Indonesian Student in Collaboration with UNESCO Launches iWareBatik App
iwarebatik app. (Photo by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of Indonesian independence, an Indonesian student at Universitàs della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Switzerland in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched iWareBatik mobile app as digital library for batik that received UNESCO’s recognition as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
iWareBatik app will contribute to identify batik textiles, philosophical values contained in each motif, the origin of batik and other relevant information. iWareBatik was launched in forms of a digital website (iwarebatik.org) and mobile application on 17 August 2020.
More than 100 motifs have been recorded in the app and more motifs will follow. The app also uses artificial intelligence to help users recognizing batik motif through photos of the batik they are wearing. To date, the app can identify a number of batik motifs, such as, merak, kawung, ampiek, and parang. It will be developed to recognize more motifs in the future.
Puspita Ayu Permatasari as the iWareBatik Communication Technology Research Coordinator for Indonesian Batik conveyed that ‘iWareBatik’ means ‘I am aware of Batik’. She expressed hope that the public will not only ‘wear’ batik but also be ‘aware’ of the meaning of batik they are wearing.
For the record, Puspita is a PhD candidate in Information and Communication Technology for intangible heritage and tourism at Universitàs della Svizzera Italiana (USI).
The app also featured an interactive map so that people can discover batik motifs in 34 provinces in Indonesia.
“Hopefully, people who visit Indonesia, for example to South Kalimantan, Maluku, or other provinces can find out the typical batik motifs from that particular region before deciding to buy batik as a souvenir,” Puspita said.
In developing the app, Puspita and the USI team also conducted intense consultation with the Indonesian Embassy in Bern.
In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland, Muliaman D. Hadad, said that the idea to digitalize batik is materialized in line with an increase in the number of tourists in Indonesia who want to buy and wear batik. For that reason, Indonesian tourism also featured in the app. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs/EN)
Translated by : Rany Anjany
Reviewed by: Mia Medyana
