Published on March 10, 2014
The Old Batavia heritage complex in the historical part of the capital city Jakarta will come alive with the Fatahillah Fiesta which is scheduled to take place on 13 – 16 March 2014.
The event will feature various art and cultural performances, Culinary Festival, Art exhibitions, and more. One of the special highlights of the Fatahillah Fiesta will be the Video Mapping show which will illustrate the history of Old Batavia.
Promised to be a spectacular occasion, the 12 minutes video mapping show will use the latest projection and lighting technologies. The video mapping show will be presented by Sembilan Matahari production whose founder, Adi Panuntun, recently won the Grand Prize Winner of The Projection Mapping Competition in the Zushi Media Arts Festival in Japan.
There will also be a contemporary fine art exhibition which will last for 6 months at the 2nd floor of the Fatahillah Post Office. The exhibition will feature no less than 47 Indonesian finest fine art maestros including Agus Suwage and Dolorosa Sinaga.
Featuring traditional culinary delights, the culinary festival will highlight the Fatahilah Fiesta from 13th to 16th March 2014.
The event is presented by Jakarta Old Town Revitalization Corporation (JOTRC) in collaboration with Jakarta Endowment For Art & Heritage (JEFORAH). The two organizations were initiated by the Provincial Government of Jakarta, 2 State-owned enterprises, 9 private sector businesses, and also a number of cultural figures, activists, and communities.
On Thursday, 6th March, in Jakarta, Lin Che Wei, Chairman of the Board Directors of JEFORAH commented that the “Fatahillah Fiesta is the first step in commencing a bigger program in the agenda of revitalizing the old Batavia complex” as reported beritajakarta.com. He also explained that there will also be a Visitor Center on the first floor of the Fatahillah Post Office intended for investors, architects, designers, urban planners, and others who wish to learn more about the Old Batavia Revitalization Programs.
Meantime, Head of the Office of Tourism and Culture of Jakarta, Arie Budhiman explained that the Old Batavia Complex plays a significant part in terms of the economy, social, and culture. He also added that the process of revitalizing the Old Batavia will not only involve the government but also the private sector and the general public.
He also hopes that after the Fatahillah Fiesta, which is the milestone in Old Batavia’s revitalization program, there will be more parties attracted to become
involved in the development of the complex.”Old Batavia must not be neglected, we must preserve it since it is an important heritage site of Jakarta” he added.
In its heydays in the 16th century, Batavia was known as “The Queen of the East” and “the Jewel of Asia”. Its Sunda Kelapa harbour was abuzz with merchant vessels from Europe, China, India and from throughout the Indonesian archipelago, loading in and sailing away with precious nutmegs, pepper, tea, coffee, ceramics, cloths and other exotic products of the time. The warehouses were stacked with spices, tin and copper. The successful trade in Batavia filled the coffers of the Netherland’s Treasury.
Center of the VOC Dutch East India Company’s administration was the Stadthuis (today it is the Museum Fatahillah) with its wide front plaza, around which were the Court of Justice, banks and other important buildings. The entire area, covering 1.3 square kilometers is what is today known as the Old Batavia, present day part of North and West Jakarta.
Today many of the original buildings are still intact and the government has designated the Old Batavia as an important conservation area and revitalization programs are underway to ensure that the “Jewel of Asia” will exude its past glory once again.
Related Links
Old Batavia
Jakarta: Indonesia’s National and Business Capital
The Thousand Islands: A Sensational Islands Resort
Sunda Kelapa Harbor
Ancol: Jakarta Bay City
Heritage Sites in Jakarta
The Fatahillah Jakarta Museum in Old Batavia
Glodok: Jakarta’s Historic Chinatown
Toko Merah: Oldest Trade Building now open for Art Exhibitions and Convention
