r o n y z a k a r i a

13 MARCH – 19 APRIL 2020 pa n t u r a Where are you, Mr. Daendels? CURATED BY WEI LENG TAY Pantura: Where are you, Mr. Daendels?, introduction is presented as a culmination of the Objectifs Documentary Award, Open Category. By Wei Leng Tay Curator and writer Wei Leng Tay Project Manager Chelsea Chua, Ryan Chua

© 2020 Objectifs, artist and writer

All rights reserved Apart from any fair dealing for purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process without consent from the publisher and rights holders.

All images Rony Zakaria, 2018–20

Special thanks from Objectifs to Kevin Lee, Sam I-shan and Ian Teh

Image on Cover: , East . 2019 Rembang, . 2019 5 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA In his photographs, we see a weaving of of a weaving we see photographs, In his photographer. the of and the body the gaze and with an immersion Sometimes dancer us a third that makes immediacy Sometimes in a performance. partaking with a man in a room with a stolen glance us into interlopers. and child that turns society that see a slice of Sometimes we and yet whose adamant we think we know, demands its unravelling. quickly nature for the roles of is an interplay There photograph and viewer photographer, receiver, creator, outsider, — as insider, This interplay testament, commentary. navigates in Rony that challenges presents the these images, and foregrounds creating and otherness, familiarity of push and pull involved. for all and projection, reality is not began his journey in Lasem. It Rony Road, but holds Post the Great the start of Chinese in Java. It is the the beginnings of into his exploration also the beginning of This how one can photograph an idea. this invites audiences to share exhibition history, an idea of exploring journey of and the tenuous yet indelible the self, in between. road Since 2017, Rony Zakaria has been traversing has been Zakaria Rony 2017, Since Great (The Postweg De Grote Java on by the Dutch. which was built Road), Post inquiry had begun the While he piqued the in his interests legacy, by its colonial a more this legacy took of manifestations one might see turn. That while layered the road, in and around literal remnants the consequences how does one understand displacement? occupation and subsequent of Mr Daendels? you, are Where is a descendent, Rony With this journey, delving into a heady history Chinese of he professes migration he embodies but that He is know. understand nor to neither fully injustices of a citizen, questioning how the not in a the present, the past can explain construction and literal, linear manner of minds and development, but in the hearts, who inherit it. He is the people actions of that a guest, entering homes and milieus that might not entice and appear foreign, his eye once familiarity sets in. roles as they The images take different children photographs made. As Rony are up in a parade, he bears witness dressed to the fleeting event that he accidentally encounters. As he shows us a man seated women with of a row of slumped in front clasped in front their hands uniformly comments on the bodies, Rony their of road of humans that the commodification brings. And as he documents the submersion in waters at the edges of a mosque of a , he marks with the present foretold. potential future (Top) North Jakarta. 2018 (Top) 2019 Java. Rembang, Central (Bottom) i n t e r v i e w w i t h r o n y z a k a r i a By Wei Leng Tay

Lasem, Central Java. 2019 9 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA

