Projeto “KAMAR ”

Apesar de seus 14 milhões de habitantes, Jacarta continua sendo um pólo migratório para indonésios de todo o arquipélago, vindos especialmente da ilha de Java, atraídos pelas promessas de uma vidaprospera e farta.  Em seu projeto Kamar (pequenos quartos em indonésio), Sanja Jovanović visitou a parte interna da estrutura de concreto da principal ponte de Jacarta, a ponte Kuningan, que é povoada e serve de abrigo a verdadeiras comunidades desses trabalhadores que migram em busca de futuro melhor. Feitos com restos de material de construção e chão de madeira, esses pequenos quartos improvisados dentro da estrutura da ponte, servem de lar para muitos imigrantes que encontraram ali uma alternativa para sua sobrevivência.

Belgrado (Sérvia)

Despite being a difficult place to live in, Jakarta, with 14 million inhabitants, is a magnet for Indonesians from all over the archipelago, especially the island of Java. A look at its crowded streets provokes a dream of more prosperous life and better future in the eyes of outcomers. The Kuningan bridge, located in downtown Jakarta, is not an ordinary bridge whose only purpose is to connect people from the two sides of the channel on this bridge life breaths not only on its surface, but also inside of it. In fact, it is a “concrete building” populated by a community of people living in small rooms made out of its inner construction.

The project “Kamar” has been initiated by an unusual scene of a number of ladders disappearing in the darkness of the heights of the inner side of one of the main Jakarta’s bridges. Attracted by the mystery of unknown destination of the ladders, I followed them, and they lead me to a fascinating world composed of a series of small rooms (kamar in Indonesian). It turned out that these rooms made out of bridge construction and improvised wooden floors, were home of hardworking people mainly employed in the city’s communal services. I was immediately fascinated by ascetic and disciplined way of living they pursue, and decided to illustrate their lives by making portraits in their extremely modest homes. My intention was to tell a broader story of their sacrifice, beauty and dignity.