JAMU

Jamu Journal (Indonesia 2018)

Coco Duivenvoorde has an ongoing interest in food and cooking as a language to discuss social issues in various contexts. She regularly organizes group activities with the aim to initiate dialogue, awareness and social change.

During her residency period at Cemeti Institute of Art and Society (2018), Coco has been researching the ingredients, practices and social contexts of the traditional Indonesian drink Jamu.

Jamu is an herbal drink made from natural ingredients that is used as a remedy for ailments ranging from cosmetic, to sexual performance, to serious medical conditions. The culture of Jamu drinking is a daily practice, meant to sustain the good health of the body and spirit.

Coco began by learning how to make Jamu as well as visiting a range of Jamu sellers around Jogja. She then spent time with the community in the Jamu producing Desa (district) of Kiringan and met with academics specialising in the economic, social and cultural aspects of Jamu.

Building on this research she organised a series of workshops connecting the different individuals and communities she met. Through various methods of storytelling, as well as practical actions, these workshops aimed to collect, preserve and further distribute (embodied) knowledge and question the social infrastructural contexts of Jamu. Her artistic research was collected in the publication Jumu Journal.