Urban villages as living gallery: Shaping place identity with participatory art in Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Over the past decade, urban villages across Java Indonesia that used to be slums were transformed into colorful villages and have become tourist destinations. Each urban village represents their local identities by creating colorful murals, promoting local food and organized festivals which expressed their unique heritage. The participatory art projects conducted in urban villages were aimed to shape place identity. Artist and residents collaboratively developed place narration and art themes. The participatory art project helps urban village residents to reimagine their place, connect ideas with place’ history and culture. This study aims to understand how art and design are incorporated within the creation of place identity through participatory action. This study uses a qualitative approach to examine the mapping and engagement strategy applied in the creation of place identity in urban villages in Java Indonesia. Research data collected through in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews, field observations, participant observation, photographs and visual archive documentation and supported by literature study. This article highlights several key points taken from case studies in three urban villages in Java. The findings of this study are to introduce a conceptual framework of the participatory art model for place identity formation in urban villages.

Keywords:

• participatory art
• place identity
• living gallery
• mapping and engagement strategy

1. Introduction

Over the past decade, there has been an emergence of colorful urban villages across cities in Java, Indonesia, popularly known as rainbow villages. The realization of these rainbow villages is the result of progressive collaboration involving multiple stakeholders. Most creation of these rainbow villages started as community service projects led by social activists, university students, or various communities in an effort to improve the living conditions of urban villages that were previously slums. The most common practice of these community service projects is painting the village; thus, Kampung Pelangi, or rainbow village, became a new social and artistic movement across urban areas in Indonesia. These rainbow villages attract many visitors and gradually transform the villages into tourist destinations, triggering the local economy. The success story of one rainbow village was quickly adapted among activists and followed by urban villages in many provinces in Java, eventually increasing the participation of stakeholders.

In 2017, the Republic of Indonesia established new regional government regulations regarding citizen participation in the administration of local government. This regulation promotes the involvement of communities to participate in regional development. This regulation affects urban development planning, especially for urban village or slum area development. Participatory art performed by activists in the Rainbow Village projects has contributed to many advantages. Participatory art as a social engagement approach can be an effective way to activate residents’ creativity. However, the challenge in designing participatory art to empower communities is to address multiple issues and understand local perspectives and problems at hand. Activists or researchers must understand local perspectives and find local potentials to develop a sustainable strategy. The objective of this study is to explore frameworks and strategies in participatory action research through art, specifically in the process of shaping place identity in urban villages.

2. Methodology

This is a comparative study of participatory approaches conducted in three urban villages in Java, Indonesia, between 2016 and 2021. This study uses a qualitative approach to examine the creation process of place identity and the empowerment strategy implemented through participatory projects in three urban villages. Data collected by in-depth interviews and semi-structured interviews consisted of open-ended questions directed to activists, communities, and residents that participated in the participatory projects.

Figure 1 explained about data collecting process conducted in three urban villages. The first study was conducted in Pondok Pucung village, Tangerang, Western Java. Field observation began by visiting Pondok Pucung in 2016. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with Katoppo, the founder of Design as Generator (DAG), a design activist community that contributes to the transformation of Pondok Pucung village. The participatory projects consisted of workshops and events that were designed to empower residents by DAG in collaboration with university lecturers and students. The data for this study was gathered through participant observation during DAG workshop sessions in Pondok Pucung in 2017. In-depth interviews were also conducted with the leader of Pondok Pucung village, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the residents and participants of the participatory projects. The second study was conducted in Kampung Bustaman, Semarang, Central Java, in 2018. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with Ahmad Khairudin, the founder and director of Hysteria Collective, who started the “Bustaman Living Museum Project” in Kampung Bustaman in 2012. Visual data of participatory art works such as murals was gathered from Hysteria Collective’s archives. The third study was conducted in Kampung Pelangi, Semarang, Central Java, between 2018 and 2020. In-depth interviews were conducted with leaders in Kampung Pelangi Semarang and members of youth organizations that participated in the creation of Kampung Pelangi Festival 2019. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 residents of Kampung Pelangi Semarang in 2019.

Figure 1. Data collecting process.

