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FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE: THE PRODUCTION OF SPACE AND ARTISTS' EXPRESSION IN MAKASSAR CITY

Supratman Yusbi Yusuf, Mardi Adi Armin, Andi Faisal

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Abstract

This study examines the changes occurring in the art space in Makassar City, with a particular emphasis on the shift in focus from public to private space as a means of self-preservation and a form of resistance by the artist community. This study uses a qualitative approach and the framework of Henri Lefebvre's theory of spatial production. It shows that several spaces, such as the Societeit de Harmoni, Fort Rotterdam, and Losari Beach area, are now commodified and controlled by the bureaucracy. These spaces were once collective and emotional living spaces for the art community. As a result of this transformation, their functions have changed into formal institutions, tourist attractions, and consumption centers. This evolution has led to a crisis of representation and the alienation of the art community from these spaces. Artists have created alternative spaces of representation in their homes, private studios, and small communities in response to these conditions. These spaces still play a strategic role in fostering knowledge production, social solidarity, and free cultural expression, despite limited public access. The results demonstrate that artists' spatial production is not simply an artistic event; it is a political struggle to maintain the right to cultural and urban space. This study emphasizes the importance of creating more open and participatory city policies, especially to maintain a community-based local arts ecosystem.

 

Keywords: Public space, Private space, Production of space, Makassar artists, Lefebvre