Merawat Ingatan: the Travelogues
Abi Simatupang
About the Project
“Merawat Ingatan: the Travelogues” is a publication featuring three Canadian-Indonesian women in their early, mid, and late-20s.
Their life journeys and histories are tied together with the (often fragmented) collective memory of Indonesia as a country and people,
to narrate the circumstances many face as a collective.
Dimensions + Materials
Inserts: Laser print, 9.5 x 4.5″; receipt paper
Individual Covers: Lokta paper, mulberry paper
Laced dash single-section threadbinding
External Cover (traveler’s notebook component): Leather, paper clips
Why this Exists
In Indonesia, there are harsh realities many live through each day. For some, it is the dark histories that has painted their families with fear, or the lack of permission to be human and imperfect; a pressure to change and conform to society’s norms.
These histories are often left behind when one leaves, however this publication aims to celebrate the rawness of each memory we have inherited; a celebration of what we can remember.
Log 01
“Lili”
Her parents came to Canada around the time of the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis. Her story highlights the harsh realities of womanhood and Chinese-Indonesian discrimination in Indonesia.
Log 02
“Willow”
She grew up in Vancouver, but then moved to her family’s hometown in Bali when she was ~10 years old, before moving back to Vancouver recently. Her story covers her strict religious and traditional upbringing in a conservative Hindhu society, and how that clashes with her identity as a queer woman.
Log 03
“Bidadari”
She was born and raised in Bogor, but then naturalized in Canada since she was in 10th grade. Her story highlights the struggle of fitting in in either world, and the disorientation many immigrants face when moving from one country to another.
Video Trailer
This publication is accompanied by a motion graphic video trailer, titled “Kalau diingat…” (If I Remember…).
The video combined selected quotes and imagery from the three books with additional archival materials and personal photography works.
