May 28, 2018

Wastra Weekend, First Edition Recap


First photo in the Batik Statement Photo Booth with 
Lara of Laras Bags, Sabine (me), Romée & Myrthe of Guave, 
Marlisa of Taman Indonesia and right Gandamira. 
For all Wastra Weekend-Batik Statements click here


On 24 & 25 February 2018 me & Marlisa Wareman organised our first Wastra Weekend. We were already talking and thinking many years about how we could share our love for Indonesian textiles, and Batik in particular. When last year the tropical greenhouse opened at Animal park Taman Indonesia, of which Marlisa is the owner, the perfect place was created to organise an event all about Indonesian textiles, no matter what the weather would be like. 

Me & Marlisa with the Batik I selected from her 
during my second journey to Batik in 2016


For our first Wastra Weekend we choose the not so busy February month. This edition we made a little cinema to show my short film 'The journey to Batik- Tari Batik' with 3 other textile-films; the documentary 'Batik, our love story' from 2012 by Nia Dinata, 'Rangsa Ni Tonun' about Batak textiles by Sandra Niessen & MJA Nashir and 'Ingkerr anyent-antey' about Utopia Batik from Australia. In the greenhouse we made 3 exhibitions, one of my Batik collection, one of Marlisa's collection of Mentawai & Papua accessories and one of clothing from almost every Indonesian Island. 

The exhibition of my Batiks started with this one by Ibu Maryati 
which has also an leading role in my film

Mentawai and Papua Bags 

View from upstairs 

My Pagi-Sore Batik next to the rice in the greenhouse

Batik with 'Ghosts & Coffee' design by Mak Si'Um from Batang

Overview of my collection

On every Batik piece were photos of the makers and the creation process, 
on this Batik the actual canting and dying of this cloth


It was amazing to use the tropical greenhouse as an exhibition space and to finally show off the beautiful Batiks I have been collecting since 2009. I also, for the first time, showed the Pagi-sore Batik made after my design. 
During the weekend I gave tours through the exhibition sharing more about the Batiks on display; where they were from, who made them and some interesting details about them. It was also wonderful that my film was being shown throughout the day, so people could see most of the actual makers of the Batiks and the their Batiks on the same day!

Guided tour through my collection by me

Wastra Consultation Table 
for questions on your own brought textiles or to learn more about Batik


Next to the tours, I had a Wastra Consultation Table ("Wastra Spreekuur") were people could come with their own textiles for more information, browse through books, learn about natural dyes and other materials used to make Batiks and of course ask questions. Five people actually brought some textiles with them, Ikat & Batiks, and I got many questions. It was fun to have this spot, because people also came to me with questions on the films they just saw or after the tour I had given. 
My Wastra Consultation was in the other part of the greenhouse which we named the Batik square ("Batikplein") for this weekend. On the Batik square we made a Pasar, market, were people could shop all kind of amazing items made from Indonesian textiles. We had a stall by Lara with her Laras Bags made from Ikat from Flores and Batik from Java, Guave with their sustainable brand using also Batik from Java. Gandamira sold all kinds of batik-things on Saturday and Made by Ayo shared her natural dye Batik bags & clutches on Sunday. From all of them you can still get some items at the toko of Taman Indonesia!

Laras Bags

Guave

Guave




We had such fun and a great turn-out! 
Thanks for everyone who came to this first edition 
and hope to see you back again at our second edition!

Our Second Wastra Weekend will be held on 23 & 24 February 2019 at Animal park Taman Indonesia, Kallenkote, so hope to see you there!


For more on the first edition:

See the Batik Statements visitors made in this Facebook album

Read Lara's review on Indoness.nl (in Dutch)


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