So how did these stories guide how you you guide how these stories did So how over the next back and forth then went few years? When new. brand all it’s visit, When you first for you as does the place become familiar photographing? you are When I do projects like this, it’s always led always it’s like this, do projects When I Stories like this give a feeling by curiosity. Is it about how — is it about identity? of In Lasem, I get a feeling hidden histories? as a Chinese, and identity, that it is about In other places, also as an Indonesian. other feelings. are there the where I use the stories as a guide to would be and how they would pictures found similar feel. For instance, in Lasem, I like ‘I have stories about Chinese identity I have never been never been anywhere. to Jakarta! I am not going to Jakarta. they know would cities What for?’ The only to be to the East, or a guide stories give These kinds of the West. feel, specifically will to how the pictures in this place, Lasem. when I am I always take the best pictures for the first time. Because I have no there Familiarity makes me take things familiarity. take a lot the time, I will for granted. Most of during the first time. The second pictures of and is familiarity, course there time, of bearings. I see a scene and it’s I know my do anything. ok and I don’t So what about that first trip first So what about that So a couple of years ago, I read read years ago, I of So a couple Wei Leng: Wei do this?’ ‘yes I want to made you think, This interview has been edited for clarity. for edited has been interview This Rony: I found it Road. Post Great about the more very I have been fascinating. much interested in history few years, so I decided for the past trip in made a short road to give it a go. I me it would interest 2017 to see whether it started, actually. how and that’s more, Jakarta to Semarang, That trip, I went from and then the road, which is the midpoint of Chinese town. to Lasem, which is a small quite towns are the cities and small Most of architecture, design and in terms of similar, the where but Lasem is quite distinct. It’s am third Chinese first landed in Java. I close of generation Chinese. So, I felt kind and yet so foreign… with that history, know about the history of because I didn’t So I went the Chinese Indonesian before. days. I found it I stayed for three there. very stories a lot of fascinating to hear like before, know Lasem that I didn’t from to see how we fought the Dutch. I wanted similar stories along the road, were if there good at recording not really because we are histories as a nation. Lasem, Central Java (2019) Java Lasem, Central 11 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA What is the difference for you? Your Your you? for difference is the What your versus as a photographer instinct as a photojournalist? training as When you talk about your instinct what is that instinct? a photographer, As a photojournalist, you know you want know you want you As a photojournalist, to a story, to report to get a few shots shots And you know which a story. illustrate — “you do this low- going to get you are some are framing, there angle, you do this that you do, and the editor technical stuff But it is so predictable. cool.’ say it’s will working because I am still I cannot avoid it, a a photojournalist. taking Photographing for the sake of photography. photographs, for the joy of the that guy looks nice, the gesture, ‘oh photograph shadow looks nice, maybe I will location it.’ But I am photographing in a for the project. that is quite contextual to the For instance, in Surabaya, I went were there cleric. And a great tomb of I was not looking for pilgrims. There, many moment a photograph that gave a classic the New page of or that was for the front Times — I know what they like, but it York I would photograph, can be taken by anyone. anything maybe just a snapshot, anything, When I am in this fancy. that caught my of to four pictures take three mode, I will the first one each scene, and it is usually one that works. Because the second or third when you try to just trying.you are That’s perhaps cheat, thinking you can do it better, photojournalist side kicking in. Most my it’s Are there other projects you have done done have you projects other there Are place repeatedly, in the same you are where of way a different it creates such that ? Pantura looking than the safe, I should have Do you think, ‘oh, back a fall Is there shots?’ descriptive you think you should work in a where particular way first? , a few of them and the Sea, a few of In Men Mountains Like , in the same location. are a few trips. But that is Bali, I made Bromo, knew the specific visuals because I different is an idea Pantura, there that I wanted. With know what to I don’t me, but that interests in the first place. know, photograph, you I want to feel this place. I am in the city; place, For me, going back again to a specific feel that there because I still for Pantura, it’s or I can is something that I can photograph that or I can collect, see or I can experience have yet. I don’t Lasem or if I Mm, no. For instance if I go to I want to go to Surabaya, I know the places and visually relevant visit because they are Other than that, no. eye. for my interesting places that I think I have I have a few Usually the If it is at to photograph on the first day. with my be safer trip, I will my beginning of kick shots. My photojournalist training will fun, because you get in, which is not really just that, you will But after boring pictures. photographing. photograph for the sake of my When that kicks in, it then follows instinct as a photographer. , . 