Punk space in Bandung, Indonesia: Evasion and confrontation

The punk scene’s relationship to, and occupation of, space highlights a range of issues faced by the punk community in Bandung, Indonesia. This chapter will briefly trace a history of punk space in Bandung, before addressing two contemporary manifestations – the DIY venue and social centre Rumah Pirata [Pirate House] and squatter activists at kampong Tamansari Melawan [Tamansari Resistance].
Comparison of these two examples of ‘punk space’ – one evasive, the other confrontational – speaks to issues around: manifestations of punk activism; the sustainability of punk communities and their relationship with wider society; and diverse strategies for resisting repression. Key issues emerge around the legal status of punk spaces and the risk of exclusivity or ‘ghettoization’. Anarchism informs the activisms of both Rumah Pirata and Tamansari Melawan. As such, analysis of these spaces is weighed in terms of the degree of autonomy they are able to wrest for themselves, and the ways in which these spaces provide resources for activism, education, politicization, and networking.