On Friday, 26 September 2025, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara (UMN), through its Faculty of Visual Communication Design, in collaboration with the Nusakara Art & Design Center and the Negeri Rempah Foundation, hosted the IFSR 2025 Artwork Panel Presentation titled “Exploring the Spice Routes through Creative Research.” The event took place at Galeri Lentera, Nusakara Art &Design Center, starting at 13:00 WIB.
This panel discussion was part of the International Forum on Spice Routes (IFSR) 2025, an international initiative that emphasizes cultural preservation, innovation, and critical reflection on the enduring legacies of the Spice Routes. Rather than viewing the Spice Routes merely as a history of trade in valuable commodities, the forum highlights their role as spaces of intercultural exchange that shaped identities, languages, technologies, and social systems that continue to influence the world today.
The history of the Spice Routes is far more complex than triumphant tales of commerce. Beneath the surface lie deeper layers of political tensions, economic inequalities, and colonial violence. For this reason, the Spice Routes should not be seen simply as a romanticized past, but as a living historical field that continues to resonate with contemporary global challenges.
The IFSR builds on previous forums by emphasizing themes of sustainability, cultural heritage, and creativity. A central question underlines this year’s forum: how can the legacy of the Spice Routes provide insights into today’s ecological crises, social transformations, and political disruptions?
Through the Non-Traditional Research Output (NTRO) approach, the works featured in this panel are not regarded merely as aesthetic objects but as repositories of knowledge. Sketches, documentation, and creative narratives are positioned as windows into the conceptual processes behind each work. NTRO allows artists and designers to act as visual researchers, practicing, recording, responding to, and reformulating the layered meanings of the Spice Routes.
Featured speakers included Ardilles Akyuwen (Indonesia) with Pulang Ambon, and Manon Houston (United Kingdom) with Nutmeg on Banda Neira, moderated by Dr. Yusup Sigit Martysiadi (Indonesia). Together, they offered new perspectives on how the legacy of the Spice Routes can inspire more inclusive and sustainable futures.
