TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The wall of Banceuy Prison remnants in Bandung where Indonesian first president, Soekarno, was held captive is full of graffitis and stench of urine. The pathetic scene will soon be gone when a group of statue craftsmen clean the site and build a statue called "Soekarno Berpikir" (Thoughtful Soekarno) thereon.
"Bandung owns historical assets. Banceuy prison is one of them. The idea of 'Indonesia Menggugat' (Indonesia Demands) was born when Soekarno was imprisoned there," said a Sculpture Artist and a lecturer of Visual Art in Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Andarmanik on Wednesday, October 30.
A sculpture that is envisioned to be in a thoughtful position, will be build 20 percent bigger than normal man size. Some other building in Banceuy such as Gedung Merdeka (The Independence Building) and Gedung Indonesia Menggugat are representing Soekarno's legacy in Bandung.
"We will make Bandung a historic city by collaborating with artists," said Ridwan Kamil, the Bandung City Mayor after a meeting with the town's artists in Bandung. He added that Bandung city administration will also allot budget for the artists.
PERSIANA GALIH