(Locating Indonesian Cultural Archives)

LICA Routes is a research-driven cultural itinerary project that investigate into Indonesian artefacts located in European museums, tracing the historical pathways these objects followed to reach Western institutions. Inspired by themes and perspectives from scholars Sadiah Boonstra & Caroline Drieënhuizen in their 2023 journal article, the project aims to challenge and disrupt traditional, often Eurocentric, narratives that have long shaped the interpretation of these artefacts. Through digital media and speculative artistic practices, LICA Routes introduces new interpretive frameworks, enabling audiences to engage with the cultural significance of these objects in innovative ways that leverage digital technology to convey history with an intervention through artistic experiences.

LICA Routes is anchored in a re-examination of Indonesia’s “cultural archive,” exploring how colonial histories continue to shape the representation of Indonesian heritage in European settings, and asking how these perspectives might be re-envisioned from a position of cultural agency and authenticity.

The project places emphasis on heritage archives, focusing on indigenous crafts and objects that are culturally and historically significant to local Indonesian communities. By re-centering these items within their original cultural frameworks, LICA Routes seeks to bring forward narratives that recognise and respect indigenous epistemologies, providing a platform for a more equitable representation of Indonesian heritage.

This practice-based research provides a space for speculative re-narrativization, encouraging viewers to question how history, identity, and heritage intersect within these artefacts. As a researcher, my aim with LICA Routes is to create an integrative approach that combines historical inquiry with new media practices, fostering a more inclusive dialogue around decolonisation, heritage, and the indigenous cultural narratives.

Archive documentation sourced from the Europeana Gallery Collection (via Open Access API)