Museum MACAN’s Children's Art Space commission project presents UMA, an installation by Ibu Arsitek. UMA explores Indonesia’s vernacular architecture as a form of indigenous science and cultural heritage, and encourages a life lived in harmony with Mother Earth.

Harmony is the essence of every Indigenous culture across Nusantara. From the West to the East, ancestral teachings convey a similar message: humans and nature are inseparable. Humans have a role to maintain the balance of nature, and share the planet with other creatures on Earth. Harmony manifests itself in various rituals, dances, songs, myths, agriculture practices, culinary traditions, and vernacular architecture—local wisdom from which the Indonesian identity is rooted.

Changing times and the demands of modernity has transformed the relationship between humans and nature. Indonesia is no exception. Urbanization and rapid growth have affected the way we live and perceive our own culture. As this nation continues to develop and reconfigure our identity, there are several urgent questions to reflect on:

• How relevant is ancestral wisdom in our lives today?

• Do we really know the landscapes of our homeland?

• What kind of Earth do we want to leave behind for our children and grandchildren?

UMA emerges as a bridge that connects humans and nature, urban and rural, ancestors, and successors, tradition and innovation. UMA, which means both ‘home’ and ‘mother’ in many regional languages and dialects in Nusantara, emphasizes architecture as a science formed by a genuine understanding of geographical context, climatic conditions, and cultural nuances of a community.  It centers architecture not as a tool of indulgence but an approach to harmony and sustainability.

UMA is an interactive space offering multisensorial experience. Audiences can learn about the Indonesian topography, traditional houses, and biodiversity using flashcards–cum–paper puppets. They can also design and build traditional house-model using modular pieces and place them onto the terraced platforms inside the gallery. As the puppets and houses accumulate, what starts as an individual experience grows into collective memories. Together, we are invited to be a part of a community, sensing and celebrating the Mother Earth who gives birth to life.

Ultimately, like a child yearning for a mother’s embrace, UMA is a call to come home, to ground ourselves and rediscover the roots that bind us together.

Collaborators