Outside Interior

Abstract

This paper proposes an idea of the traversed boundaries of inside and outside, by examining various mechanisms of how the inside and the outside could traverse each other within the context of everyday life in an urban neighbourhood in Jakarta, Indonesia. It argues on the (in)significance of interior entities in defining the interiority of an urban context, especially in an urban setting where the cultural and climatic context encourages more outdoor events and activities. An inquiry into everyday life in an urban neighbourhood was performed in order to reveal various possibilities for mechanisms in which the inside and outside could be extended and exchanged. The making of interior is not merely defined by the presence of interior entities contained within the physical boundaries. Various mechanisms of traversing the inside and outside could further define the nature of the urban interior of everyday life, where the interior could become independent from its physical boundaries. These mechanisms suggest the possibility of alternative types of urban interior that might emerge due to the occupation of space (whether inside or outside) by the events that take place alongside the everyday habitual routines. The emergence of outside interior is made possible by the porosity of the boundaries, which allow for the exchange of atmospheric condition, the exchange of programs and actions, and the movement of objects across the boundaries of inside and outside.