Figure 2 explained about comparative study methodology. The data collected in the three urban villages were analysed as comparative data to examine the role of participatory art practices in shaping the villages’ identities. The participatory art produced was photo documented and categorized according to visual theme. The murals were analysed to see how subjects were presented and stories were expressed in the visuals. The mapping and engagement strategies used by activists were analysed and supported by literature and theoretical studies. The collaborative art process in the three urban villages will be discussed further in this article using the participatory art principles coined by Bishop (2012) and the participatory ladder according to Arnstein (1969).

Figure 2. Comparative study methodology.

The collaborative artistic production models used by activists in the three urban villages were gathered through in-depth interviews, literature studies, and observation during the participatory art process. This article will discuss engagement concepts, strategies, and participatory models such as: The Design as Generator model, which was introduced by Katoppo and Sudradjat (2014), is an engagement method implemented in Pondok Pucung that sparks community movement. An article by Khairudin, Gebryuran Bustaman: Tradition, Pride, and Solidarity (2017), discussed the creative process by the residents of Bustaman Village, the artist community, and Hysteria Collective in recreating local rituals, reviving local stories, and strengthening local potential. Amalia (2020), in the article Kampung as Living Museum, explained the artistic production by Hysteria Collective and the residents of Bustaman Village between 2017 and 2018, which demonstrated the re-interpretation of local knowledge and the creation of artworks. Re-Visit Art (Irwandi & Sabana, 2021) is an early stage of a participatory art model implemented in Kampung Pelangi that mobilizes local residents to participate in Semarang River conservation and re-interpret the place’s narrative. A comparative study of the participatory framework discussed in this article explains how art-activists or researchers map the issues and what models for engagement with society can be implemented in similar contexts.

3. Results and discussions

The challenges of the Rainbow Village projects were to transform slums into tourist destinations. Painting the village seems like a practical and effective approach to starting an empowerment project, as it could swiftly activate residents and persuade external stakeholders to participate in such a creative movement. Unfortunately, there were underlying problems such as stakeholder relations, environmental awareness, and other issues that were often oversighted. To address the various problems in the urban villages, a participatory approach is the preferred method. Participation is a bottom-up process, strengthening communication between local communities and various stakeholders in the process of problem solving or development (Torre et al., 2012). Participation makes the community sensitive to the issues at hand. It is an active process in which people or groups take the initiative and use their freedom to actively participate (Kumar & Kumari, 1991). Participatory research is characterized as knowledge production aimed at social change (Torre et al., 2012).

The combination of participatory and artistic approaches fosters a collective and creative process (Bishop, 2012). According to Bourriaud (2002), a work of art has a quality that sets it apart from other activities, which is its ability to present social transparency. Artistic activity is a game in which forms and functions develop and evolve through time and social change. Joseph Beuys provides a point of view about how art functions in society through his concept of “Social Sculpture”. Joseph Beuys presents works of art that require social involvement. According to Beuys, social involvement in works of art is based on the various values internalized by the participants, so the work of art becomes a catalyst for creative freedom. Joseph Beuys tried to understand that the practice of art, as understood in anthropology, is part of the spirit of life. The concept of social sculpture was responded to by Nicolas Bourriaud (2002) through the concept of relational aesthetics, which states that art is no longer just producing art objects but producing social relations. Bourriaud (2002) explained how artistic practices are capable of bringing heterogeneous units together on a coherent level and creating relationships in society.

The participatory project in the three villages aimed to address critical issues faced by the residents, such as floods, environmental cleanliness, and the local economy. Activists conduct dialog with village leaders, residents, and government officials and have gained constructive knowledge about how to improve the environment and strengthen local potential. A series of collaborative workshops were conducted to increase residents’ awareness and involvement. The engagement strategy implemented by activists involves mobilizing the youth community to create public awareness, fostering creativity among residents through existing communities, studying and exchanging knowledge about the region and its potentials, and how to strengthen the village’s uniqueness. The participatory art pedagogy in this study is oriented toward how art can be incorporated for social empowerment.

