The Perspective of Aesthetic Arena within the Budaya Pulo Reconstruction Movement in Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta

Based on participatory observation in Kepulauan Seribu, Jakarta, initially conducted in 2023, it was found that the island residents, referred to as Orang Pulo, have been carrying out a Budaya Pulo reconstruction movement to respond to environmental and identity problems that have been recognized since the early 2000s. The movement is based on initiatives from local community members who then opened space for collaboration with various parties from outside the islands. This article aims to examine how Orang Pulo have developed and carried out their cultural reconstruction independently and organically, including by incorporating arts activities into the movement. The analysis uses a qualitative approach by observing the series of movements from 2011 to 2025 and then analyzing them through a triangulation of art aesthetics and a social practice perspective. The analysis shows that cultural reconstruction brings out the potential of Orang Pulo in spatial, temporal, social, and cultural aspects. The perspective of “Aesthetic Arena” also emerges, fundamentally through the transmission of formalism and modality, expression and arena, and imitation through representation and habitus