Testimonials: Pan Borneo Road Trip [Friends]

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Emily Brennan

[Friend of BAC]

---Story of involvement---

I heard about Borneo Art Collective through Wendy. We met through a mutual friend who match-made us based on what she understood to be our shared passion for arts in South East Asia. I will always be grateful to that friend for listening, and connecting us, because when I met Wendy I instantly felt linked to a network of like-minded and passionate people. I remember feeling over-joyed at being able to use a few words of Bahasa with her, from the isolation of PhD thesis writing where I was writing about my time in Indonesia but feeling somewhat detached. Wendy and I met at her beautiful studio in Brixton on an autumn day, and shared, supported and encouraged thoughts and plans for the future in relation to the place which I was lucky enough to call home for a while and which will always be in my heart: Indonesia.

---Role and perception---

I am so excited about the work of Borneo Art Collective. I spent just over a year in Indonesia between Java and Maluku, and became familiar with a vibrant and extremely exciting and diverse art scene which I felt was sporadically supported and promoted, aspects of which are the focus of my ongoing PhD studies at UCL. Platforms which connected artists and artistic expression through this diverse country of so many islands and so many cultures were non-existent, to my knowledge.

Despite the diversity of the country, visual mediums were consistently salient for the people whom I met; whether active in the contemporary art scene in cosmopolitan Yogyakarta, or practicing indigenous artists in the provincial region where I conducted my fieldwork. Uniting these people through such a platform spreads value and understanding, and helps to promote the magic that is there already but at present sits in isolated pockets.

Having worked with museums and galleries over the years, I see a real gap in terms of work with contemporary Indonesian artists and craftspeople particularly those of eastern Indonesia, and hope that this is something that we can encourage in the future. I hope that Borneo Arts Collective’s work can become a template, and can spread throughout SE Asia to other neighbouring regions. The Pacific region has managed to unite artists through its famous Festival of Pacific Arts, and I hope that a similar event might be able to become a regular for the SE Asia region; the format of which would be in the hands of the participating artists. As the world changes so quickly, it is vital to think about what is preserved and nurtured for the future generations.

---Why is this important---

The Pan Borneo Road trip is important because it will unite and collect together artists with shared interests, whilst increasing awareness of the ongoing practices of creativity taking place daily on this beautiful island. Whilst uniting existing creatives it will also be a source of new inspiration. The results of the trip will be shared and inspire all those lucky enough to see it. The Roadtrip is the beginning of something extremely exciting; a movement which will spin on collecting people throughout the decades and into the future! I am 100% behind it….

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Evangeline 甜心颖

[Friend of BAC]

---Story of involvement---
我在馬來西亞中文媒體報章撰寫「走進婆羅洲」專欄系列時，Wendy聯繫我，並與我討論她的計劃－－「Borneo Art Collective」和「Pan Borneo Road Trip」－－這與我初時籌劃的計劃概念有些相似，走進婆羅洲，探索這片土地和人文藝術。這絕對是美好又有意義的計劃！

---Role and perception---
我在過去的採集和編寫的經驗中，發現除了英國殖民時期的文獻和研究報告，有關婆羅洲的中文記載少之又少。作為媒體、文字和影像記錄工作者，展開了中文書寫和記錄工作，旨在為中文讀者提供熟悉的語言媒介選擇，更能深入瞭解婆羅洲文化。
在這個集合概念和資源的時代，能與「Borneo Art Collective」有創意有理念的伙伴一同推廣婆羅洲，或許能產生出不一樣的火花。而我深信，在這個過程中，透過不斷地訪問、交流、探討、學習和思考，才有令人意想不到的收獲。透過這樣的機會，我們採集編輯，內容涵蓋了原生態、手技工藝、音樂舞蹈、建築、飲食、社區計劃等，並與社區建立緊密的聯繫，再透過各式的平台和媒介，宣傳與傳遞，才能讓更多的人發現這片土地的美好。