3.1. Participatory art in Kampung Bustaman

Kampung Bustaman is a dense 0,6-hectare urban village located in Purwodinatan Semarang, central Java, and populated by approximately 300 residents. In 2012, Hysteria Collective conducted an empowerment project in Kampung Bustaman. Hysteria Collective, in collaboration with local communities, students, and artists, explored the forgotten historical narratives in Kampung Bustaman. Mapping stages as explained in table 1. conducted by Hysteria Collective involve an ethnographic approach to exploring everyday stories told by residents. Residents shared stories in Indonesian and Javanese about local folklore, local myths, collective memory, and historical narratives of Kampung Bustaman. The collected knowledge was distributed among residents through sequential focus group discussions, highlighting the shared stories that act as bonding tools among residents until they reached a final consensus on which narratives represented their village.

Table 1. Mapping and community engagement strategy in Kampung Bustaman translated from depth interview with Khairudin 2020

Mapping Stage	Community Engagement Stage
•DemographicsSocio-political backgroundExisting communities and their activitiesTradition passed down.Everyday stories, folklores, and local myths	Knowledge distribution Motivate participation of local actors Initiate discussion forums and involve in community activities. Invite external facilitators (artist communities) Documented ideas expressed (visual artifacts and rituals) Contents created by participants.

At the community engagement stage, artist communities, students, and residents participate in creating and rehearsing performances, creating installation art, and painting the villages with thematic murals, which transform the village into a Living Museum (Amalia, 2020).

During the 1970s and 1980s, Kampung Bustaman was a famous butcher market in Semarang city. Today, Kampung Bustaman is also known for the famous mutton curry, a local cuisine that has developed since the early 1970s. The famous local cuisine was one of the main themes for the thematic mural. One of the most important murals created in Kampung Bustaman is the mural of Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman, a famous Indonesian painter in the 18^th century during Europe’s romanticism period. Raden Saleh Syarif Bustaman is the descendant of Kyai Kertoboso Bustam, and Kampung Bustaman was named after him. The mural in figure 3. reconnected Kampung Bustaman residents with the region’s historical past and instilled a sense of pride and appreciation. Another engagement project by Hysteria Collective was the creation of “Tengok Bustaman Festival” in May 2013. It consists of the artistic presentation of Kampung Bustaman as a Living Museum. Artist communities interpret local stories as the subject matter of murals and installation art.

Figure 3. Murals in Kampung Bustaman.

Source: Opposungu 2016.

3.2. Participatory art in Kampung Pondok Pucung

Kampung Pondok Pucung in Tangerang, western Java, has a different story. Kampung Pondok Pucung is an urban village located in South Tangerang City, Pondok Aren District, Banten Province, Indonesia. Tangerang City is directly adjacent to the southern area of the dense Indonesian capital city, Jakarta. This village is surrounded by two modern housing complexes, Pondok Pucung Indah and Bintaro Jaya Sector 9. Kampung Pondok Pucung can be called an “authentic” village that survived during the modern development of South Tangerang City. It develops in parallel between modernity and traditional values. Like many urban villages in Indonesia, Kampung Pondok Pucung does not have a proper development plan or adequate infrastructure facilities. Before the city’s expansion, the village consisted of many ‘Pucung trees, or Pangium edule plants, from which the name Kampung Pondok Pucung originates. With minimal facilities such as clean water, waste management facilities, and public green open space, Kampung Pondok Pucung residents must strive for themselves.

The participatory action research designed by the DAG community in 2015 aimed to empower residents of Pondok Pucung by engaging with their environment. The engagement activities as explained in figure 5. were conducted in a series of workshops. “TATITU” project “Tanam Sini Tanam Situ” in figure 4. is greening activities and events by planting trees and creating bio pores to reduce organic waste and prevent flooding. The activities showed in figure 6, was part of the environment workshops aimed to educate residents and were attended by 10 families, 20 youth residents, and 30 university students.

Figure 5. Design as Generator mapping and engagement stage.

Source: Katoppo 2014.

Figure 4. TATITU project series of greening activities in Pondok Pucung was designed by DAG.

Source: Katoppo 2014.

Figure 6. Top left - Kampung Pondok Pucung condition in 2015; middle left - mural project in 2016; Top—right – finished murals in 2016; middle right— newly reformed Pondok Pucung youth organization in 2017. Bottom - mural exhibition in Pondok Pucung 2017.

In 2017, an exhibition was held at Kampung Pondok Pucung, turning the village into a gallery. The exhibition presented murals created by residents and communities.

