Visit their website
A cultural enclave on Jalan Utan Kayu 68 H, East Jakarta, was established by several patrons of the Tempo magazine, approximately one year after the magazine had been closed down by the government in 1994. Some writers, authors, intellectuals, artists, and journalists were also involved in its establishment. The community consists of the Institute for the Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI), Galeri Lontar, Teater Utan Kayu (TUK), Radio 68 H News Agency, and the Liberal Islam Network.
Three of them that work in the arts—Galeri Lontar, Teater Utan Kayu, and Cultural Journal Kalam (the journal was already established in early 1994, with the full support of the Tempo magazine)—endlessly try to nurture and disseminate a wealth of artistic and intellectual resources, whether it is through art performances, art exhibitions, lectures and discussions about various topics, or through the articles published by Kalam.
GALERI LONTAR exhibits works by artists from within the country and abroad. Works exhibited are in the forms of drawings, paintings, graphic art works, photography, sculpture, or installation works—selected first and foremost due to their qualities and innovative spirits. The gallery has introduced artists who are now in the forefront of the Indonesian art world.
TEATER UTAN KAYU regularly holds theater, music, and dance performances, film screenings, and lectures and discussions about culture, art, and philosophy. The theater provides as ample a space as possible for artists coming from the traditional circles or for contemporary artists who want to experiment and offer innovations.
CULTURAL JOURNAL KALAM is a medium to propagate and exchange ideas, across disciplines and across ideologies. The journal values new ways of viewing things, fresh ideas, and isare open tofor various literary experiments. After having been published in twenty-two editions since 1994, from May 2007 on Kalam has been transformed and enters the virtual world. Kalam has also published several books.
Komunitas Utan Kayu is also used to holding international-scale events, which include the Jakarta International Puppetry Festival (2006), Slingshort Film Festival (2006), and the International Literary Biennale whose fifth occasion is planned to take place in August 2009.
The artistic wing of Komunitas Utan Kayu, already around ten years old now, is determineds to continue and foster what it has achieved so far. To accommodate the expansion of its activities, its founders and managers then took the initiative to build Komunitas Salihara complex.
