Youth - Identity - Territory

In 2023, my former classmate Clara Sartor and I were invited to participate in an artist residency in Indonesia. This residency was part of an exchange program organized by Wisma Jerman and the Institut Français, bringing together photography students from Germany, France, and Indonesia. The program included a two-week journey to the Bromo region in East Java. Our goal was to develop projects exploring the themes of Youth, Identity, and Territory, leveraging the connections provided by local partner organizations. The results of our work were to be presented at a symposium in the bustling city of Surabaya.

The actual time we had for photography was limited to just five days. We made the most of it, shooting intensively during the day and reviewing selections in the evenings. My project focused on a group of teenagers living together in a boarding house in Probbolinggo, a nearby town. They were there to attend school, commuting each morning on their customized scooters and motorcycles. By night, they took part in illegal street races.

In Indonesia, many children learn to ride scooters as early as nine years old, and traffic accidents are tragically common. Yet, the country also boasts a vibrant, youthful tuning culture. What struck me most about this group was the closeness of their friendship. In Indonesia, there seems to be a generally more relaxed approach to life, and the bond between these boys was unlike anything I had witnessed in male friendships back in Germany. Their connection felt very natural - something I found profoundly inspiring. “Tretan” means “Brotherhood” or “best friend” in the Maduran language, spoken in Probbolinggo.

Clara, on the other hand, created a series with April, a Tenggerese dancer from the mountain village where we were staying. Her work intertwined landscape, dance and photography, visually interpreting April‘s approach to dance in both its traditional and modern form. The project started with a long conversation between April and Clara which then served as a guiding thread for Clara’s explorations around Mount Bromo and into April‘s dance practice. In its final form, the work includes some of April‘s quotes combined with Clara‘s photography.

Louis Roth is part of Issue 17 by Guest Editor Torbjørn Rødland.

Check out his Artist Feature fata morgana.