Sadiah Boonstra | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
Papers by Sadiah Boonstra
From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals... more From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals from all over the globe gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, to participate in the inaugural conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS). The organizers wanted to launch the ACHS and, in cooperation with the International Journal of Heritage Studies, establish an extensive network of scholars across the globe in order to debate and discuss cutting edge research in the field of heritage studies.
Tijdschrift Voor Geschiedenis, Nov 1, 2014
The Heritage Theater: Globalisation and Cultural Heritage, 2011
In the chapter “Negotiating Heritage, The Wayang Puppet Theatre and the Dynamica of Heritage” I d... more In the chapter “Negotiating Heritage, The Wayang Puppet Theatre and the Dynamica of Heritage” I describe how in 2008, on the initiative of the Indonesian authorities, Indonesian wayang culture was placed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Wacana, 2019
The Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam has a rich history in collecting, exhibiting, and presenting wayang... more The Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam has a rich history in collecting, exhibiting, and presenting wayang performances. This paper traces this history of collection, exhibition, and performance practice of wayang at the Colonial Institute, from 1950 known as Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from colonial times until the present. It demonstrates the entanglement of colonial and postcolonial power structures, collection, and exhibition legacies of the colonial past. The paper will show that from the moment wayang puppets entered the museum’s collection there has been continuous interaction between
collecting and exhibition practices and performance practices. The emphasis on tangible elements of performance practice in collection and exhibition practices contributed to a dominant and static
understanding of wayang.
WO2, 2018
Nu in Nederland, net als elders, de publieke aandacht groeit voor zwarte bladzijden van de geschi... more Nu in Nederland, net als elders, de publieke aandacht groeit voor zwarte bladzijden van de geschiedenis, worden pogingen ondernomen onze koloniale geschiedenis te herschrijven. Het boek Roofstaat. Wat iedere Nederlander moet weten van Ewald Vanvugt is daarvan een voorbeeld. Ook Nederlandse musea, als bewaarders van materiële overblijfselen, objecten en kunst, worstelen met de vraag hoe ze met deze pijnlijke geschiedenis kunnen omgaan, zodat we ervan kunnen leren. Hoe kunnen Roofstaat en andere voorbeelden daarbij helpen? Historica Sadiah Boonstra reikt handvatten aan waarmee ook de Tweede Wereldoorlog vanuit het perspectief van het (begin van het) einde van het koloniale tijdperk en het ontstaan van nieuwe natiestaten en hedendaagse samenlevingen kan worden beschouwd.
NUS Press, 2015
Contemporary heritage formation in Indonesia is intrinsically linked to a canon of Indonesian art... more Contemporary heritage formation in Indonesia is intrinsically linked to a canon of Indonesian art and culture developed during Dutch colonial rule, institutionalized within Indonesia’s heritage infrastructure and in the Netherlands, and echoed in museums and exhibitions throughout the world. The authors in this volume acknowledge colonial legacies but argue against a colonial determinism, considering instead how contemporary heritage initiatives can lead to new interpretations of the past.
Sites, Bodies and Stories examines the intimate links between history and heritage as they have developed in postcolonial Indonesia. Sites discussed in the book include Borobudur in Central Java, a village in Flores built around megalithic formations, and ancestral houses in Alor. Bodies refers to legacies of physical anthropology, exhibition practices and Hollywood movies. The Stories are accounts of the Mambesak movement in Papua, the inclusion of wayang puppetry in UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and subaltern history as written by the people of Blambangan in their search for national heroes. Throughout the book, citizenship entitlement figures as a leitmotif in heritage initiatives.
My PhD dissertation dealt with the politically imbued heritage discourse of the wayang theater in... more My PhD dissertation dealt with the politically imbued heritage discourse of the wayang theater in contemporary Indonesia in relation to the colonial and postcolonial past. Discourses of wayang with roots in the colonial and postcolonial past, shaped official - rather static standards - of wayang that resonate in UNESCO heritage discourse but not always match popular performance practice. I discuss the strategies of three superstar dalang [puppeteers] in dealing with dominant heritage
discourse. These strategies range from the application of codified standards to wayang shows in art academies and official heritage discourse, to a commercial performance practice that has become the
standard for official heritage and popular discourse. The third dalang successfully – albeit controversially - combines radical innovations, such as Islamic chants with sexual allusions and rude language. In 2014, this dalang was elected regent of his home province, illustrating the intertwining of culture and politics.
IIAS Newsletter, 2014
Cultural heritage is often associated with something from the past, but labelling something from ... more Cultural heritage is often associated with something from the past, but labelling something from the past as ‘heritage’ is a way of dealing with the past in the present. Cultural heritage can be seen as a process in which the meaning and value of the past in the present is created and re-created, authorized and re-authorized by those who have the power to do so. Such negotiations often deal with issues of political, national, religious, and ethnic identity issues, linked to local, national and world value systems for culture. These values and meanings of culture are not static, but change over time; the addition of the concept ‘intangible’ cultural heritage to the heritage vocabulary attests to this.
