“Recollecting Memories: Tukang Foto Keliling (Itinerant Photographer)” is a research based art project focusing on tracking the practices of tourism photography in Kaliurang — a resort area located at the slope of Mount Merapi, Yogyakarta (Indonesia). Before the Merapi eruption in 1994, this resort area was very popular an then it gradually considered obsolete and the reputation fade away as a tourist resort.
An informal group of itinerant photographer who was active around 1981 – 2005 in Kaliurang was invited to be part of this project . Tracing the history of photography practices conducted by this anonymous group will not only give an overview of photography from the economic aspects of tourism, but also capable of becoming the pathway to learn about the history of region, the social relations between the local and the newcomers, and the political power play over the economic practices.
This project began with a research about the photo archives as well as memory of tourism photographic practices according to these photographers. The research followed by a retrospective exhibition of photography group that will show their photo archives, and expected to give an overview of the history of tourism photography practice in the region and also the political power that works in the realm of photography during the New Order (an authoritarian Indonesian government which operates around 1966 – 1998).
This project was presented in Hotel Wijaya Dua, Kaliurang – Indonesia (2014) and become part of 900 MDPL, a site-specific project in Kaliurang – Indonesia (2017) curated by Mira Asriningtyas.