Looking at the Dapur Umum 56, there’s always cheer, jokes, and laughter, and then, of course, the simple dishes that can always arouse the taste buds. The various menus they’d prepare are always gone by the end of the day and they’re never short of visitors.
When asked about the funding for the Biennale Jogja XVI Equator #6 2021, a member of the Dapur Umum 56 Fajar Riyanto laughed a little.
“It is still not possible though, to close until the end of the event at the Biennale. Until the end of the event, we were still nervous,” he said on Saturday (23/10) before dusk.
For this reason, Dapur Umum 56 has to rack its brains to generate its own funds, so that the activities of Dapur Umum 56 can continue until the end. The participation of the general public through donations is fortunately still sufficient to meet the needs of the kitchen, although not by much.
During the Biennale Jogja XVI, Dapur Umum 56 also do activates works every week. In addition to holding live cooking events, Dapur Umum 56 also opened Toko 56. And don’t miss the Pasar Bebas and auction events. Pasar Bebas itself is a joint venture between Dapur Umum 56 and Tonjo Foundation.
According to Fajar, the existence of this market is to meet the funding needs for Dapur 56. The profits from the auction will also be returned to Dapur 56 to be then subsidized to meet the needs of materials in the kitchen.
It is different from Pasar Bebas (Free Market). Pasar Bebas is filled with several collectives and artists who want to sell their work. Dapur Umum 56 also does not charge any fees for participants who fill the Free Market.
“We didn’t ask even for a penny. So the idea is that we can develop together. It’s a collective concept, being able to network with each other and help each other,” said Fajar.
The need for the kitchen itself for one activation is limited to three hundred thousand rupiahs. This is a challenge in itself. What to do so the chef of the Public Kitchen 56 prepares enough food for fifty people with minimal funds. Of course, this is per the concept of the 56 Public Kitchen itself, the cooked food is not too luxurious, but it is enough for them to survive during the pandemic.
“One hundred and forty, for Asep Nayak’s mixtape! Anyone else? The auction ends when the music does!”
The shouts through the megaphone filled the stage area of the Jogja National Museum (JNM). Loud noises and laughter surrounded the area. The right side of the JNM stage that afternoon was full and bustling. The participants in the market were Toko 56, BarBarBar, Mobii, Senyawa Mandiri, Puisi Seketika, Sketsa Wajah Tidak Mirip, Mixtape Workshop with Gus Kalz, Toko Musik Luwes, Live Screen-Printing Designs for Dapur Umum 56, as well as live DJs.
That Saturday (24/10) afternoon, Dapur 56 opened Pasar Bebas along with an auction. Although not many stalls were opened, visitors’ enthusiasm could not be ignored. Prices set for the goods sold are quite affordable. Some also charge appropriate fees for things such as facial sketches.
The market crowd stood out in front of the large plywood filled with knick-knacks made by friends from Dapur Umum 56. Several artworks, such as CDs, t-shirts, jackets, and others, were lined up along the plywood.
Tonjoria Lottery from Tonjo Foundation was specially made for the needs of the market. This lottery is only pegged at five thousand rupiahs. With very affordable prices and attractive prizes, this lottery became the main star of Pasar Bebas.
Not only sharing the food, but Dapur 56 also successfully shared jokes and laughter through the Pasar Bebas. Even just for visitors who pass by and are interested in seeing what transpired.