Inside Indonesia, 2011
With almost unrestrained creativity, Enthus Susmono emphatically tries to interest a wide audienc... more With almost unrestrained creativity, Enthus Susmono emphatically tries to interest a wide audience to wayang by relating to their daily lives and realities. His creation of wayang santri is just one manifestation of this. In search of new audiences, Enthus Susmono is not afraid to stretch his innovations to the limit and search for the boundaries of what is commonly regarded as the wayang tradition. In this, he is as creatively adventurous as economically minded.
Critics claim he crosses the line, but the instant success of Enthus Susmono’s wayang santri demonstrates that the boundaries of wayang are fluid. Enthus Susmono’s audience appreciates his shows for their comprehensibility, his openness, creativity and humour. This mix is appealing especially to young people and makes crude jokes and Islam wholly compatible. Innovations, both in content and form, appear to be indispensable to maintain wayang in the present. Perhaps innovation is the truly ‘authentic’ trait of tradition. In this light, the extreme innovator Enthus Susmono does not ‘destroy’ the tradition, but rather perpetuates it through innovations like wayang santri.
IIAS Newsletter, 2012
From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals... more From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals from all over the globe gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, to participate in the inaugural conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS). The organizers wanted to launch the ACHS and, in cooperation with the International Journal of Heritage Studies, establish an extensive network of scholars across the globe in order to debate and discuss cutting edge research in the field of heritage studies.
ABHINANDANAMALA. Nandana Chutiwongs Felicitation Volume
International Journal of Intangible Heritage, Jan 1, 2009
Reviews (books, exhibitions, lectures) by Sadiah Boonstra
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2020
Hearman’s conversations with survivors of the Left in East Java has led to a meticulously detaile... more Hearman’s conversations with survivors of the Left in East Java has led to a meticulously detailed, informative and lively reconstruction of disastrous times. Her focus on human agency makes insightful the crucial relationship between the army and its civilian allies in planning and carrying out the mass killings, particularly the involvement of the NU (Nahdlatul Ulama). It enables the reader to follow the life stories of a small group of people, into prison, into hiding, or towards the creation of new lives under new names and identities.
Asian Studies Review, 2019
Cultural heritage recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisat... more Cultural heritage recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has become the gold standard for the heritage industry. Many nations strive to have tangible, intangible and natural heritage inscribed on UNESCO’s various heritage lists. One of the most important UNESCO heritage sites situated in Southeast Asia is Angkor Wat in Cambodia, an extensive site comprising around 400 km2 of land housing countless magnificent remains of the Khmer empire. Its exploitation as a heritage site avant la lêttre can be traced back to colonial times. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, Angkor Wat started to attract international attention, funds and interest, which turned it into a site that played a large role in helping UNESCO to define its heritage definition and practices.
From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals... more From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals from all over the globe gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, to participate in the inaugural conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS). The organizers wanted to launch the ACHS and, in cooperation with the International Journal of Heritage Studies, establish an extensive network of scholars across the globe in order to debate and discuss cutting edge research in the field of heritage studies.
Tijdschrift Voor Geschiedenis, Nov 1, 2014
The Heritage Theater: Globalisation and Cultural Heritage, 2011
In the chapter “Negotiating Heritage, The Wayang Puppet Theatre and the Dynamica of Heritage” I d... more In the chapter “Negotiating Heritage, The Wayang Puppet Theatre and the Dynamica of Heritage” I describe how in 2008, on the initiative of the Indonesian authorities, Indonesian wayang culture was placed on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Wacana, 2019
The Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam has a rich history in collecting, exhibiting, and presenting wayang... more The Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam has a rich history in collecting, exhibiting, and presenting wayang performances. This paper traces this history of collection, exhibition, and performance practice of wayang at the Colonial Institute, from 1950 known as Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from colonial times until the present. It demonstrates the entanglement of colonial and postcolonial power structures, collection, and exhibition legacies of the colonial past. The paper will show that from the moment wayang puppets entered the museum’s collection there has been continuous interaction between
collecting and exhibition practices and performance practices. The emphasis on tangible elements of performance practice in collection and exhibition practices contributed to a dominant and static
understanding of wayang.
