1 | Perpetually, In Fermentation is first and foremost, a labor of love and an embrace for deviations. I love research. I love asking questions. This entire thesis delves into the complex interplay of post-colonial identities within the culinary sphere of Indonesian-Dutch histories. My whole body of work is rooted in an ever-expanding syllabus. It is my hope that they act as continuous links that allows anyone to trace my thought processes, connections, and assimilation of knowledge. The process of sustaining this inquiry of mine is just as valuable as any end product that will result from it. Ultimately, I hope it’s something that people can also learn from. |
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2 | - Kiara Krisanda Putrilia |
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4 | 1 |  | 2023-ongoing | During the early stages of my research, I combined everything I was interested into one spreadsheet and flushed out the main themes that became the syllabus that it is now. The themes I wanted to focus on included; (1) Origins, (2) Cultural hegemony, (3) Memory, (4) Colonial identities, and (5) Translations of authenticity + ethnicity. I wanted to weave these themes together through food and also be mindful of how most of the research I have access to were mostly written by western scholars. Perpetually, In Fermentation interrogates cultural differences by the parameters of “otherness” in a Western-centric world. This framework is depicted through a syllabus that consists of different sized-essays to visualize how information is constantly expanding. The syllabus features six different essays — it is a concoction of references both within itself, and to the broader body of my work. My role here was to weave through them via footnotes/annotations that were filled with social/political/personal commentaries. It is ultimately a “revision” tool for myself and also a way to un/re/learn historical narratives. I chose reflective metal sheets to encase the book as I wanted to create a clear juxtaposition of materials, and to also remind the viewer that one should always be mindful and reflective throughout their learning process. The purpose of notation allowed me to be in constant conversation with myself. | Metal sheets, print | 18×29" | https://kiaraputrilia.github.io/Syllabus-Web/ | ||
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2 | Index | |||||||||
3 | # | Preview | Input | Output | Year | Description | Medium | Size | Link | |
4 | 2 |  | The Cultural Ownership of the Rijsttafel: A Political Debate between the Fabled Spice Islands and the Netherlands by Kiara Krisanda Putrilia | A Seat at the Table | 2024 | A dinner that prompts participants to question conventional dining norms, attraction to the exotic/aversion to the unfamiliar, and the performativity of fine dining experiences when presenting humble dishes. I designed all of the assets (set design, posters, animations, personalized menus, printed ephemera, and welded utensils. I worked with two chefs (Kaskara Hasibuan and Jimmy Yun) to execute this. | Performance, Identity / Branding | https://kiaraputrilia.github.io/A-Seat-at-the-Table/ | ||
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6 | 3 |  | The Generation of Postmemory by Marianne Hirsch | Desire in a Bowl of Rice | 2024 | A conditionally designed lunch experience, where specific portions of Dutch food on their plates were contingent upon their ability to engage with prompts centered around class, privilege, and histories. I laid the video out in this website so anyone can access this by either watching the entire video on its own, or click through the timestamps where it features the translated questions I asked, as well as my own personal commentaries/observations that I only realized after re-watching this video. | Performance, Web / Coding Design | https://kiaraputrilia.github.io/Desire-In-A-Bowl-of-Rice/ | ||
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8 | 4 |  | Beyond Eurocentrism? Heritage conservation and the politics of discourse | The Vernacular Typography of Warungs | 2024 | I wanted to provide a spotlight for warungs (street vendors in Indonesia) because for a lot of people, it is the backbone of one’s community and a place where people from all walks of life can gather and eat. If a restaurant could be recognized and revered by how it’s existence has been before Indonesia’s independence, how come a warung isn’t? I briefly explored this in my first essay, where there has been an ongoing stigma, at least with the upper wealthier class in Indonesia that they’re “dirty” and uncouth, and I think it has a lot to do with the mindset of the dutch people when they were still residing in Indonesia. I wanted to explore the visual language of the banners because they all seem to have the same template. I was also reminded of how sometimes these street vendors would use a roll of toilet paper as their napkins. For this output, I asked six different local designers to create a warung banner. I only gave them two instructions; to include their name, and a set of menu featured in my cookbook. I wanted to see if it would generate the same sort of visual language. To accompany this, I included a 90” long essay that explains the research of this specific vernacular typography. This output made me think about how there should be an archive of such banners because they evolve through time, and I think that’s a worthy material/exploration of “heritage conservation”. It tells a story of a community’s needs at a certain time. | Print & laser-cut & engraved acrylic sheets | Essay: 90×4.5", "Tissue Box": 5.5×5.5" | https://www.are.na/kiara-putrilia/the-vernacular-typography-of-warungs | |
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10 | 5 |  | Sharing the Divisions of the Colonial Past: An Assessment of the Netherlands-Indonesia Shared Cultural Heritage Project, 2003-2006 | Memories of a Dish | 2023 | A riso-printed, do-si-do spiral bound comparative cookbook featuring menus interpreted through Dutch and Indonesian cooking traditions. Each menu has a bookmark to indicate which menu is vegetable/chicken/fish/beef-based. The recipes are written in Dutch and Bahasa Indonesia, with English translations below each line of text. | 4.5×7" | https://kiaraputrilia.github.io/Memories-of-a-Dish/ | ||
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12 | 6 |  | Exotic Appetites: Ruminations of a Food Adventurer by Lisa Heldke | A Spice Index | 2023 | A pocket-sized, ring-bound index of common spices featured in many Indonesian household kitchens. I was intrigued with isolating these spices in a manner that made them looked like "exotic specimens". How will they be perceived differently when they are removed from spice jars, fancy packaging, and labels? I asked other people who often cook to describe the taste/scent of the spices, and what kind of memories it evokes for them. I designed them with the same visual language of fortune cookies. | Print / Packaging | 4×6" | https://www.are.na/block/29341226 | |
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14 | 7 | (ongoing) | Dutch Still Lifes and Colonial Visual Culture in the Netherlands Indies, 1800-1949 | ? | ||||||
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1 | I am not without those who have helped me. (Yes, I'm a very sentimental person). Such influence may be big or small but it has helped me gain numerous insights and changed my trajectories! (In no particular order), I would like to say many, many, thank yous to: Molly Davy, Shravani Bagawde, Maya Kalinowski, Kassie White, Sienna Bent, Papa Eko, Elaine Lopez, Mba Wati, Lakeisha Sharonina, Kezia Kanza, Olivia Hu, Hina Fernstrom, Om Mamad, and Drithi Kandoor. |
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