RRI.CO.ID. Jakarta - One hundred and fifty years ago, in July 1876, the young French poet Arthur Rimbaud arrived in Semarang. At just 22 years old, he had already written the works that would make him one of the greatest poets of all time.

His brief journey from Semarang to Kedungjati, Tuntang, and Salatiga remains a mysterious chapter of his life. Known as L’Homme aux semelles de vent — “the man with wind on his soles” — Rimbaud embodied a spirit of adventure that still inspires readers around the world.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of his journey to Java, the French Embassy – Institut français d’Indonésie, together with the Semarang City Government and Alliance Française Semarang, opened a special exhibition titled “Arthur Rimbaud: A Journey through Java” at Lawang Sewu from August 6–8, 2026.

The exhibition was also supported by Universitas Negeri Semarang, PT Kereta Api Indonesia, and PT Kereta Api Pariwisata. French Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, Mr. Fabien Penone, inaugurated the exhibition and led a symbolic trip retracing Rimbaud’s route across Central Java.

The opening also marked the official launch of the Rimbaud Residency, the first bilateral literary residency program between France and Indonesia. Named after the poet whose mysterious time in Java continues to spark cultural dialogue, the program is designed as a long-term exchange for writers from both countries. It aims to provide space for immersion, creative work, and direct interaction with local communities.

This initiative reflects the growing cultural partnership between Indonesia and France. Following the adoption of the Borobudur Declaration on a Shared Cultural Strategy by President Prabowo Subianto and President Emmanuel Macron in May 2025, and after the launch of Choix Goncourt Indonesia and French authors’ participation in the Makassar International Writers Festival 2026, the Rimbaud Residency is another concrete step. It strengthens bilateral cooperation in literature and promotes dialogue through books, ideas, and contemporary works.

The first resident of the program is Louis-Philippe Dalembert, a leading contemporary French-language writer born in Haiti and now based in Paris. From September to November 2026, he will spend three months in Semarang, working from Lawang Sewu and engaging with Indonesian writers, students, and readers through public talks and workshops. In return, an Indonesian writer will undertake a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale de la langue française in France in early 2027.

With the exhibition and the launch of the residency, Rimbaud’s mysterious journey has become a shared literary heritage. This France–Indonesia cultural cooperation looks to the future by supporting mobility, creation, and exchange between artists. The hope is that from Semarang, this program will inspire new works, deepen people-to-people connections, and build lasting partnerships between cultural institutions, universities, and communities in both countries.

Source : Ambassade de France de Jakarta