PRESERVING HISTORY THROUGH LOCAL INGENUITY -
Story and Images by Ferry R. Tan
Today, the renovation of the village of Wae Rebo can be considered successful, the fact that the preservation program has been awarded with the Award of Excellence from UNESCO Asia Pacific in 2012, proved that the action, taken by a few people with a healthy dosage awareness and skill, made the difference between historical existence and obliteration.
HOW MBARU NIANG CAME BACK TO LIFE
In August 2008 I joined a group of young Jakarta-based architects, later known as Rumah Asuh, led by Yori Antar on a trip to the island of Flores. I was interested in participating because the purpose of the trip concerned a non-profit program that serves a purpose I support but for me as a photographer, it also meant no constraints in deploying my creativity and put a personal touch into my images. Without further ado, I decided to volunteer in documenting the different stages of the reconstruction process because it was a project exactly right up my alley due to my outspoken interest in traditional architecture.
Earlier the architects had come across two images of the distinctive conical houses, known as Mbaru Niang, which we were now determined to see at first hand. In doing so, we learned that we were the first Indonesians to reach this corner of our own country. Once arrived in Labuan Bajo, a fishermen's town located at the western end of Flores in the Nusa Tenggara region, we set out to Wae Rebo, a six hour drive overland. Upon reaching the village plateau, after a strenuous hike of almost four hours, we were exhausted, at first; we struggled to see anything at all as a thick white mist had settled over the site obscuring everything.
When the mist had cleared revealing a somewhat forlorn, run-down settlement, we soon found four of the last surviving examples of these houses, two of which were in need of rebuilding. However, the necessary skills, having traditionally been handed down from generation to generation, had faded from memory. By establishing a harmonious dialogue with the village, the architects initiated and helped facilitate the community. This pioneering preservation project has served to renew the spirit of the village and raised an active awareness, among students and architects alike, of the endangered vernacular traditions of Indonesia’s island communities.
Mbaru Niang houses represent the living culture of the village of Wae Rebo and are considered rare due to the remaining small amounts that currently can be found in the village of Wae Rebo in the Manggarai Regency, western Flores. These dwellings symbolize unity in the family and community and serve as the communal domestic and ceremonial space for an entire clan, sheltering up to eight families, their crops and food and ritual belongings over five stories. Wae Rebo is a secluded, traditional village, situated 1.100 meters above sea level in the mountainous regions of the Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. In this village, there are only 7 of these windowless, thatched houses in a unique conical shape and a height of about 15 meters.
As with all traditional societies, the vernacular house is not merely a dwelling or a financial asset but above all, a dwelling built by the community for the community, based on communal functionality and domestic needs of its users rather than on appearance and beauty. At Wae Rebo, the Mbaru Niang house large extended families (up to 30–40 people each) but also serve as a ritual and ceremonial space to commemorate ancestors.
The house is a living cultural symbol of family and community unity and identity. Initially, the aim was to rebuild two of the four remaining houses.
Following the successful completion of the first phase, the objective became to rebuild three further houses, thereby restoring Wae Rebo to its original state of seven houses.
Indonesia is host to many historical sites and in my opinion, some deserve special attention as they have the potential to qualify as national heritage. Thanks to the efforts of Rumah Asuh, Waerebo has been recognized as a potential candidate due to its historical background and deeply rooted traditions and not in the least, the unique architecture of the Mbaru Niang.
However, preservation does need funding before it can be implemented and soon Rumah Asuh brought their proposal to the table of the Tirto Utomo Foundation in Jakarta, who eventually agrees to provide the initial funding for renovation under the lead of Yori Antar.
Later on, more investors were willing to contribute, once they too had recognized the urgency to the preservation of local heritage.
Ferry R. Tan - 2020
To be continued!
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