2018 Pasuruan, East Java. 13 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA You were saying people along the road road the along saying people were You to going are than you, you different are before. to had never been places you when you go think about this So do you road? along the scenarios, or When we photograph dealing are we communities, very often a question It’s anyway. with difference yourself between how you mediate of you are and the object or place or people right? How do you interact photographing people? with people; how do you present In a way, yes. For instance, during the yes. In a way, I went to two fishing villages second last trip, a big having They were to each other. next for look different dangdut night. I know I with which correlates I look Chinese, sure. Indonesia. But I photographed in rich’, ‘you’re the road, a part of them because they are a lower social class. not because they were go alone your question, I usually answer To photograph. So they to these people. To bringing know I am vulnerable. I am not for me as It is as uncomfortable anyone. talk to people it is for them. Of course, I can a while, they invite the time. After most of me to events, invite me to their homes. I tell collecting I am them I am doing a project. stories. I am here. A few days ago, when we were talking were ago, when we A few days surrounded the children of portrait about the role talking about your you were by flowers, for talking about how were as witness. You see it and you have you some photographs, for others, make it as it is happening, to things… "they do different of the time it’s the first one. It catches your catches one. It the first it’s the time of the picture! that’s you take it. Yah, eye and coincidence. It was a lucky That was really I was not particular picture. like a gift, that After day. planning on photographing that friend back to the lunch, I was bringing my like, ‘what train station and I saw it and was camera, and I wanted is this?’ I took out my sitting, were to photograph. These two kids up, and not enjoying themselves. dressed all it was so hot, It was high noon, 36 degrees, I think I drenched. so humid, and they were took five photographs in total and it only And it worked. I was was the first picture. not being too conscious as a photographer. a picture, I just thought I should just take good, really really, and I did. Sometimes it’s it. repeat and you can’t Rembang, Central Java. 2019 Java. Rembang, Central 15 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA , . 2018 Java. Bandung, West 17 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA Open Category Category Emerging Asia Invisible Photographer and founder, Photographer Singapore Gallery National Curator, Visual artist Photographer Objectifs and Co-founder, Director The Objectifs Documentary Award perspectives mission to broaden champions Objectifs’ The Objectifs Documentary Award and in Singapore in visual storytelling by supporting original voices image making, through projects, or existing to work on new enables photographers The Award the wider region. It welcomes creative about their communities. stories and tell to discover encouraging them documentary to visual established storytelling, photography from to non-fiction approaches were Awardees multimedia. or through images as still presented with projects experiments, and their over nine months, support to work on their projects and financial given professional to April 2020. March at Objectifs from exhibited works were for the 2019 edition are: The Awardees Zakaria Rony Lim Dave members: The jury the following of panel consisted Lee Kevin Sam I-shan Leng Tay Wei Ian Teh Emmeline Yong About the Curator with mediums including works Leng Tay Wei video and installation. audio, photography, conversations and begin with Her projects personal desires, how links between draw tied to society are and histories relationships recent her most presented Tay and the state. , at NUS Crossings solo exhibition, four-part collaborated Museum (2018–2019). She has Art, Space for like ARTER with organisations and Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Istanbul, through Association, Pakistan, Artists’ Vasl and is in museum and residencies, exhibitions She is a part of Asia. across collections Sightlines (comprising 7 artists/researcher, through collectivity 2016–) which questions conversation and image-making. Rony Zakaria is a photographer based Zakaria is a photographer Rony at photography studied in Indonesia. He de Antara and Ateneo Galeri Foto Jurnalistik work Philippines. Zakaria’s Manila University, and sociocultural historical, on how focuses shape life daily of underpinnings religious Indonesia. He has been his native country, like The New commissioned by publications and Monocle. Zakaria Times, GEO, York with has also participated in exhibitions like the Musée and platforms institutions Forum Fotografie Paris, du Quai Branly, d'Arles, France, and Frankfurt, Recontres Dhaka. He has Chobimela Photo Festival, two monographs: Encounters (2013) and Men, Mountains & the Sea (2019). About the Artist 19 PANTURA: WHERE ARE YOU, MR. DAENDELS? RONY ZAKARIA Kudus, Central Java. 2019 Java. Kudus, Central Established in 2003, Objectifs is the leading art space in Singapore that champions film and photography and their value to society. Our goal is to cultivate original voices in visual storytelling, and to inspire and broaden perspectives through the power of images. We do this by presenting exhibitions, developmental programmes, screenings, talks and workshops that advance the practice and appreciation of photography and film.

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