Djuki Ridwan, 28 Years of Raising Pride

Herlambang Jaluardi

· 7 minutes read

Raising the giant Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) statue in Ungasan Village, Badung Regency, Bali, is like an orchestral performance. Djuki Ridwan, 54, is the "conductor" who led 150 craftsmen to realize the work of sculptor Nyoman Nuarta in a 28-year opus.

"Pak Djuki, smile. Please, Pak Djuki, smile," the workers of PT Siluet Nyoman Nuarta called out on Tuesday afternoon (31/7/2018) at the site of the statue, as seen in the footage Djuki Ridwan showed on Thursday (2/8). A group of workers transported the last section of the GWK statue by truck to the base of the statue.

It was understandable that the workers would exclaim like that. The week was a critical moment for the GWK project. They were bound to a deadline, and the module had to be installed on Aug. 1. The module they were completing was the upper part of the garuda (mythical eagle), which was almost the same size as an aircraft hangar. Meanwhile, preparing the part was facing obstacles.

Nature also posed a challenge, with strong winds blowing around Ungasan Hill, where the statue was being built. The wind was blowing at about 12 knots, or 22 kilometers per hour, and strong enough to topple a tank of water. It could also swing a 1.5-ton modular piece as a crane hoisted it. The module, which formed the outer part of the sculpture, was composed of copper and measured 3-by-4.

Those were the difficulties that made the smile fade from Djuki\'s usually friendly face. There was not much that could be done to overcome the wind, except to observe its speed from minute to minute.

"As for the raw materials, many colleagues helped on the GWK project. They told us where to obtain it," said Djuki, the construction foreman of the GWK statue.

The raw materials, consisting of about 200 copper plates, were finally obtained from Jakarta. Transporting them was fairly smooth until they reached the area near Ungasan. Nyoman Nuarta said that a traffic accident had caused congestion that lasted several hours. "It also caused a hectic situation, because [we had] only three days left," he said.

The remaining work was finished like a military drill over the remaining three days. The craftsmen and technicians under Djuki\'s command, Nyoman said, worked as though in a trance and successfully completed the upper garuda module on the last day of July.

The 1.5-ton module was transported about 500 meters by truck from the workshop to the construction site. The workers accompanied the module, riding in the truck or walking alonside. Djuki was among them.

It was a rowdy affair, because this was the piece that would complete the outer surface of the statue made of 2.5 hectares of copper and brass plates. The workers were also anxious, hoping that the work that day would proceed smoothly.

The 754th module, which resembled a topknot, was hoisted at around 11:00 p.m. to the highest point to the rear of the statue. The workers had only a narrow area to work on that side. About 15 minutes before midnight, the final module was installed, making the statue whole. A Red and White flag was also raised. Everyone cheered and embraced each other. Djuki wiped away tears.

"That was the most moving moment. I get sentimental recalling it," he said, a pleasing look in his eyes.

Enlargement technique

No wonder that he was moved. Djuki has been working on this project since the planning stage in 1989. The project is older than his eldest son, Julian Pratama Ridwan, who is now 21.

Before joining the GWK project, Djuki had worked for Nyoman Nuarta for only two years in the information technology division. Nyoman was then working on the Jalesveva Jayamahe Monument (Monjaya) in Surabaya, which was installed in 1993.

The statue\'s figure is 30 meters high. Its large size has challenged Djuki. So when he found out that Nyoman was planning a bigger statue, Djuki immediately accepted the challenge. The Monjaya project was carried out simultaneously with GWK planning.

The Monjaya statue was erected using an enlargement technique. Nyoman designed the statue as a scale model. Djuki, who handled all computer-related matters, calculated the scale of the enlargement, as well as the size of the individual pieces so the statue would adhere lose its original design.

"Pak Nyoman invited the production team to a discussion. \'Can this model be enlarged?’ I had never tried [the technique], and the AutoCAD software was released then. So I thought, Pak Nyoman\'s ideas could be realized using the computer," said Djuki.

The technique worked. The enlargement technique was issued patent No. 009388/1993 from the Justice Ministry under the name "organic sculpture-production technique using scaled enlargement and patterns". The technique would later be used on a model measuring 3.5 meters tall and 3 meters wide in the GWK project.

Assembling the GWK, which was twice the size of the Monjaya, required more sophisticated technology. The GWK statue was designed to withstand earthquakes, high winds and lightning strikes, and was expected to last about 100 years as a monument.

The statue’s size and technical aspects were tested several times, including in Melbourne, Australia, and Toronto, Canada. The results showed that the statue could withstand a magnitude-8 earthquake and 250 kph winds, and that could absorb electrical energy from lightning.

Human power

The giant structure did not only involve technology, but also people who worked hard to make it happen. Djuki is well aware of this. He was looking for experienced people, especially those with specific skills, such as metal welders and rock climbers who were used to being suspended in the air. "Of course, there were a lot of welders. But those able to weld copper and brass were rare. We gave them months of special training," Djuki said.

The workers also had to adjust to the tough working conditions at high altitude with footing of only 80 centimeters. The wind could also cause vertigo. They were always strapped into safety equipment, such as gloves, helmets and harnesses.

They were regularly given vitamins and nutritious meals. The workers’ blood pressure was checked. If a worker was tired, he was allowed to rest. According to Djuki, the project has been accident free to this day.

"At every critical moment, I was there to maintain the workers’ spirit," said Djuki, who lives in a rented house near the site of the project. Most of the workers were brought in from Bandung, West Java, where Nyoman Nuarta’s workshop is located. They lived in temporary lodgingings, grouped according to their field of work.

Was Djuki ever bored during the long project? "Feeling bored is natural, especially when waiting for certainty that the project could continue. But, I was sure this project would be completed, because it was technically possible. Pak Nyoman and colleagues [the senior workers who had joined at the beginning of the project] always provided encouragement," said Djuki.

Djuki was recognized for his unfailing determination when the last module was installed, and he was carried like team manager Didier Deschamp when the French national team won the 2018 World Cup.

Djuki Ridwan

Born: Bandung, May 7, 1964

Wife: Nia Rosyiortiwati

Children: Julian Pratama Ridwan, Adrian Augustava Ridwan

Education: Informatics diploma, AMIK Bandung

Occupation:

- Project Manager, Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue

- Director, PT Siluet Nyoman Nuarta

Projects:

- Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Bali

- Jalesveva Jayamahe Monument, Surabaya

- Arjuna Wijaya Statue, Jakarta

- Sultan Hasanuddin Statue, Makassar

Editor:

djuki ridwan garuda wisnu kencana project manager