•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Wayang, as a traditional performing art in Indonesia, continues to develop through various forms of experimentation. One example is the Wayang Lostang YouTube channel, developed by Samuel Indratma through the animation project Sintren, save the planet in collaboration with students from SMK Komputama Majenang. Distribution through YouTube indicates that the transformation of wayang is not merely visual but is also a collective cultural practice grounded in social relations, reflecting cultural commoning in the Indonesian context. This study aims to understand how these practices operate through production, social relations, and the formation of cultural meaning in digital circulation. The research employs a qualitative approach using hybrid ethnography, involving online and offline observation, in-depth interviews with Samuel Indratma, and documentation. Findings show collective production, participatory relations in digital networks, and multiple, continuously negotiated cultural meanings. These practices extend beyond production to representation and cultural meaning-making, demonstrating that communal values persist.

References

Bauwens, Michel and Vasilis Kostakis. 2014. Network society and future scenarios for a collaborative economy. London: Palgrave Pivot.

Budianta, Melani. 2019. “Smart kampung: doing cultural studies in the Global South”, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies 16(3): 241-256.

Burgess, Jean and Joshua Green. 2009. YouTube; Online video and participatory culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Busro. 2023. “Sintren’s sacred cadence; Journeying into the mystical dimensions of spiritual rhythms”, Ulul Albab: Jurnal Studi Islam 24(2): 209-230.

Carpentier, Nico. 2011. Media and participation; A site of ideological-democratic struggle. Bristol: Intellect.

Castells, Manuel. 2010. The rise of the network society. Second edition. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Couldry, Nick. 2012. Media, society, world; Social theory and digital media practice. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Giddens, Anthony. 1991. Modernity and self-identity; Self and society in the late modern age. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Hall, Stuart. 1997. Representation; Cultural representations and signifying practices. London: Sage.

Harsrinuksmo, Bambang. 1999. Ensiklopedi wayang. Jakarta: Balai Pustaka.

Hidayat, A., U. Supendi, S. Wahyuni, and R. Maulana. 2025. “The wayang as a cultural performance; Preserving Javanese heritage in the modern era”, International Journal of Applied Research and Sustainable Sciences 3(5). [DOI: https://doi.org/10.59890/ijarss.v3i5.32.]

Jenkins, Henry. 2006. Convergence culture; Where old and new media collide. New York, NY: New York University Press.

Korsovitis, C. 2016. “Ways of the wayang”, India International Centre Quarterly 28(2): 59-68.

Kress, G. and T. van Leeuwen. 2006. Reading images; The grammar of visual design. Second edition. London: Routledge.

McCloud, S. 1993. Understanding comics; The invisible art. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Nonini, D.M, 2006. “Introduction; The global idea of ‘the Commons’”, Social Analysis: The International Journal of Anthropology 50(3): 164-177.

NU Online. 2020. “Wayang karya kolaborasi santri Majenang dipamerkan di Belanda”. [Retrieved from: https://nu.or.id/internasional/wayang-karya-kolaborasi-santri-majenang-dipamerkan-di-belanda-Mv7g3.; accessed on: 28 March 2026.]

Przybylski, Liz. 2020. Hybrid ethnography. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Purwadi. 2007. Seni pedhalangan wayang purwa. Yogyakarta: Shaida.

Sari, Maya Purnama, Nuning Yanti Damayanti, Irfansyah, and Hafiz Aziz Ahmad. 2025. ”Transformation of digital puppetry; A scoping review”, The International Journal of Visual Design 20(1): 27-46. [DOI: 10.18848/2325-1581/CGP/v20i01/27-46.]

Soedarsono. 1999. Seni pertunjukan Indonesia di era globalisasi. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press.

Suryana, Jajang. 2002. Wayang golek Sunda; Kajian estetika rupa tokoh golek. Bandung: PT Kiblat Buku Utama.

Tilakasiri, J. 2012. Theatre in Southeast Asia. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University Press. 

Wahidin, D. 2013. Kompilasi kesenian tradisional Cirebon. Cirebon: Dinas Pemuda Olahraga Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Kota Cirebon.

Wahyu Nurul Iman. 2024. “Film and project”, Wahyunuman.com. [Available on: https://wahyunuman.com/.]

Download

Share

COinS