Jakarta Wasted Artists (JWA) is an artist collective consisting of four artists, graphic designers, musicians, and others. Some of the members also participate in ruangrupa, a collective also based in Jakarta. All the members were born in Jakarta in the 1970s and graduated from the University of Jakarta. Indonesian society in the late 1990s immediately following their graduation was caught in a period of great upheaval, with the Asian currency crisis of 1997 triggering an outpouring of civil unrest against the government, student-led protests expanding onto a nationwide scale that involved citizens, and the end of the Suharto dictatorship that had lasted for about 30 years. JWA, who witnessed the fast-paced changes in Jakarta amidst these events, are interested in this everyday urban landscape and people’s lives, which are sometimes transformed in an instant.

Graphic Exchange is a project in which JWA took over the signboards of various stores and businesses of various sizes that have existed in Jakarta’s Tebet district for many years, and undertook the design and production of new signboards to replace them. On display are the actual signs that were acquired, as well as video footage of negotiations and interviews conducted with the store owners. While these signs are probably new to many, there is undoubtedly something familiar and nostalgic about them. In addition, these urban scenes can change in an instant, depending on the times and the demands of society. With this project, JWA attempts to document the ingenuity, work ethic, and unique creativity of the people on the streets of the megacity that is Jakarta in the form of a visual history.