Alterasi Kisah Sang Pengelana (2024) is an extension of the Lokananta Project, a collective archiving initiative I initiated in 2014 with young cultural practitioners in Indonesia. While working on the digital archiving project, I encountered numerous audio archives, particularly vinyl records, that had never been heard by my generation. Beyond Lokananta’s well-known recordings of wayang (shadow puppetry) performances and religious sermons, the collection also includes a wide range of rearranged traditional songs from different regions, as well as folk-pop compositions produced between 1956 and 1964. These works played an important role in shaping Indonesia’s emerging cultural identity during the post-colonial and post-war period.

 

Established in Surakarta in 1956, Lokananta was Indonesia’s first state-owned record factory. The institution preserves an extensive collection of audiovisual archives from the 1950s to the 1980s, reflecting significant historical moments in Indonesian society. Following the collapse of the New Order regime in 1998, the site was largely abandoned for decades before reopening to the public in 2023 under the management of the private company M Bloc Group. Prior to the Lokananta Project, several local cultural practitioners had attempted to revive public interest in the archive and initiate digital library programs. However, these efforts were often hindered by bureaucratic complications and unresolved copyright and royalty issues, particularly regarding the heirs of the original musicians.

 

During the Lokananta Project (2014–2017), several descendants of musicians whose works had been recorded there in the late 1950s contacted me. Many had discovered album covers in their homes without the accompanying records and were seeking information about their ancestors’ music. The Lokananta archive has also served as crucial evidence in various international cultural disputes. Even today, a number of Indonesian folk songs that have gained international recognition have been claimed by other countries but had been recorded in Lokananta a long time ago. This situation is partly connected to the historical displacement of musicians, many of whom were exiled abroad, rejected by their families, or passed away following the political turmoil of 1965. These encounters prompted me to explore new ways of reconnecting historical archives with contemporary society.

 

Engaging with archives is not only about revisiting the past, but also about activating the narratives and values embedded within these works that continue to resonate today. Across centuries, artistic practices have sought to illuminate unresolved questions that remain present in contemporary life. Bringing archives back into public consciousness therefore requires dynamic and accessible approaches, particularly in contexts where audiovisual and oral traditions play a significant role in cultural transmission.

For this project, I selected eight songs from different regions including “Sin Sin So”, “Kemane Die”, “San-san”, “Rambang”, “Surat Undangan”, “Njanji dan Nari”, “Hela Dajung”, and “Dajung Sampan”. They are presented in a karaoke video format, offering an accessible and participatory method for engaging with historical material while reactivating the performative and communal aspects of these songs.

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Actor

Andreas Ari Dwianto

Archives, Texts, & Graphics

Syaura Qotrunadha

Camera & Video Editing

Adhiwinanto Semali

Medley Arrangement

Timothy Satyaabieza & Rishanda Singgih

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This work was commissioned by PT. Ruang Riang Lokananta for the reopening of Lokananta Bloc to the public in 2023.​​​​​

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 Exhibitions: 

1.   Basoeki Abdullah Art Award #5

       21st November - 8th December 2024

       National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, ID

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2.    Lokananta Remastered Vol.1

        5th June - 4th November 2023

        Studio Lokananta, Surakarta, ID