Various objects from the colonial period are often cultural reminders associated with violence. However, these objects also provide fertile ground for new narratives, cultural activities, economic ventures, and political campaigns.
In collaboration with the Pressing Matter project between experts from Indonesia and the Netherlands, the Department of Archaeology at FIB UGM, the NIOD Institute in the Netherlands, and the Bantenology Institute at Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin State Islamic University organized a workshop themed “Bouncing Forward, Looking Back: Cultural Objects, Archaeological Sites, and Responses to Colonial Violence.”
The event was held on May 27, 2024, at UIN Sunan Maulana Hasanuddin in Serang. The Vice Rector of UIN SMH officially opened the event at the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Adab complex.
In this workshop, around 25 experts from Indonesia and the Netherlands discussed archaeological sites, cultural heritage, objects, and practices related to colonial violence through a series of field visits, seminars, and interviews. The activities were conducted in Jakarta, Serang, and Yogyakarta.
The workshop discussed the involvement of communities and institutions with the legacy of colonial violence, both in Indonesia and the Netherlands, through archaeological sites, cultural artifacts, and intangible cultural practices. This involvement took various forms, ranging from the conservation of cultural heritage at sites and museums, regional tourism and local economic activities, to contemporary political and social campaigns in which archaeological objects and relics played a central role.
Representing FIB UGM as participants and/or speakers are Adieyatna Fajri, Daud Aris Tanudirjo, Tular Sudarmadi, Sektiadi, Mahirta, Mimi Savitri, Farabi Fakih, and Satrio Dwi Cahyo, while from the Netherlands there are Prof. Martijn Eickhof, Prof. Daan Raemaekers, Prof. Nanci Adler, and Klaas Stutje. From UIN SMH, there were Prof. Mufti Ali, Prof. Yanwar Pribadi, Rohman, and Aris Muzhiat. From Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, there was Moh. Ali Fadhilah. From the bureaucracy, there were Panggah Ardiansyah and Lita Rahmiati. The event was also attended by four students from the Archaeology and History programs at FIB UGM.
