Membaca Arsitektur Nusantara Mengkini dengan Perspektif Rizomatik Deleuze dan Guattari

Abstract

Title: Interpreting Contemporary Nusantara Architecture through the Rhizomatic Perspective of Deleuze and Guattari

Josef Prijotomo proposed the concept of Nusantara Architecture as a theoretical framework to explain Indonesia's indigenous architecture before the 18th century. This idea was born of a spirit to emancipate Indonesia's rich local architectural knowledge amid the dominance of Eurocentric frameworks in academic architectural education. The theory was further expanded through the concept of "Contemporary Nusantara Architecture" (Arsitektur Nusantara Mengkini) to address the context of architectural knowledge post-18th century. Discussions and debates surrounding Nusantara Architecture have evolved through both support and critique, though they tend to remain at the level of representation (discourse, perception, and ideology). On the one hand, these ongoing debates demonstrate strong resilience among both critics and proponents. This "discursive warfare" motivates the author to reflect further by re-examining the theories of Nusantara Architecture and Contemporary Nusantara Architecture. This reading is conducted through the theoretical lens of Deleuze and Guattari’s Rhizome, based on the premise that the discourse of Nusantara Architecture is historically not a simple emergence, nor does it address a simple subject. The Rhizomatic perspective views the objective reality of architecture as a complex, deep, pluralistic system that is always in a state of "becoming.” Consequently, this approach would enable reading Contemporary Indonesian Architecture as a continuous production of knowledge and praxis through rediscovery from time to time.