(15/11) “Failure is part of success.” Those are the words of Mrs. Franziska Fennert, an artist from Germany, who has now been living in Indonesia for many years— more precisely in Kalurahan Bawuran.
On Saturday morning, several students from UGM Residence gathered at the Ratna Kinanti 2&3 dormitory to depart together for the Museum Antroposen that is located in Sentulrejo, Bawuran Village, Plaret District, Bantul Regency, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.
We set off in three group cars, filled with curiosity and excitement to learn something new. As young people who love exploring and gaining new insights, the opportunity to travel for the sake of learning is truly something to be grateful for. Our journey from Sleman to Bantul took about an hour. Moving from warm air to cool breeze, we were greeted by the sight of sheep roaming freely along the cliffs— an unexpectedly beautiful scene
When we arrived, the chilly air felt warmed by the sincere smiles from the village chief, Mrs. Franziska, and the local workers who welcomed us wholeheartedly. The calm and positive energy they radiated was truly uplifting. After gathering and listening to a brief explanation from the facilitators, we were guided by the manager of the Museum Antroposen to observe the waste-sorting process.
“This garbage is piled up and sent from the city,” the manager said, sadness visible on his face. Once sorted, the inorganic and residue will be “ground” into ash and flattened. From the ash, the material is molded into sturdy bricks.
Mrs. Franziska also shared a very interesting story. “We have a close cooperation with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which provided Rp.4 billion in funding for us. With that support, we were able to purchase advanced waste-processing machines directly from Europe,” she explained.
This became one of the most fascinating insights we learned: the building we saw at the Anthropocene Monument is made entirely from waste! Yes, that’s right. The bricks used were crafted from processed garbage— strong, durable, and surprisingly beautiful.
We were also shown how waste is transformed into works of art, not only crafts, but also relief depicting the development of human civilization. From this experience, UGM Residence hopes to collaborate with the Museum Anthroposen, so that the global community, especially Indonesian students, can deepen their awareness of environmental preservation, humanize nature, and view caring for the earth as a form of gratitude to god.