3.3. Participatory art in Kampung Pelangi Semarang

In 2017, figure 7, Kampung Pelangi Semarang in central Java was opened to the public. Its uniqueness lies in the topography of the village, which is located on a hill slope and creates colorful terraced settlements. Kampung Pelangi is approximately 4 hectares and consists of approximately 300 houses, located in the central area of Semarang City. Kampung Pelangi development was initiated by the municipal government of Semarang City in 2016. Kampung Pelangi, previously known as Kampung Wonosari, Randusari Semarang City, is part of the ‘Thematic Village Program, one of the government development programs that aim to improve the quality of the environment by considering factors such as improving environmental conditions, raising social and economic potential through empowerment programs, enhancing cultural character and local wisdom, and enhancing local characteristics as icons of the region.

Figure 7. Kampung Pelangi entrance photographed in 2019.

To investigate Kampung Pelangi residents’ participation during the revitalization process of Kampung Pelangi in 2017, data was collected from 30 residents through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire based on Arnstein’s ladder of participation explained in figure 8. (Arnstein, 1969).

Figure 8. Arnstein ‘s participatory ladder Arnstein (1969).

Source: Kindon et al. (2007).

Table 2, data shows that the level of resident participation in the village revitalization in 2017 was at four levels of participation: (1) not participating, (2) Informing, (3) consultation, and (4) placation.

1. 13 out of 30 residents are at the non-participating level.

2. 10 out of 30 residents in the information level.

3. 4 out of 30 residents are at the consultation level.

4. 3 out of 30 respondents are at the placation level.

Table 2. Participation level of Kampung Pelangi residents in 2017 revitalization process

Participation levels	Results
Placation	3
Consultation	4
Informing	10
Non participation	13

At the level of non-participation, Arnstein (1969) explained that at this stage, participation is at its lowest when citizens are not involved in implementation or planning. Although a few residents of Kampung Pelangi in the RW04 area managed independently to decorate their own houses, residents were not involved in formal planning meetings or decision-making processes. The data is also supported by information obtained from interviews with residents, and one of the residents of Kampung Pelangi RW 03 provided information that the work of revitalization in the village was carried out entirely by the municipal government. In the process of revitalizing Kampung Wonosari in 2017, the government deployed 50 volunteers.

The development of Kampung Pelangi involves a larger network of stakeholders, initiated by the municipal government and participated in by many universities and corporate responsibility programs. The development of Kampung Pelangi started as a top-down development in 2017. The painting of the villages was mostly conducted by volunteers gathered by the municipal government; however, over time, Kampung Pelangi development attracted many stakeholders, thus increasing the participation of the residents.

Mapping and engagement stages in Kampung Pelangi as explained in figure 9. are varied because they are conducted by many stakeholders with different independent goals. A series of events and workshops are frequently conducted. Mural projects as showed in figure 10, culinary projects, and traditional performances were presented at the Kampung Pelangi Festival held in 2019.

Figure 10. Cultural diversity murals in Kampung Pelangi Festival 2019.

Source: Fajar 2019.

Figure 9. Illustrated mapping and engagement strategy by multiple stakeholders in Kampung Pelangi 2017–2019.

Source: Irwandi et al. (2020).

Data collected by interviews conducted with the leaders of Kampung Pelangi and facilitators involved in empowerment programs recommended that further empowerment actions or programs consider the following aspects: establishing close communication between stakeholders, promoting dialogue for citizens to convey their aspirations, exploring the characteristics of the village, identifying the potentials, which include the potential of the community and environment, and finally empowering existing communities.

During 2021, Semarang River Community (PAKAS), a conservation community established by residents of Kampung Pelangi since 2020, together with Hysteria Collective, researchers, historians, and university students, organized an event called PAKAS,“a short form of”Panggilan Kali Semarang“or Semarang River Calling. The event is to celebrate the 474^th anniversary of Semarang City. The event consists of a discussion forum, a mural exhibition as showed in figure 11, cultural performances, a fishing contest, and a tour to the Bergota cemetery, which is located in Kampung Pelangi. The event is to trace the history of the Semarang River, which had its significance during the Dutch colonial era and the early establishment of Semarang as an important trade region in Indonesia. The Semarang River Calling event is to represent the village’s identity and communicate historical importance and cultural diversity in Semarang. The “Panggilan Kali Semarang” participatory art project in 2021 triggered a new form of tourism in Kampung Pelangi, which is a historical and Religious tour’ to Bergota cemetery and a historical tour of Semarang River (Irwandi & Dan Sabana, 2021).

