"Partage of Patrimony: Distributing Indonesian Music in Decolonial Netherlands"

Description

Intangible Cultural Heritage is facing a crisis in its global sustainability. Tremendous amount of concerted effort is needed to often maintain the currency and activities of many traditional music and dance practices. Debates over authenticities and restitution have been vibrant but the actual ambassadorship of heritage practice belongs to the musicians and dancers themselves, who most of the case are of the older generation and/or distant custodian.

Based on environmental historical research, I study the cultural stewardship of Indonesian angklung musicians in the Netherlands. My approach is ecological and experiential in the sense that the history of patrimony is mediated through visual and physical means. I made use of cartography, gerontography and photography to argue that intangible cultural heritage preservation necessitates a sustainable impetus beyond the public sphere.