Project title

Reimagining Pustaha, Re-imaging Batak Symbols

Research question

How can the pustaha be connected to the common Batak people today? Is it possible to comprehend the symbols in the pustaha through artistic means?

Project description

Theo Frids Hutabarat’s project focuses on the Batak manuscripts known as pustaha and how museums in the Netherlands preserve them. He aims to study the life of certain spiritual symbols within the pustaha and trace their connections to various cultures across the ages.

This project seeks to deepen the understanding of the past by exploring Batak spirituality—not just focusing on ancestors and rituals, but also on political, social, and environmental histories. The findings will serve as the foundation for future artistic research, re-imaging these symbols as lived experiences (such as through the aesthetics of masking and unveiling in painting practice), and viewing this as an alternative practice of care for a shared legacy of civilizations.

Selected publications