Biennale Jogja 2021: Moloku Kie Raha suggests changing Batik Day

International art festival Biennale Jogja 2021 is still going on at several locations in Yogyakarta. One of the agenda was the Boki Emiria Show International Performance that was inspired by Empress Boki Emiria Soenassa, a descendant of the Sultan of Tidore

One of the events was the Funkie Raha fashion show that was held together with Broken Pitch and Juanga Culture. It featured six people wearing Tidore woven cloths with a very distinctive pattern combining ethnic and modern images into a unique and slick style at the same time.

The talents didn’t walk on a runway. Instead, they walked like ordinary visitors from the entrance of the gallery on the 1st floor of the Jogja National Museum (JNM). The six talents were not models, but audience members of the Tidore weaving lecture performance which was held earlier on the JNM main stage with Bams Conoras. 

Programme Manager of Biennale Jogja XVI Equator #6 2021 Ladija Triana said that the fashion show introduced Nusantara fabrics to visitors.

“We are trying to introduce traditional Nusantara fabrics and show people that the (Nusantara) fabric can be worn not only for certain (formal) events, but also on casual occasions. For example, when hanging out with friends and watching exhibitions,“ said Ladija.

“Broken Pitch is a collective that focuses on performing arts. From there, by making a fashion show for Nusantara fabrics, they can respond to issues that are of concern to Juanga Culture, namely Batik Day,” she added

According to the Moloku Kie Raha cultural house, Batik Day cannot represent the whole culture of Indonesia. Many traditional textile and cloth crafts in other parts of Indonesia were marginalised. Therefore, they suggested that Batik Day be changed to Indonesian Traditional Fabric Day.