----Why is this important---
文字與人文藝術是息息相關的。文字，除了是人與人之間通過書寫符號進行交流、傳遞信息的媒介，它亦推動著人類民族發展。它不僅是印證了人類民族在某個時代的偉大事件，也象徵者人類民族文化藝術的發展進程。
從舊石器時代的美索不達米亞洞穴、華夏和南亞印度出土的甲骨石器古文物、婆羅洲大島的尼亞洞穴的尼亞民族壁畫的刻劃符號，後演化成民族文化的建築、武器、服飾、樂器、器皿上俱有象徵性的圖騰，再發展成了一套結合語言、音節、含義有系統性的文字符號記載系統。我們從這段發展進程中洞悉，它並不僅僅是純粹的繪圖意向，它俱有含義和象徵。
它甚至是未來創作和潛能的基石。
在婆羅洲，原始民族圖騰是最原始象形符號記載，文化藝術亦代代傳承。在這裡，外來民族以其各類形式，包括語言和文字記載，將這獨有的多元豐富的婆羅洲文化，承繼下來。這些正是BAC文化人和藝術家的創作靈感來源，我們將結合了羅馬字母、方塊体漢字、爪哇文、梵文、或是傳統繪畫、雕刻和編制，甚至是現代電子設計和呈現技術等，能將這個斜掛在赤道線上的遺珠－－婆羅洲，在世界的舞台上綻放光彩。
而我相信，我們，也包括正在閱讀的你，都會以此為傲。

---Additional message---
這是一個愛熱婆羅洲和人文藝術的集體計劃，我希望這項計劃能啓發更多人，並發掘這片土地的美好。

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Andre Reid

[Director at Blacktapestudios Limited/ Partner & Visual Merchandise Manager at PopIN UK]

--Story of involvement--

I met Wendy whilst facilitating a Design Thinking Workshop, hosted by Spaghetti Jams, in Birmingham, UK. With us both being architecturally trained, we clicked. In addition, Wendy came across as an open and brave personality, possessing the refreshing energy of a woman who yearns to change the world she lives in.

--Role and perception--

As a director & co-founder of Blacktapestudios Limited, I am focused on connecting people to places which encourage the exchange of skills, culture and experiences. Currently, I support my business partner Lisa, who set up PopIN UK; a Pop-Up Fusion store launching in Birmingham City Centre, UK. Wendy and I discussed the potential of our teams working together, by bridging our ventures on each side of the world to one another. With PopIN, we plan to work with BAC to bring Borneo Arts and their stories to people of the UK.

--Why is this important--

Bringing together people brings together opportunities. Nothing is owned in this world, our skills, abilities, and experiences are only borrowed. For me, they are here to be shared or to be expressed. The BAC are exploring something that is intrinsic to all of us: our connection to place, and our advocation of heritage and culture. From PopIN UK & Blacktapestudios Limited, we would love to share BAC's message and work together with them to build upon it. " I mean, why not?"

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Su Min

[Friend of BAC]

--Story of Involvement--

Borneo Art Collective 我想是當代亞洲團隊在學習傳統建築典範 (指西方建築)，繼而回到缺乏關注的區域當地，試圖建立除了東、西以外的建築文化論述與具體行動。我目前是 cxcity 公司與非營利組織擔任召集人，同時也關注亞洲特殊文化的未來；對於婆羅洲的理解感到非常興奮。

--Role and Perception--

我以為是馬來西亞政府聯邦的一部分，僅此而以；但看到當地的藝術與文化時，感到揭開更多文明的迷霧。當前聯合國正推動更廣泛的文化支持，無論是南美洲當地或是中非洲，在亞洲過去以國家觀點所見的世界觀，容易忽略在地視角與其自身角色。

--Why this is Important--

我們有亞洲宣言的計畫，讓我聯想到過去地理大發現時期，婆羅洲在亞洲世界所扮演的角色，在麻六甲海域到東北亞；很可能經由人文宗教的原因被組合起來，因此這項目在藝術呈現方面我想不會僅僅是當地觀察，會是刺激世人共同關注被遺忘的人文拼圖。