Some images taken by Galih Naga Seno, which appear on his facebook page. With thanks to Galih.

Here are a couple of photos from the book launch itself which took place in the pendpopo area outside the gallery and inside the gallery as well, where each of us read a sentence or two from our chapter. 

It was a very moving evening with many of Prapto's old friends in attendance, some telling their stories of encounters with Prapto in the distant past. The evening started with a fantastic performance from Prapto's son, Galih's African drumming group, followed by a welcome and opening of the book launch by Prapto's daughter, Melati. 

We editors presented a case bound version of the book to Prapto, with the color pictures, which are really beautiful if you haven't seen it yet. Thanks to the contributors for your writing, of course, and for the many messages of support we received leading up to the launch. 

 I feel the strength and beauty of our network on this last evening in Solo.

........................................Posted by Katya Bloom

........................................Posted by Margit Galanter

Permaculture (PC) is a theme that has threaded its way through our talking and practising during the Workshop for Writers. At the start of our very first session, by the beach in Tejakula, Prapto asks me to talk to the group about PC. I explain that the first design principle is to observe and interact, and how I see the practice of Amerta movement as uniquely helpful in complying with PC teacher Warren Brush's suggestion that PC practitioners must learn to align their movement with nature. Some days later, Prapto contrasts digging (analysis) with tuning (process), later on commenting: "Tuning not adaptation - has sense of creating something". This idea of tuning  would be immediately recognisable to PC designers, who will spend as long as it takes to understand the landscape and the needs of its inhabitants before considering any significant changes.

In his introductory comments for a public discussion on body architecture, on the second day of the series of events linked to the book-launch, Prapto describes PC in terms of healthy bodies, healthy environment and healthy economy. One of the discussants, Ibed Surgana Yuga, mentions at one point the body in dialogue with the architecture of nature. I related these comments back to a challenge Prapto previously set me, to think about the place of art in PC. Thinking about the dimension of aesthetics for us as architects of living systems, I wondered whether we should be thinking of PC primarily as a design science, the skilful application of established principles to achieve a desired technical outcome, or more about the skilful placement and combination of elements in the landscape as an act of artistry. To what extent should our design choices be swayed by aesthetic considerations when a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem is going to be beautiful anyway?

When Prapto reminisced about giving a workshop in Santa Barbara, California in 2011, he said that was when he learnt about PC, and understood that human design could take inspiration from natural systems in ways that would meet human needs without destroying the ecosystems that we ultimately depend on. When we are contemplating changes to our living arrangements, taking the time to move freely in full receptivity to the information in the landscape of our lives and our environment, we can be sensitive to all the needs that need to be met - practical and aesthetic. Amerta and Permaculture - a natural fit. 

........................................Posted by Hugh Kelly

Prapto's performance

A heart- wrenching performance tonight. So many old friends there.
And the opening of a wonderful exhibition celebrating Prapto's contribution
to Javanese culture over forty years and his work in Europe, Australia and America.

Side by side

Thanks to all for such wonderful messages. 
........................................Posted by Sandra Reeve

As we approach the book launch and at the same time come more into the ending of the workshop portion of our time in Indonesia together, questions of culture seems to weave through what it means to be practicing here in Java. Culture in the sense of the context, the place, the language, what we are sharing, receiving, and what we are making .... The timing, the patterns around us and if which we are part. This bridges into opening the book with others, and the book of life and living.

On one of the nights of the events, Sally Dean will offer a performance with one of her costumes, and as this event has developed, we felt it would be good in that evening to host a conversation on interculture and performance. We have a list of questions we are whittling away, and we are inviting some people who live in Solo to participate. What is the relationship between the cultural experience of being an audience member and receiving the work, as felt, in the heart?

• what is a fair and mutually beneficial cultural exchange? 
  
• how is culture shared and how is culture owned?
  
• what are the specific ways that we have each worked an integrated pluralistic forms and ideas into our own work?
  
• how does it mean that Prapto has taught so much of his work abroad for the cultural landscape of both the folks from other countries, as well as the artistic landscape in Java and Indonesia?
  
• what are the ways that the cultures and people involved invent new paradigms and aesthetics through the exchange, and what of these feel healthy, and which other veer into appropriation? Is that something felt?
  
• is it actually possible to have an equal exchange amongst cultures from the west and east?
  
• how does amerta movement provide tools for these kinds of questions through the experience of the intercultural history of the work?
  
• how do the financial disparities (for instance in Europe and Indonesia) factor in implicitly and explicitly in our conversations ... what are the systemic and interpersonal economic factors of a cultural exchange?
  
• what are the experiences of witnessing and participating in a performance from abroad in the context of culture?
  

Things like this.... 
........................................Posted by Margit Galanter

Inhabiting the Gallery space at Bentara Budaya, in front of the largest bookshop in Solo.

This room will gradually become the exhibition space for Prapto’s Wayang Buddha retrospective as well as the space for the book launch and workshops. In the room next door Stephen, Isabel and Katie Lee are starting to hang the Timeline photos . 

Strange suddenly to be in the city - a different kind of stage. And here we are moving together in communication to adapt and to tune to ourselves, to each other and to our new surroundings. Several people played the piano  to support the movers.

And we had lunch together in  – rice and veg and chicken in banana leaves – discussing and preparing for the five days. Sally practising for her performance in a wonderful costume, as others come and go with hammers, ladders, cups of tea , mobile phones and we create a programme on a computer for printing out tomorrow.

Too late for a swim ( already dark) – we call for a taxi home to Mojosongo. We pass a new restaurant called The Lazy Cow… and now to bed.

Slowly-slowly........................................Posted by Sandra Reeve

A friendly guardian along the way in Ubud, Bali.

EEE ~ Editors Embodied Encounter

Katya, Margit and Sandra practice at Padepokan Lemah Putih, Solo with Prapto

........................................Posted by Sandra Reeve

With thanks to all who have made this book possible.

Sitting in the little house that Katya and Hugh, Margit and I are sharing for a few more days, as the evening draws to a close. Grains and vegetables, tofu and bubur for pudding… during the meal a moment arises when we look at each other and say:

‘Today’s the day! We did it and here we are – isn’t that just amazing? – And it is a beautiful book.’  Touching a quiet moment of joy together.

Strong winds and rain last night and today a visit to Candi Sukuh, swept clean by the elements.

The taxi driver tells us that Germany won the World Cup (around 3.00 am Indonesian time).

So happy to be in Sukuh again. One of the turtles has cracked a little and been mended with a white stripe.

 I love these turtles.

We study ‘seed’ and we practise audience and points of view.

A few more days of workshop before the book launch on July 19th. The launch is combined with a Retrospektiv about Prapto’s early artistic life - an exhibition of Wayang Buddha, created around 1975. It will take place in a gallery at the front of the biggest book shop in Solo, on the main street- Jl.Slamet Riyadhi.

Below is the programme, still changing as I write this, but it gives an idea.
........................................Posted by Sandra Reeve