Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer: When Archives Become a Space for Design Dialogue
Hermawan Tanzil grew up immersed in the practice of graphic design, and today he is known not only as the founder of the design studio LeBoYe and Dia.lo.gue Artspace, but also as one of the pioneers of Indonesia's graphic design industry. For more than three decades, Hermawan has dedicated himself to graphic design, and for even longer, he has lived alongside the archiving of printed graphic works across generations. This year, through his book Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer, Hermawan demonstrates that graphic design practices had already existed and flourished long before the industry, the profession, or even the academic discipline came into being.
"Design existed long before the profession of the designer. Graphic design practices had been alive long before formal graphic design education was established in Indonesia," Hermawan Tanzil told Grafis Masa Kini when we visited his office. In Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer, he brings together 500 carefully curated visual artifacts from 87 cities and 20 provinces across Indonesia, presenting compelling evidence that graphic practices have long been woven into the nation's history. The book reveals that many visual identities emerged not from institutions, but from the everyday needs of ordinary people. "Merchants, business owners, printers, illustrators, painters, they all played an essential role in shaping Indonesia's visual culture." These graphic works, born from the many spaces of everyday life, document how Indonesians built identities, communicated ideas, and ultimately used visual language as a reflection of who they were.
Speaking about everyday life, Hermawan argues that the history of design cannot be found solely in landmark works or official institutions, as we have long been taught. "Design lives in labels, packaging, trademarks, letterheads, advertisements, and everyday objects." More than simply documenting the history of design, these visuals also preserve the social and economic realities of the communities that produced them. For Hermawan, design is ultimately a mirror of society itself. "Every logo and trademark reflects the values, aspirations, and imagination of its people."
Throughout Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer, readers will also encounter visual narratives that reveal relationships between people and nature, animals, wayang characters, belief systems, and other local cultural traditions. "Design is how people make sense of the world around them, and Indonesia possesses an extraordinarily rich visual tradition."
The graphic archives collected in Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer also reveal the remarkable visual diversity found across Indonesia's cities and regions. For decades, discussions of Indonesian graphic design have largely emphasized Western influence. Yet Indonesia's visual language has been equally shaped by local traditions alongside Chinese, Arab, Indian, Malay, and Japanese influences – making it far more diverse than many imagine. After traveling extensively to search for these archives – "scavenging," as Hermawan puts it – the designer came to realize that this diversity forms the very foundation of Indonesia's visual identity as a nation.
The discoveries documented throughout the book also reinforce the idea that design itself functions as a historical document. "Graphic archives do not simply speak about design; they record changes in language, technology, economics, politics, and culture. Through design, we can read history from an entirely different perspective." Through Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer, this argument becomes even more convincing, positioning design as a social practice that has long been embedded within everyday society. "Design without designer is one way of understanding this particular period," Hermawan explains.
To introduce design archives to a broader audience beyond the design community, Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer has also taken the form of an installation presented at ARTJOG 2026. On view at Jogja National Museum (JNM) through August 30, the exhibition transforms the archives from the book into a wide range of artistic mediums. "The archive is the starting point, not the final destination. What we want to show is how archives can be brought back to life through new readings and interpretations," Hermawan says of the exhibition.
For this project, Hermawan and his collaborators transformed the book into an immersive spatial experience by translating its archives into environments that visitors can physically explore. "Visitors don't simply look at the archives; they step inside the visual world that gave birth to them," he adds.
The primary inspiration behind the Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer installation at this year's ARTJOG is the traditional neighborhood grocery store, or toko kelontong. Because so many visual identities originated in markets, shops, and other commercial spaces, the installation borrows the visual language of these environments – from storefront displays, packaging, and signboards to everyday objects. As Hermawan explains, "The shop becomes a metaphorical space where design lives and circulates."
Rather than treating archives as static historical objects, the installation positions them as raw material for new creative works – much like seeds that continue to grow. These reinterpretations take the form of posters, graphic objects, merchandise, three-dimensional installations, and digital video works.
Collaboration also became the project's fundamental working method. "Just as design practice in the past was deeply collective, this project was also born through collaboration. It brings together designers, artists, illustrators, object makers, craftspeople, researchers, and practitioners from various disciplines," Hermawan explains. He emphasizes that this collaborative process is not merely a means of production, but an integral part of the work itself.
Ultimately, both the book and the Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer installation seek to foster an intergenerational dialogue about the history of graphic design in Indonesia. By doing so, they connect past visual practices with today's creative industries. "Ditanggoeng Tida Loentoer wants to show that archives are not about nostalgia. Archives are a source of inspiration for the future, and Indonesia's visual identity is something that continues to live, evolve, and be passed on," Hermawan Tanzil concludes.
