Christian Hiller:: You are one of the core members of the artist collective ruangrupa and of the Gudskul project, in Jakarta. You work across many fields and combine different pro-fessions: you are an artist, curator, editor, and researcher, but originally you trained as an architect. Why did you choose to study architecture?
Farid Rakun: The simple answer to your question is that I went to architecture school because I thought it would give me the opportunity to continue doing what I loved: drawing. I started at University of Indonesia in Jakarta in 2000. If I had wanted a more technical education, I probably would have gone to Parahyangan University in Bandung, or to Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). It was only after my studies that my interest turned to things like philosophy and writing. I never regretted my decision to study architecture: it gave me a different perspective on artistic practice, a sort of pragmatism about getting things done.
…
