Batavia Hotel Time Capsule

{ Batavia Hotel Time Capsule } is an authentic collector’s edition set (made in only 12 pieces) commemorates my illustrated short story ‘Batavia Hotel’, first launched by tulisaN in 2011. The accompanying story told of a complex romance, layered with passion, jealousy, and deceit. every artisanal wooden time capsule encloses a handcrafted serigraph art tote and a hand-stitched hardbound storybook.

This short story was inspired by European 16th century’s ‘Commedia Dell’arte’ (a type of improvisational Italian theatre characterized by masked players). The popular characters included Pierrette/Pierrot, Harlequin, Columbine, and Zanni the clown. This genre perpetually dealt with irony and humor, often in a dark and romantic way. My favorite is Harlequin because his character is a mixture of bitterness and joy. He wears the most authentic mask compared to the other characters. In the hotel, he traded his true passion for his materialistic dream. His personality is simultaneously about being a free man and being a goat, the highest traded farm animal in Jakarta. He captures a personal dichotomy that is poignant and utterly relatable.

When I learned about the structure of the play, I noticed similar traits in my country’s traditional satirical comedy of Javanese Punokawan Wayang performance. So I decided to create a satire about Jakarta, executed in a surrealistic atmosphere. I envisioned the story taking place in old town Batavia in the 1950s, just after the war, where a Colonial spirit still lingered.