre was designed in the shape of the Garuda Pancasila, the Indonesian coat of arms. It was built by Soeharto’s daughter, Ms Tutut. Construction began in 1995 but stopped in 1998 after the Indonesian monetary crisis. Several months later the hotel was declared bankrupt and Ms Tutuk’s grand dream ended. It can still be found on Google maps.
This image of the hotel has been reconstructed based on images from Google maps and recent photographs from the site, with additions from Krack!.
Krack!’s commentary: This was an ad for a new housing development in Puncak, near Jakarta. A quick online search for “Vila Praha” revealed the dream did not exactly match the reality—the houses were crammed closely together and there were no gypsies dancing on the street. Nonetheless, we love this ad for its reverse-orientalism; exoticising the Czech Republic with little regard for facts.
The original source image was published in Kompas daily, c. 2007. sourced from Faribi Fakih, “The Beautiful Indonesian House,” Karbon Journal, March 2007.
Krack!’s commentary: Campaign poster from the 2009 elections. The candidate was the father of Cynthia Lamasu, a semi-famous pop star. It was only after the Reformasi that pop stars were courted by political parties to increase their popularity. Was this the democracy dreamt of in 1945 and again in 1998?
The original reference image was sourced from https://menteridesainindonesia.blogspot.com/.
Krack!’s commentary: The impact of telecommunications in terms of redefining the notion of “community” has been huge in the past decade. If Sorga Loka (heavenly realm) was the dream of female consumers in 1965, today it is the “ponsel” (handphone).
The original reference image was sourced from http://fotofamilyku.blogspot.com/2012/07/gallery-nama-merk-sabunindonesia-yg.html.
Krack!’s commentary: Many of Indonesia’s foreign workers are young girls lured from remote villages with the promise of a better life in foreign countries. They are famously referred to as “pahlawan devisa,” the heroes of Indonesia’s income. Their dreams are often shattered when they are exploited, abused and, as this advertisement demonstrates, traded like slaves.
The original reference image was posted in public spaces in the Chowkit region, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 2012. Photo by Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant Care.
