Seeing Local Wisdom as Form of Visual Art for Creating Place Identity in Kampung Pelangi, Semarang

Abstract

Villages with mural decorations had spread across Java and become new tourist attractions, some of those villages are: Villages on the banks of Code River in Yogyakarta, Jodipan Village in Malang, Rainbow Village in Randusari Semarang and many more. Mural creations that emerge across many urban villages in Java island Indonesia was a clear example how art can create social impacts. Mural not only function as decoration but able to transform an area into a productive space. This paper discusses the process of community mural in transforming a place into creative spaces and encourage residents to explore their local potentials, thus create a place of identity. This research focused on Kampung Wonosari in Randusari Semarang or currently known as Kampung Pelangi (Rainbow Village). Despite many potentials that can be found in Kampung Pelangi, it was chosen as the location of this research based on several problems; first Kampung Pelangi has become new icon for Semarang City but seems discontinued with its traditional values, second how will Kampung Pelangi sustain as an attractive destination? The location of Kampung Pelangi is surrounded by historic sites and it has a unique local content that can be further explored. This study focused on cultural heritage, local wisdom and to understand sociocultural development of Kampung Pelangi amid the modernization of Semarang City. This study is a qualitative research using mixed methods with ethnographic and participatory approach.

The Role of City Design Elements in Tourist Villages as Interpreted by Online Media

“…Apart from that, Kampung Pelangi has its unique native content: historical sites surround kampung Pelangi, and its location was once part of Semarang's historical account, including fascinating urban legends or local myths. This phenomenon is a cumulation of local content intertwined in a narrative that forms the community's identity (Irwandi et al, 2019).…”