In "The Appearances of Memory," the Indonesian architectural and
urban historian Abidin Kusno explores the connections between the
built environment and political consciousness in Indonesia during
the colonial and postcolonial eras. Focusing primarily on Jakarta,
he describes how perceptions of the past, anxieties about the rapid
pace of change in the present, and hopes for the future have been
embodied in architecture and urban space at different historical
moments. He argues that the built environment serves as a reminder
of the practices of the past and an instantiation of the desire to
remake oneself within, as well as beyond, one's particular time and
place.
Addressing developments in Indonesia since the fall of President
Suharto's regime in 1998, Kusno delves into such topics as the
domestication of traumatic violence and the restoration of order in
the urban space, the intense interest in urban history in
contemporary Indonesia, and the implications of "superblocks,"
large urban complexes consisting of residences, offices, shops, and
entertainment venues. Moving farther back in time, he examines how
Indonesian architects reinvented colonial architectural styles to
challenge the political culture of the state, how colonial
structures such as railway and commercial buildings created a new,
politically charged cognitive map of cities in Java in the early
twentieth century, and how the Dutch, in attempting to quell
dissent, imposed a distinctive urban visual order in the 1930s.
Finally, the present and the past meet in his long-term
considerations of how Java has responded to the global flow of
Islamic architecture, and how the meanings of Indonesian gatehouses
have changed and persisted over time. "The Appearances of Memory"
is a pioneering look at the roles of architecture and urban
development in Indonesia's ongoing efforts to move forward.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