Figure 11. Murals of Semarang River Calling Festival 2021 in Kampung Pelangi.

3.4. Participatory art model to shape villages’ identity

Most participatory projects conducted in the three urban villages consist of a series of workshops that aim to explore the village’s potential, such as mural workshops where artists collaborate with residents to paint murals in the alley and turn village walls into mural galleries or culinary workshops where students collaborate with residents to create local cuisine, and gradually these workshops turn the village into productive spaces. Table 3 showed the art work theme developed during participatory art project. The point of departure in the transformation of the urban village into a living gallery is the communities’ awareness and their relations with their social context, supported by their urge to explore creative ideas. Developing the village’s identity is simply a way to represent its local potential and uniqueness. However, participation in shaping a place’s identity is not only a matter of the commodification of a place but also efforts to create sustainable developments in various sectors.

Table 3. Art work theme comparison and communities involved in three participatory art project

Villages	Participants	Art work theme
Kampung Pondok Pucung 2016–2017	• Pondok Pucung Youth CommunityPondok Pucung ResidentsArtist communities	Local Figure-religious leaders Environmental awareness messages Pondok Pucung village’s history which was once a plantation of Pucung trees.
Kampung Bustaman 2017–2018	• Hysteria CollectiveArtist communities from central JavaBustaman residents	Local Figure-Raden Saleh Bustaman 18^th century Indonesian artist. Bustaman Village’s history.
Kampung Pelangi 2019–2020	PAKAS communityBergota RW4 residentsArtists communities:Ismu, Cutnotslice, Inonk-Inonk, Demakomunal Bergota RW4 residents Artists communities: Ismu, Cutnotslice, Inonk-Inonk, Demakomunal	Local Figure-1^st Semarang’s regent Ki Ageng Pandanaran Fishing activities which represent Semarang River community Flower which represents florist community. Dutch colonial trade ship which represents Semarang River history. Cultural diversity

Participatory art works not only attract visitors but also communicate place narratives that can relate to a wider context. The uniqueness of each village is represented by the existence of traditional arts, local culinary, unique rituals that are fostered by the local community.

Figure 12 explained about the comparative participatory model in three urban villages. The study of residents’ participation in shaping place identity in the three urban villages is intended to look for important key elements and explore the transferable aspect of the model. In this section, we discussed the common criteria found in the mapping stages of each model. Social context, as mentioned by Katoppo and Sudradjat (2014) and exercised by DAG in Pondok Pucung in 2014, began by mapping the demographics and establishing close communication with the resident. Immersive investigation during field research revealed findings of major problems faced by the residents and affirmed the urgency that needed to be addressed. Inspired by the immersive approach performed by DAG in Pondok Pucung, community relations in the Re-Visit Participatory Art model (Irwandi & Dan Sabana, 2021) are one of the key criteria in research mapping stages that focus deeply on residents’ perspectives, which was exercised in the participatory art project in Kampung Pelangi in 2020. The findings about community relations in Kampung Pelangi reveal that most problem solving is conducted by the residents in the spirit of ‘guyub, a Javanese term for community cohesion, or “gotong-royong, an Indonesian common cultural behavior for solving problems together in mutual cooperation. The immersive nature of research during mapping stages can be further refined to achieve citizens” pedagogy, as mentioned by Khairudin, which focused on intangible aspects, local knowledge, and local belief. Hysteria Collective, led by Khairudin, conducted a series of artistic intervention projects during Bustaman Village in 2017. The mapping stages of the research adopted a similar ethnographic approach by studying and exchanging knowledge about place history and a deep understanding of local values.

Figure 12. Participatory model framework comparation.

