Ngombe Dhisik
Andi Ari Setiadi
2025
Shortlisted for 2025 LUMA Rencontres Dummy Book, Rencontres d’Arles
Then on 11 May 2024, I arrived in Suriname to undertake an artist residency through the Dana Indonesiana programme by the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The journey from Jakarta to Paramaribo felt like travelling halfway across the world. As I stepped off the plane, a sign above the entrance of Johan Adolf Pengel Airport read, “WELCOME TO SURINAME – The Most Forested Country in the World.” Once again, I wondered, “What’s so special about Suriname’s nature?”
My team–Andi Imam Prakasa, Caron Toshiko and Fajar Hadi Prabowo–came to Suriname to document the Javanese cultural heritage that remains alive here. We witnessed many Javanese traditions still thriving: traditional weddings, jaran kepang, gamelan, wayangan, slametan, death ceremonies, and Kejawen rituals. We also found two unique mosques–Masjid Pamuda Islam, which faces west (kulon) and Masjid Darul Falah which faces east (wetan). And interestingly, in every one of these moments, Coca-Cola was always there. Always.
Mixed media (digital prints on metallic stickers, photocopies on red paper, Coca-Cola labels and staple binding)
Soft Cover
15 x 21 cm (Landscape)
Indonesian/English/Javanese
148 pages