WO2, 2018
Nu in Nederland, net als elders, de publieke aandacht groeit voor zwarte bladzijden van de geschi... more Nu in Nederland, net als elders, de publieke aandacht groeit voor zwarte bladzijden van de geschiedenis, worden pogingen ondernomen onze koloniale geschiedenis te herschrijven. Het boek Roofstaat. Wat iedere Nederlander moet weten van Ewald Vanvugt is daarvan een voorbeeld. Ook Nederlandse musea, als bewaarders van materiële overblijfselen, objecten en kunst, worstelen met de vraag hoe ze met deze pijnlijke geschiedenis kunnen omgaan, zodat we ervan kunnen leren. Hoe kunnen Roofstaat en andere voorbeelden daarbij helpen? Historica Sadiah Boonstra reikt handvatten aan waarmee ook de Tweede Wereldoorlog vanuit het perspectief van het (begin van het) einde van het koloniale tijdperk en het ontstaan van nieuwe natiestaten en hedendaagse samenlevingen kan worden beschouwd.
NUS Press, 2015
Contemporary heritage formation in Indonesia is intrinsically linked to a canon of Indonesian art... more Contemporary heritage formation in Indonesia is intrinsically linked to a canon of Indonesian art and culture developed during Dutch colonial rule, institutionalized within Indonesia’s heritage infrastructure and in the Netherlands, and echoed in museums and exhibitions throughout the world. The authors in this volume acknowledge colonial legacies but argue against a colonial determinism, considering instead how contemporary heritage initiatives can lead to new interpretations of the past.
Sites, Bodies and Stories examines the intimate links between history and heritage as they have developed in postcolonial Indonesia. Sites discussed in the book include Borobudur in Central Java, a village in Flores built around megalithic formations, and ancestral houses in Alor. Bodies refers to legacies of physical anthropology, exhibition practices and Hollywood movies. The Stories are accounts of the Mambesak movement in Papua, the inclusion of wayang puppetry in UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and subaltern history as written by the people of Blambangan in their search for national heroes. Throughout the book, citizenship entitlement figures as a leitmotif in heritage initiatives.
My PhD dissertation dealt with the politically imbued heritage discourse of the wayang theater in... more My PhD dissertation dealt with the politically imbued heritage discourse of the wayang theater in contemporary Indonesia in relation to the colonial and postcolonial past. Discourses of wayang with roots in the colonial and postcolonial past, shaped official - rather static standards - of wayang that resonate in UNESCO heritage discourse but not always match popular performance practice. I discuss the strategies of three superstar dalang [puppeteers] in dealing with dominant heritage
discourse. These strategies range from the application of codified standards to wayang shows in art academies and official heritage discourse, to a commercial performance practice that has become the
standard for official heritage and popular discourse. The third dalang successfully – albeit controversially - combines radical innovations, such as Islamic chants with sexual allusions and rude language. In 2014, this dalang was elected regent of his home province, illustrating the intertwining of culture and politics.
IIAS Newsletter, 2014
Cultural heritage is often associated with something from the past, but labelling something from ... more Cultural heritage is often associated with something from the past, but labelling something from the past as ‘heritage’ is a way of dealing with the past in the present. Cultural heritage can be seen as a process in which the meaning and value of the past in the present is created and re-created, authorized and re-authorized by those who have the power to do so. Such negotiations often deal with issues of political, national, religious, and ethnic identity issues, linked to local, national and world value systems for culture. These values and meanings of culture are not static, but change over time; the addition of the concept ‘intangible’ cultural heritage to the heritage vocabulary attests to this.
Inside Indonesia, 2011
With almost unrestrained creativity, Enthus Susmono emphatically tries to interest a wide audienc... more With almost unrestrained creativity, Enthus Susmono emphatically tries to interest a wide audience to wayang by relating to their daily lives and realities. His creation of wayang santri is just one manifestation of this. In search of new audiences, Enthus Susmono is not afraid to stretch his innovations to the limit and search for the boundaries of what is commonly regarded as the wayang tradition. In this, he is as creatively adventurous as economically minded.
Critics claim he crosses the line, but the instant success of Enthus Susmono’s wayang santri demonstrates that the boundaries of wayang are fluid. Enthus Susmono’s audience appreciates his shows for their comprehensibility, his openness, creativity and humour. This mix is appealing especially to young people and makes crude jokes and Islam wholly compatible. Innovations, both in content and form, appear to be indispensable to maintain wayang in the present. Perhaps innovation is the truly ‘authentic’ trait of tradition. In this light, the extreme innovator Enthus Susmono does not ‘destroy’ the tradition, but rather perpetuates it through innovations like wayang santri.
IIAS Newsletter, 2012
From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals... more From 5-8 June 2012, over 500 renowned scholars, researchers, students, and heritage professionals from all over the globe gathered in Gothenburg, Sweden, to participate in the inaugural conference of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS). The organizers wanted to launch the ACHS and, in cooperation with the International Journal of Heritage Studies, establish an extensive network of scholars across the globe in order to debate and discuss cutting edge research in the field of heritage studies.
