Nurturing Memory, Realizing Reconnection

KOMPAS/ADITYA DIVERANTA

Screenshot of the front page of the Monday edition of the Kompas daily e-paper (27/6/2022) when viewed from the Kompas.id application. This edition features a special cover page collaborating with artist Raka Jana in a non-fungible token (NFT) format.

World progress has accelerated since the emergence of the internet. Kompas, which has been around since 1965, has taken part in recording every stage of internet development, starting from the establishment of a network that connects computers across countries to its penetration into other electronic devices.

Kompas has seen that every technological development can be used to better serve the public. The launch of the Kompas.com portal in the mid-1990s and the development of the Kompas.id subscription platform have also became a part of Kompas' new efforts to share information more comprehensively.

Then, the Web3 era appeared. It introduced a blockchain technology, which enables people to record information in a decentralized manner so that authenticity can always be maintained. This characteristic is also adopted in various ways, from valuable assets to digital goods.

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In Web3, which has a blockchain backbone, Kompas sees an opportunity that allows the public to participate in efforts to record and interpret history. An asset can be digitally uploaded, accessible to anyone and permanently stored on the blockchain.

One of the blockchain technologies is manifested in a non-fungible token (NFT). This asset has become a new phenomenon in recent years and is widely used to digitally preserve works.

For many creators, NFT is an acknowledgment of the copyright of a digital asset. This can open new doors of appreciation.

NFT exploration will not stop even though the crypto-asset market has been sluggish. Some creators are even more active in perpetuating their works in the name of experimentation than archiving in the blockchain. NFT works like a certificate that can prove the ownership of digital assets.

KOMPAS/HERLAMBANG JALUARDI

One of the digital illustration works in NFT format from Endah N Rhesa which is marketed at the Objkt market place on the Tezos blockchain. The photo was taken on Friday (17/6/2022) in Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten.

The uncharted

Reconnection, by Balinese artist Dewa Gede Raka Jana “Rakajana” Nuraga, published on the front page of Monday’s (27/6/2022) edition of Kompas, is also an example of the work of those who see the potential of NFT as a new opportunity for creativity.

The use of NFT for art is only a small part of terra incognita in the vast realm of chain technology. It is quite possible that NFT can be explored further.

In its 57 years of history, Kompas has become a witness and recorder of history. Every important and meaningful event has been recorded and stored in the rich archives of Kompas.

Kompas believes that NFT technology can help the public to remember, celebrate and interpret past events.

The past will always be actual. Historical records can provide a more complete understanding when looking at the problems faced today.

Kompas believes that NFT technology can help the public to remember, celebrate and interpret past events.

Therefore, Kompas launched a new initiative and repackaged the wealth of the Kompas archive in the form of NFT, then gave it another term, narasi fakta terkurasi or NFT (curated narrative facts). NFT is an effort to continue to maintain the memory of Indonesia.

As a first step, an NFT exhibition, Indonesia in 57 Events, will be held to display Kompas news archives. This exhibition will be held in conjunction with Kompas' 57th Anniversary, which falls on Tuesday (28/6) or tomorrow, and the publication of the Kompas Anniversary Special Edition.

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The collection contains 57 front page news archives from every year of Indonesia's journeys recorded by Kompas. The front page of a newspaper is an appropriate means to mark important milestones in the nation's history.

As one of the national newspapers that still exists, Kompas has covered seven presidents and three orders of government. The adage that the press is the first recorder of historical events has actually been practiced by Kompas.

Presenting the wealth of archives in the form of NFT is a logical consequence for Kompas, which wants to continue to capture every moment of this nation's journey.

Kompas hopes that, through a curated narrative of facts, we as Indonesians can re-knit the connections that are bound by various collective memories of past events.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.