“Jamu means prayer and healing. During the reform era until Covid-19, herbal medicine was still an alternative. In 1998, many people were laid off and there was no health insurance, while during the pandemic it was used as medicine to boost immunity,” she explained.
As for “Jamu Ngatiyem”, Syska adopted her mother’s name as the title of the work. She said her mother once sold jamu during the 1998 monetary crisis and reform era to help the family’s economy after his father was laid off from his job.
Syska and her mother had similar experiences, namely being women and workers who supported the family’s economy during times of crisis, even though both of them grew up in different eras. Ngatiyem grew up during the New Order era with a patronizing patriarchal system, while Syska grew up in the 1998 reform era marked by feminism.
“This herbal medicine is a metaphor, medium and visual expression regarding women’s experiences in dealing with crises and their strategies in the reform era and Covid-19,” said Syska.
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This exhibition is open to the public and runs until August 27 at the Goethe-Institut Jakarta. (Aini Tartinia)