Koneksi Tamalanrea

Founded in Tamalan, Makassar in 1990

Armin Hari
b. 1978, Pinrang 
Lives and works in Jakarta

Mirwan Andan                                                                                                                                         
b. 1980, Watampone
Lives and works in Makassar and Jakarta

Muhammad Mubarak Aziz Malinggi                                                                                                        
b. 1986, Makale
Lives and works in Makassar

Koneksi Tamalanrea is a new project initiative driven by friendship. This friendship-based project initiative particularly emerging from the university environment in the Tamalanrea area of Makassar, South Sulawesi from late 1990s up until now. Koneksi Tamalanrea is imagined to be the cultivation and transmission of experience and knowledge through interdisciplinary modalities. In pursuit of its ongoing sustainability, Koneksi Tamalanrea envisages to engage in collaborations with a wide array of individuals and collectives—spanning geographical boundaries, professional fields, and academic disciplines. These collaborations are shaped by a spirit of mutualism, characterized by reciprocal exchanges that transcend material considerations. Support is extended and received in both tangible and intangible forms—ranging from time and space contributions to access to knowledge systems, creative works, material resources, and other shared capacities.

Armin Hari is part of Koneksi Tamalanrea. He is a photographer and a social activist who works in issues of gender, community empowerment, refugees, migrant workers, HIV/AIDS, environment, social transformation, and photo-based advocacy for more than 20 years in several places in Indonesia. He received international awards including the First Prize of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) in 2011-2012. His works had been exhibited in various exhibition events in Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Australia, and Croatia. He also works for some programs and projects of Indonesian Society for Social Transformation (INSIST), a NGO based in Yogyakarta, photography documentaries for international and national NGOs and UN bodies, such as Australian Government Department of Foreign and Trade (DFAT), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Cordaid, the United Nations Development Program, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Global Fund, the World Bank, the Ford Foundation, Hivos, and the Asia Foundation. He also dedicates his time to organize some photography based organizations in Makassar, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta.

Mirwan Andan is part of Koneksi Tamalanrea, Musyawarah Arsip Independen, an initiative in archiving project, and Ruangrupa, a collective based in Jakarta which worked as the artistic team of documenta fifteen a.k.a Lumbung I (Kassel, 2022). He is also the founder of PALIMAJI, a company for cultural advancement based in the eastern part of Indonesia, and the co-founder of Riwanua. Prior to this, he worked as the advisor for the General Director of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture. He has published extensively, including editorial work in Perang Suara: Bahasa dan Politik Pergerakan (Komunitas Bambu, 2023); and Lontara’ Duri: Asal Mula Kerajaan Tallu Batu Papan (2024), alongside speaking engagements in several forums, symposium, lecture sessions and seminars, such as Is It Art That Remains (To Be Seen)? Khoj International Artists’ Association (New Delhi, 2023), Faculty of Art, Music and Design, Birzeit University, Palestine (2021); and the Asian Maps Program: Is There Still a Future for Contemporary Art Practices? Casa Asia (Madrid, 2020). Since 2024, he is also research associate of Artistic Activism Research CoLab - AARC based in New York. 

Mubarak Aziz is part of Koneksi Tamalanrea. After graduating in Marine Science at Universitas Hasanuddin, he freelances on several projects, including: “Ekspedisi Cengkeh” in the North Sulawesi (Minahasa, Tondano, Sangihe, Talaud) and Molucca (Tobelo, Morotai, Ternate, Tidore, Haruku). As facilitator, he was involved in “Ekspedisi Jalur Rempah”, a program organized by Ministry of Education and Culture (2017), and advocacy on developing grassroot based alternative energy in Kolepon, Merauke, Papua, organized by Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (2014). He is also part of the research team of Merayakan Masjid Istiqlal (2017) and Lontara’ Duri publishing (2020-2024). Previously, he worked at Rakata Alam Terbuka, a company that develops outdoor educational programs and tourism across Indonesia, such as in Ciletuh Geopark and Cinumpang Camping Ground in Sukabumi. By the invitation and support of Institut Français Indonésie, Jakarta, he participated Design Kolektif program organized by Cité du design – École supérieure d’Art et Design de Saint-Étienne (Esadse) in Saint-Étienne, France. In 2024, he was one of participating researchers in collaboration with two artists for an artwork showcase during FKSM (Festival Komunitas dan Seni Media) in Makassar. He has been the director of Riwanua since 2021.