The common engagement process between the three models starts at the intervention stage. This is the crucial stage in the Design as Generator model (Katoppo & Sudradjat, 2014), which explained how activists should respond, encourage multi-stakeholders, and collaboratively improve the village environment through a series of programs. Artists, researchers, or any activist members’ main role is to facilitate residents’ participation in the programs and encourage their increased participation in any roles. The intervention stage in the Re-Visit Participatory Art model (Irwandi & Sabana, 2021) starts with dialog between facilitators and residents, followed by ideation and co-creation. Both the ideation stage in the DAG model (Katoppo & Sudradjat, 2014) and the Re-Visit model (Irwandi & Sabana, 2021) comprises gathering criteria and concepts on how to strengthen local potentials. Ideas produced not only aimed to produce art objects but also how to change habits or behaviors, such as rituals that are integrated into traditional arts. In Bustaman Village, Hysteria Collective revived local stories and created contemporary rituals called Gebyuran Bustaman, which involved hundreds of residents splashing water on each other by using water, which symbolized the soul-cleansing process of Ramadan (Amalia, 2020). The Semarang River Conservation Community in Kampung Pelangi held a “Semarang River Calling” event, which consisted of activities such as collaboratively cleaning The Semarang River, holding a fishing competition, and raising awareness to conserve the Semarang River. The traditional ritual “Nyadran Kali” was adapted during the opening ceremony of the “Semarang River Calling” event in 2021. “Nyadran Kali” is a traditional Javanese ritual to express gratitude and thanksgiving for the abundant availability of water. The “Semarang River Calling” event also conducts pilgrimages and religious tours to the Bergota cemetery. The tour was guided by Kampung Pelangi residents who communicated with visitors about Semarang’s important figures and coordinated the “nyekar” activities, a Javanese term for pilgrimage. Visitors can learn about the important figures in the history of Semarang City as showed in the murals in figure 13, such as Ki Ageng Pandanaran, the first leader of Semarang; K.H. Sholeh Darat, a prominent religious figure in Central Java; Ki Kertoboso Bustam, the ancestor of Indonesian famous painter Raden Saleh Bustaman; and Nyai Brintik, an important female figure in the history of Bergota (Irwandi & Sabana, 2021). The co-create stages aim to mobilize residents to participate in the design process. The Cycles in Re-Visit participatory art model is implemented in a series of collaborative workshops that aim to address problems encountered by the residents and explore the village’s potential. Design experimentation demonstrated by DAG mobilizes residents and facilitators to participate in a series of workshops designed to foster creativity or artistic expression. This stage includes defining the design context (Katoppo & Sudradjat, 2014) and building prototypes collaboratively.

Figure 13. Mural creation during Semarang River Calling participatory art project in Kampung pelangi, Semarang.

3.5. Participation of local actors

Bishop (2012) mentioned that Arnstein’s Ladder of Participation, which culminates in ‘citizen control, is worth recalling in any participatory art practice. According to Bishop, at a certain point, art must hand over to other institutions if social change is to be achieved; it is not enough to keep producing activist art. The role of artists in participatory art production is to inspire communities. The most important point is when residents tell their version of place narratives and meaning according to how they see the “newness” in their village as “ours” and not “theirs”. Hamdi (2004) highlighted that in every city, there is always an opportunity to develop the “intelligence” of the city. One idea becomes a collective interest, expanding networks and ultimately leading to broader commitments. How small an action in the beginning can turn into a bigger program, and how an emergence can be sustained and carefully nurtured by the capacity of the citizens to organize. In these conditions, collective action is very dynamic when citizens produce new meanings and rules.

According to Arnstein (1969), the ideal condition of participation is when citizens have control over planning and development. To improve mapping and engagement strategies, close communication between stakeholders and local communities should be fostered to establish progressive roadmaps, empowerment plans, and assessments.

The increasing or decreasing role of stakeholders should be balanced with the independence of citizens to control various contexts, thus creating a displacement of participation and control from external stakeholders to local stakeholders as explained in figure 14. The mapping and engagement process from small to large activities, workshops, or events should be viewed as an effort to create opportunity by supporting and motivating local actors or champions. The increasing or decreasing role of external stakeholders as explained in figure 15. in creating and managing programs should be balanced with the independence of local actors or champions.

Figure 15. Participatory art action model to shape place identity in urban villages.

Figure 14. Illustration of balanced participation.

Source: Irwandi et al. (2020).

