Indonesia

Gustaff Harriman Iskandar
Age: 33

My Job Title
Director/ Head of Research & Development, Bandung Center for New Media Arts/ Common Room Networks Foundation
www.commonroom.info/bcfnma/

Design Field
Design Promoter, Media Arts & Social Development Projects

My Education
Fine Arts (Sculpture), Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia (1999)

My Work
"I don't work as a practical designer, but rather as a researcher, developing programmes and activities for my organization. These include a continuous effort in recognizing and supporting the development of various emerging creative projects within my local environment, including the establishment of an open platform for creative exchange in the field of design, as well as visual arts, urban architecture, music, fashion, literature and new media.

The Bandung Centre for New Media Arts is an organization focused on research and development of media arts and of multi-disciplinary arts activities. The organization was established by R. E. Hartanto, T. Ismail Reza, and myself back in 2001. The Common Room Networks Foundation is a foundation that hosts all the activities of the Bandung Center for New Media Arts, facilitating workshops, exhibitions, screenings, lectures, discussions, etc. We have participated in various projects, symposia and festivals from Bandung to Auckland, Manchester and Helsinki."

Issues in the design sector in my country
"As an archipelago, Indonesia has a huge potential in developing a strong platform for the design sector, or the creative industries in the broader sense. Besides its richness in natural and human resources, Indonesia is also well-known for its cultural diversity and heritage, which could act as valuable resources for the country's sustainable development. Up until now, however, this potential hasn't been fully and properly used, as there are many obstacles that halt its progress. From my own point of view, some issues that hamper Indonesia's developing design scene and creative sector are the lack of specialised knowledge, the limited of access to technological resources, the lack of financing and economic infrastructures, as well as the absence of research and development strategies."

Innovative design trends from Indonesia
"My latest project is titled 'Projekt-Heterologia'. It is intended to be a platform for creative experimentation and collaborative culture in the field of media arts and digital culture. Initiated in early 2007, this project is being facilitated by the Bandung Centre for New Media Arts/Common Room Networks Foundation. Working primarily in the local context, 'Projekt-Heterologia' embraces cultural diversity and creative freedom both in the local and global milieu, involving various individuals and communities with diverse backgrounds and expertise, combining the use of old and new media, analog and digital devices, formal and informal approaches, as well as structured and intuitive working processes. This project is also accompanied by the Nu-Substance Festival 2007, a series of events that have supported the electronic arts and media culture's development in Bandung. Recently, Projekt-Heterologia has also received support by the ANA (Arts Network Asia), a group of independent artists, cultural workers, and arts activists (primarily from Southeast Asia) that encourage collaboration and networking."

You can find out more about the national competition in Indonesia on the British Council website in Indonesia.

The information above is taken from the application form completed by the finalist in early 2007. Things may have changed since this information was provided and we recommend that you should not rely upon this information as a definitive statement of current fact. Click here to contact the finalist.