Build a Cultural Center Amid Mountain Forest, Owned by a Cool US and Australian Graduate

A few days ago, there was a friend of mine, his name was Ari Pahlavi. He took me to see his new place. He will set up a cultural center there. He named it "Rangkang Seni Jauhari" (RSJ).

The cultural center that he plans to establish takes the concept of uniting art with nature and the community environment, based on the geography and history of the place.

Ari Pahlavi is a graduate, doctoral in ethnomusicology at Monash University, Australia. Previously he studied for his master's degree in the Asian Studies Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States of America.

This place was a hill in the middle of the wilderness. He bought it and turned the hill in the forest into a cultural center. He and his family will live there when it is finished.

Meaning, he wants to live his whole life there with artists new and old, in the future. This graduate of the United States and Australia is indeed cool.

Of all my friends, I just found him, proved all his dreams, with a mature plan, with sincerity, with optimism, and with enough strategy to succeed.

I don't know because he is a high graduate from a developed country. That is, in the context of serving human culture, Ari Pahlavi is very American and Australian. Hopefully, next time there will be more people like this.

Beautiful Low Forest

This area is a beautiful low forest, the trees are green, the river is always watery. This is an area that includes fertile. Harmless small animals, such as monkeys, are here.

If we go into the forest further inland, there will also be deer and similar animals. There are no elephants on the west side of this mountain. We have no predators here. Tigers are rare, not even here. They were on the other side of these mountains. The largest animal we have is the elephant.

I've only been to this area a few times. This is one of the areas with the average fertility rate in Aceh. The hills, which have complex gaps and some of the tops are barren, make farmers not use livestock as plantation crops. However, it is a beautiful sight to behold. The people here make their living in the flat rice fields and gardens in the lower valleys.

A few kilometers from this place, there is a river sand mining company. There is also a post for the Indonesian National Armed Forces, the army. They were about a few hundred meters from this place, blocked by lots of trees and hillsides, so this cultural center was quiet and safe.

Documentary Film

Ari Pahlavi also invited us to record a documentary film, the opinions of local figures as our basis for developing cultural programs in this nature reserve.

“We don't want to come as bosses, who are considered rich people, and ask them to work, who are seen as giving everything. Not like that. But what we want is as soon as we come in, we ask them what they want in the art world, and then we help them to become what they dream of becoming. We want to be a bridge to their success," said Ari Pahlavi, in our meeting yesterday.

As someone who also creates cultural communities, I love the style of this graduate from the United States and Australia. He has an open mind and is a fighter for what he thinks is right. Warrior in principle of life. Same seems. Maybe that's why we got to know each other.

Radio Playback

Among the programs we would like to feature are radio dramas. We don't know what theme to take yet. Is it the history of Indrapuri, or are we making up a new fictional story about that place, or something else. We haven't found the right choice yet.

Conventional radio (FM and AM) enthusiasts here have decreased. Streaming radio is also not in demand, no streaming radio here. People in our area are more interested in making videos than radio.

Nonetheless, we plan to bring the radio show to life. Maybe to play it we will open streaming radio or cooperate with conventional radio which is still operating in this city.

I promise I will make it, however, we are waiting for the facility to be ready on the spot first. Who knows after we open this place, there will be young people who have artistic talents, including writing. With that in mind, let the youth do the work.

For now, we are focused on completing the area where this building is located and moving the “Rumoh Aceh” purchased by Ari Pahlavi to this place. The house is made of wood. It will be dismantled, then all the materials will be moved here. After that it was installed again. That's normal in our culture, moving Aceh houses (Rumoh Aceh)

Culture Laboratory

We also dream that one day this place will become a kind of cultural laboratory. We want to help people to get cultural information. We will make this place a kind of place for arts and culture studies. We will slowly do it according to the HR who will join this RSJ.

In a community with the status of a foundation, “Yayasan Genta Seni Jauhari”, we tend to avoid anything formal. We'll do creative free stuff, like great United States style, and Australian style.

The place which is used as a cultural center is approximately 30 kilometers from downtown Banda Aceh, approximately 45 minutes by land vehicle. If you want to come here, from Banda Aceh you can reach it by car or motorcycle.

There are no trains or planes or helicopters. The waterway through the river is also inaccessible as it is a mountainous area.

You can't get here by bike either. The climb will make it difficult for you. You have to take the bike and then walk with the bike on your shoulders. That's crazy. However, if you like marathons, you can come here by walking or slow jogging. Here, the air is still clean.

I myself imagine, how our dreams will come true. There is a traditional building in the middle of the forest which is a cultural center. Every day and night, young people work. They study music, dance, writing, drama, video, and anything else possible.

Really, it's beautiful in my imaginary picture. Hopefully the question in the future is more beautiful. This friend of mine who graduated from the United States and Australia really knows where to choose a place to attract attention.

Thank You

February 10, 2023

Kind Regards
Thayeb Loh Angen

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Captions All Photos: A piece of land for a cultural center, in Indrapuri, Aceh Besar, Aceh, Sumatra. Photo by me @thayeblohangen. Sunday, February 5, 2023.