PHOTOGRAPHY

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Celebrating History, Wilderness, Ethnic

and Diplomacy

Photography Exhibition:

Memories from Borneo

Dedicated for his photographs,

Wolfgang Leupold

ErasmusHuis Jakarta 22 April - 6 May 2014

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wildlife jungles full of giantic trees that grew towards the sun with big roots that came out from the ground, home of hundreds of plants and animals. Strong flow rivers that spread widely throughout the islands, in the not-yet-t o u c h e d o f t h e w o r l d rainforest, Borneo. Within the wilderness, lives the groups of native people of Dayak. The indigenous tribal ethnic owes great language and cultural variation. This atmosphere was captured remarkably in o l d - b l a c k a n d w h i t e -monochrome photographs by a Swiss Geologist, Wolfgang Leupold as except iona l

memories during his stay between 1921 - 1927. Over 90 years later, on April 2014, his photo collection filled up the Dutch culture center,

ErasmusHuis in Jakarta on April 2014. Wolfgang Leupold was a Swiss Geologist employed by Dutch East Indie, colonial government who ruled the entire archipelago at that time. In his employment period in Indonesia, Leupold visited and examined the drill towers and facilities. As the Dutch co lon ia l entered Borneo after having an ag reement wi th Br i t i sh colonists in 1871 that stated m o s t o f B o r n e o a r e a (Southern area) was allocated to the Dutch government, Leupold assigned to Borneo since the land has the most potential oil sites throughout the country until present day. He moved together with his wife and his infant child, Erika and Urs Leupold.

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Flashback in Time: The Unspoiled Borneo

PHOTOGRAPHY

Leupold's collection pictured harmonious moments of ethnic group living in Dayak's culture despite of the colonial period.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Altough he worked for foreign colonists, Leupold showed his deep interest in the local landowner s ' cu l ture.His c o l l e c t i o n p i c t u r e d a harmonious moments of ethnic group living in Dayak's culture, despite of the colonial p e r i o d . I n f a c t , h i s photographs proved there w e r e e x c h a n g e s o f accomodation for Leupold to capture the photos of the tribesmen and their living. In addition, scenes were taken when his family enjoyed their relocation placement. One picture was shot inside his residence showing firmed and

thick wooden interiors with European style accessories. It represented the cultural diffusion. The symbiotic living was not only shown between the guests and the landowners,

but also the residents and the nature. The photos held evidences about Dayak tribes living especially in their c u l t u r e a n d s o c i e t y development against their w i l d l i f e . Fo r e i g n a n d i n d u s t r i a l c u l t u r e h a d influenced Dayaks way of from Indian, Chinese and Portugese. Finally British and Dutch people started to use Borneo coasts as their trading posts in 1600's. It continued until the early 1900's when the photographs were taken. As an example, woven-fabric clothes were portrayed in the pictures of Dayaks casual family portrait, even during the traditional ceremony. It blended with their traditional attire. Not to mention, their wooden and ratan made r i ve r b o a t s a s m o d e o f transportation.

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The Foreign Guests and The Tribesmen Landowners

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wolfgang Leupold managed to capture the moments in Borneo with camera which does not exist anymore in the landscape that also does not exist anymore. Over 70 percent of Borneo that he caught is now palm oil and banana plantation. The rest of 30 percent is not even l o n g e r e x i s t . I t w a s u n q u e s t i o n a b l y t h a t a photographer instinct who snatched those pictures. He might have been supported by the magnificent wildlife as his background and blazing sunlight as his l ighting, Leupold without a doubt performed great quality of photography using facilities

and accommodation that were present at that time. Wolfgang Leupold might have i n t e n d e d t o u s e t h e s e photographs as his private proper ty as memorable heritage for his generation, however the photographs hold much greater purposes for public even more for diplomatic relationship. To preserve this remarkable story, his descendant decided to extend the family treasure into research and public access. T h e p h o t o g r a p h s h a d prev ious ly d i sp layed at U n i ve r s i t y o f Z u r i ch ' s Museum of Etnography back in 2012 to celebrate 60 years of Swiss-Indonesian relation. T hen i t t r an s f e r red to I n d o n e s i a t h r o u g h a

cooperation project betwwen a n t h r o p o l o g i s t s f r o m University of Indonesia, Swiss Embassy in Jakarta and the Ethnographic Museun of the University of Zurich as cultural heritage.

written by Ayu Hannisfa

The Author of Blog: chiyoandaya.wordpress.com

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Present-Day Appreciation