Urban spaces are not only manifested by material things. Building roads, and infrastructures, are formed by human experiences, beliefs, and words that we speak. Every corner of the city holds layers of memories, history, and unseen forces culminating from our daily conversations. Beneath the rational planning of urban landscapes, there exist our daily rituals, spiritual beliefs, and sacred utterances that directly affect the surrounding people and their habitat. 

In this workshop, we will dive deep into the urban-kampung legends that have contributed to the formation of the kampung universe. As well as how careful utterance of words can lead to a paradigm shift and urban transformation.

Introduction
Stories of Everyday Spirits in Urban Kampung
Urban life is often seen through the lens of infrastructure, development, and planning, yet beneath these visible layers lie unseen narratives that shape the way people experience their surroundings. The stories of everyday spirits of urban-kampung residents reveal a dimension often overlooked in urban master planning—a dimension where spirits, rituals, and unseen forces subtly influence the rhythms of daily life and the management of communal spaces.

This workshop seeks to uncover these hidden layers by exploring spirit stories in everyday life, focusing on how beliefs in urban spirits and sacred utterances shape both personal and collective experiences. Through life histories, we will trace how spiritual traditions persist within urban environments, influencing not only individual lives but also the way communities manage their spaces. By examining the urban landscape as a site of both material and immaterial forces, we aim to highlight the role of spirit studies within urban studies, offering new perspectives on how cities are lived, felt, and remembered.

By bringing these narratives into discussion, this workshop provides an opportunity to rethink urban planning beyond its physical structures. Understanding how communities interact with the unseen—whether through rituals, oral traditions, or symbolic spaces—allows us to grasp the deeper, more subtle forces that shape urban life. Through storytelling, discussions, and creative exploration, we will collectively uncover these invisible dimensions and rethink the relationship between cities, spirits, and their inhabitants.

Insight: Mantra
Stories of Everyday Spirits are a way to capture the lived experiences and knowledge of urban-kampung residents through life histories and beliefs, revealing how memories, rites, and rituals shape urban habitation. We believe Mantra is an essential keyword to define these stories, as it represents words, phrases, or sound repeated with intent—whether for meditation, invocation, or transformation. In the urban context, mantras exist beyond traditional spiritual practices, appearing in chants, sayings, myths, and daily rituals that reinforce identity, survival, and resistance. These spoken traditions act as urban spells, shaping how people navigate the seen and unseen dimensions of the city. Through this workshop, we seek to collect, document, and reimagine these narratives, compiling them into an Urban Spell Codex—a living compilation of urban-kampung expressions, where language, sound, and memory intertwine to reveal the spirits embedded in everyday life.
 

Mentors

Prof. Kenta Kishi | Graduate School of Transdisciplinary Arts, Akita University of Art
Anugrah Yulianto Rachman | Head of Reasearch Division, OHS
Lutfiah Setyo | Artist and Urban Researcher
Alfian Widi | Historian
Arif Bahtiar | Literature Critique
 

Reviewer or Advisor

Bintang Putra | Director, OHS
Sarah Innasari | Head of Architecture and Urban Design Division, OHS
Aulia Haque | Faculty of Psychology UNTAG Surabaya
Dr. Amanda Pasca Rini | Faculty of Psychology UNTAG Surabaya
Dr. Andik Matulessy | Faculty of Psychology UNTAG Surabaya
 

Location
Pagesangan Gg. III No.6, Pagesangan, Kec. Jambangan, Surabaya, Jawa Timur 60233 
(Kantor Kelurahan Pagesangan)
 

Time and Schedule
27 February - 14 March 2025 (16 days)

Free Registration
bit.ly/RegistrationMantra