Dr Kiven Strohm

Biography

I will be supervising regional IEx projects in Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya. These are all incredibly dynamic creative cities, with vibrant grassroots initiatives and rich artistic and cultural scenes for us to explore, learn from, and contribute to. Below are some areas we can engage as part of these projects:

IEx Bandung: Design and Environment

• IEx Bandung is an opportunity to collaborate with the people of Cibunut Berwarna, a creative kampung located in the heart of Bandung. Waste has become a daunting challenge for many cities around the world, and especially so for many cities in Indonesia, where most landfills are increasingly full. The people of Cibutnut are aiming to create a circular economy for their community, from growing their own food to waste recycling. In addition to Cibunut, we will explore opportunities to work with other local kampungs and communities, including collaborating with the Design Ethnography Lab at ITB (Institut Teknologi Bandung).  See more here: Kampung Kreatif.

IEx Yogyakarta: Art and Culture

• IEx Yogyakarta (Jogja) is an opportunity to engage with local initiatives that work at the intersections of art and culture. From the city landfill that has reached full capacity to mining companies around Merapi, the city finds itself faced with a bevy of environmental challenges. Whether it is traditional culture practices such as Wayang and batik or contemporary art, IEx teams will have opportunities to collaborate with local organisations and partners to expand upon their initiatives and, in turn, innovate with art and culture to effect social impact. Our partners include Monumen Antroposen, Cemeti Institute for Art and Society, Indonesia Visual Art Archive (IVAA), Kebun Kali Code, Wayang Merdeka, TacTik Plastik, among others.

IEx Surabaya: Collective Care

• IEx Surabaya is a new addition to my IEx offerings for 2026. Surabaya is the second-largest city in Indonesia and an emerging art and cultural hub in East Java (and its capital). In this IEx we will look to work with C20, a local cooperative library and coworking community focused on practices of collective care. These practices of care range from social responsibility, the management of collective resources, to environmental sustainability. We also explore possibilities of working with Kampung Hijau Jambangan, a creative village in the heart of the city that has long managed turning organic waste into compost, and reprocessing non-organic waste, such as plastic, into bags, flower pots, umbrellas, jackets and souvenirs.  

Questions? You can find me at kiven.strohm@nus.edu.sg