Figure 16 is an illustration of an improved version of the Re-Visit participatory art model (Irwandi & Dan Sabana, 2021) with refined key concepts inspired by Khairudin and Katoppo and Sudradjat (2014). According to Kharirudin, mapping and engagement in urban villages is an immersive process, and researchers must rely on the quality of participation to ensure constant dialog with informants. Gathering local stories and local perspectives is to search for narratives that bind the sense of belonging. Belongingness and commonness are in contrast with newness and how local communities open themselves to creative possibilities. It also reveals how the relationship between place and participation needs to be understood in terms of a negotiated process of identity and belonging. The emergence of resident initiatives plays a very critical role in successful participation programs. According to Kharirudin as mentioned by Amalia (2020), the key to change is active ‘local actors ‘or ‘local champions, according to Katoppo and Sudradjat (2014).

Figure 16. Process of mapping and engagement for identity formation framework in urban village. Inspired by Paasi (1986), Raagmaa (2002), Khairudin (2017), Katoppo and Sudradjat (2014), Amalia (2020).

3.6. Urban village as living gallery

In finding insight into identity formation, Paasi introduced a model of regional identity formation that consists of territorial shape, symbolic shape, and institutional shape (Paasi, 1986). Paasi discussed the emerging socio-spatial consciousness or locality in the region among the inhabitants. In territorial shaping, a region‘s boundaries become identified as a recognized territorial unit corresponding to a larger regional structure. This existence of boundaries acted as a basis for social classification. The symbolic shape exists in a territory as a mosaic of values that represents the region. The symbolic shape can be material or traditional in nature, or it can be shaped by important local figures that play a significant role within the territory. The institutional structure comprises formal or informal organizations recognized in the territory. The formation of the region’s identity is the result of a continuous process of conscious transformation by the ruling institutions.

In addition to the Paasi concept, Raagmaa (2002) argued that the process of region formation affects the disappearance and renewal processes of regions, which consist of re-terrorization, re-symbolization, and re-institutionalization.

Borrowing Raagmaa (2002) point of view about regional identity formation, it can be concluded that the existence of urban villages in Java, Indonesia, is a process of re-terrorization, re-symbolization, and re-institutionalization. The process of terrorization is a contest performed according to the various interests of the people. Re-terrorization can be caused by the economic expansion of the city. However, terrorization can also be caused by new inhabitants who express their territory with contemporary values.

The walls in Kampung Bustaman and Kampung Pondok Pucung, which segregated the village from modern urban spaces, have been transformed by local communities into vistas of expression. The murals can be viewed as an act of re-symbolization when local communities re-use symbols from their interpretation of history or tradition.

4. Conclusion

Participatory art in shaping place identity in the rainbow village is a continuing synthesis of human relations, social, cultural, and conceptualization of space. Participatory art in urban villages is a process of realizing shared identity, a physical manifestation of people’s interaction with the urban environment, and an appreciation of cultural values. The common strategies and practices analysed in this study can be summarized as follows: Participatory art re-contextualizes local values with contemporary issues; Participatory art is a representation of community expressions and instils a sense of belonging; Participatory art is to explore Villages’ uniqueness and redefine new meaning according to local and global perspectives. The practical effect of participatory art is its ability to mobilize residents and stakeholders and transform slum areas into creative spaces.

The participatory art practices demonstrate how stakeholders can foster community participation. The participatory ideation and planning process should constantly emphasize bottom-up processes. The participatory art model shows how artists or facilitators should be catalysts who encourage and mobilize local communities to participate in creative movements that spark creative independence. Participatory art practices can progress at a very slow pace or they can progress swiftly, depending on residents or the local community’s responses and interests. Local champions play a very critical role in determining the acceleration of community participation.

The urban village as living gallery is a re-interpretation of space, a form of expression resulting from a deep understanding of local knowledge and the intense participation of residents and various communities in exchanging knowledge. Each village should have its own uniqueness, and creative approaches should be tailored according to the local residents’ visions, contemporary issues, and the impact that can be achieved. The participatory art framework to shape place identity can hopefully inspire further research and encourage the development of art and culture organizations in different provinces in Indonesia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ernest Irwandi

Ernest Irwandi MDs Design, PhD Ernest Irwandi is an art and design researcher and lecturer based in Universitas Pelita Harapan Indonesia. Area of research is social design and participatory art.