ABHINANDANAMALA. Nandana Chutiwongs Felicitation Volume
International Journal of Intangible Heritage, Jan 1, 2009
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2020
Hearman’s conversations with survivors of the Left in East Java has led to a meticulously detaile... more Hearman’s conversations with survivors of the Left in East Java has led to a meticulously detailed, informative and lively reconstruction of disastrous times. Her focus on human agency makes insightful the crucial relationship between the army and its civilian allies in planning and carrying out the mass killings, particularly the involvement of the NU (Nahdlatul Ulama). It enables the reader to follow the life stories of a small group of people, into prison, into hiding, or towards the creation of new lives under new names and identities.
Asian Studies Review, 2019
Cultural heritage recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisat... more Cultural heritage recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has become the gold standard for the heritage industry. Many nations strive to have tangible, intangible and natural heritage inscribed on UNESCO’s various heritage lists. One of the most important UNESCO heritage sites situated in Southeast Asia is Angkor Wat in Cambodia, an extensive site comprising around 400 km2 of land housing countless magnificent remains of the Khmer empire. Its exploitation as a heritage site avant la lêttre can be traced back to colonial times. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, Angkor Wat started to attract international attention, funds and interest, which turned it into a site that played a large role in helping UNESCO to define its heritage definition and practices.
Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 173, 2017
Tijdschrift voor Geschiedenis,, 2014
Truth Will Out is een geslaagde poging om een begin te maken met het doorbreken van de stilte van... more Truth Will Out is een geslaagde poging om een begin te maken met het doorbreken van de stilte van overlevenden van het geweld. Het boek is het resultaat van een Oral History-pro- ject waarbij studenten en onderzoekers van de katholieke Sanata Dharma Universiteit in Yog- yakarta voormalige politieke gevangenen en hun gezinnen, alsook ooggetuigen en daders ondervroegen. Het boek geeft inzicht in de manier waarop de historische gebeurtenissen worden herdacht en van betekenis voorzien door ‘gewone’ Indonesiërs. Om een vollediger beeld van de gebeurtenissen te geven worden niet alleen ooggetuigenissen van slachtoffers gepresenteerd, maar ook van ooggetuigen: mensen die niet hebben geleden onder het geweld, aldus de redacteur.
Open Universiteit Erfgoedblog, 2014
On the Nature of Botanical Gardens Catalogue, 2020
'On the Nature of Botanical Gardens' at Framer Framed in Amsterdam features nine contemporary Ind... more 'On the Nature of Botanical Gardens' at Framer Framed in Amsterdam features nine contemporary Indonesian artists who look critically at botanical gardens, colonial power, knowledge building and the economics of nature, its legacies and current consequences of approaching nature and plants. The exhibition seeks to decolonise the concept of botanical gardens and their role in building a Dutch colonial empire in Indonesia.
An exhibition on Banda, Nutmeg and the Treaty of Breda at Galeri Nasional, Jakarta. Held from 20 ... more An exhibition on Banda, Nutmeg and the Treaty of Breda at Galeri Nasional, Jakarta. Held from 20 September - 4 October 2017. Opened by Direktur-Jenderal Hilmar Farid and Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Rob Swartbol.
Discover the British Museum’s collection of shadow theatre puppets from Southeast Asia. Learn how... more Discover the British Museum’s collection of shadow theatre puppets from Southeast Asia. Learn how shadow theatre has been produced and performed, and find out how shadow puppet imagery is reused in the region. The exhibition draws on the Museum’s unique collection of Southeast Asian shadow puppets. See Javanese puppets from around 1800 collected by Sir Stamford Raffles – the earliest systematic collection of puppets in the world. The show also features puppets from Kelantan in Malaysia made by two innovative puppeteers in the mid-20th century, Balinese puppets gifted to Queen Elizabeth II, and a set of modern Thai shadow puppets from the 1960s and 70s. Through these objects, see how shadow puppet theatre is a living art form that still responds to the times.
Temporary exhibition on the soci-cultural legacy of Diponegoro in the Netherlands from the late 1... more Temporary exhibition on the soci-cultural legacy of Diponegoro in the Netherlands from the late 18th century until the present. In collaboration with Goethe Institut and Galeri Nasional.
Temporary exhibition on black inventors in the 19th and 20th century in the U.S.A.
Temporary exhibition on legal procedures in the 19th century in The Netherlands with a focus on H... more Temporary exhibition on legal procedures in the 19th century in The Netherlands with a focus on Hester Rebecca Nepping and Elsje Roelofs
Take a voyage of discovery exploring the three universal themes of love, intrigue and courage. Th... more Take a voyage of discovery exploring the three universal themes of love, intrigue and courage. This show is an ideal family exhibition, with the most incredible stories told for young and old alike. Visit the interactive presentation and take the stories home and share them with others.
Temporary exhibition on the Middle Eastern love story Layla and Majnun.
Temporary art exhibition on the life and work of the 19th century Greek painter Georgios Iakovidis.