This paper explores how decolonization materializes ‘’from below’’ through grassroots heritage practices in Medan, Indonesia. Drawing on ethnographic research in the historic district of Kesawan, it examines how young heritage enthusiasts, artists, and community groups reclaim colonial spaces and narratives through creative and performative engagements. These localized interventions, from street murals and heritage walks to social-media activism, constitute what I term decolonial re-emergences: acts that unsettle authorized heritage discourse and reopen suppressed histories, especially those of ethnic Chinese communities marginalized during the New Order period. Framed within broader debates on decolonial aesthetics (Mignolo & Vásquez 2013) and heritage-from-below (HFB) (Robertson 2012), the paper argues that such everyday cultural practices embody a radical reimagining of heritage as a means of reclaiming and re-narrating place, history, and belonging. By situating these practices within the politics of memory, affect, and urban transformation, it highlights how decolonization in Southeast Asia unfolds not through institutional reform but through the creative agency of ordinary citizens. In doing so, the paper contributes to cultural-studies discussions on art, community, and postcolonial urban life, revealing how local engagements with the built environment can generate new forms of belonging and plural memory in the city.

Authors:
Joshua Gebert, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Joshua Gebert, post-doctoral Research Fellow at NTU Singapore, studies heritage politics, decolonization, and community-based art in Southeast Asia.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vince-gebert

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