IPB University Students Follow the Practice of Aquascape Making at the WEFA 2024 Workshop
Students of the Department of Aquaculture Technology and Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science (FPIK) IPB University, successfully held the second session of World Exotic Fish and Aquascape (WEFA) activities held on 5/5 at Grha Widya Wisuda Building (GWW), IPB Dramaga Campus with the theme “Nature Art: Building Life Underwater”
WEFA 2024 is an activity aimed at students of the Department of Aquaculture Technology and Management in the practicum of Ornamental Fish and Aquaculture courses. In the practicum, students practice making aquascapes directly.
“Through this activity, students obtain useful information about activities related to the characteristics and keys to maintenance, as well as understand how to make aquascapes or the art of aquarium arrangement,” said Fajar Maulana, SPi, MSi, lecturer in charge of the Practicum Course (PJMP) Ornamental Fish and Aquascapes.
Fajar said, WEFA was held to explain and explore the economic and business potential of Indonesia’s ornamental fish and aquascapes that are worldwide, thus students are encouraged to interact and meet directly with business people and practitioners.
The event was filled with workshop activities by Margo Prasetyo, the curator team of Basoeki Abdullah Museum, the museum of the Maestro of naturalism painting. The sub-theme presented by Margo was “Curating the Aquarium: Conceptions of Art in the World of Aquascape”.
“Art in aquascape is an art that emphasizes communication on creative aspects, freedom of artistic expression personally and esoterically. Simply put, aquarium design is a manifestation of art that is planned and then realized technically, functionally and fulfills the biological needs of the habitat in the aquarium,” said Margo.
Margo continued, aquarium curation highlights innovation, creativity and more advanced ideas by continuously adopting technology and daring to experiment with design.
“Aquarium creations continue to increase, many artists who are also involved in the world of aquascapes make aquascapes develop abroad. As artists, we must create trends, not follow trends in order to get a share in the industry itself,” he said.
Margo explained various examples of themes from aquascapes including dutch style, which is a Dutch aquarium that has a regular and symmetrical structure, nature aquarium, which is an aquarium concept that takes inspiration from examples of natural landscapes with a mass arrangement of several species of plants and stones or driftwood.
“There is also a biotope aquarium, which is a man-made ecosystem in a home aquarium or exhibition made based on knowledge gained from natural biotope research so that it becomes a replica of a natural biotope,” Margo explained.
A total of 135 students grouped into 24 groups built their respective aquariums. For 2.5 hours they worked in groups to realize the art of building aquascapes according to their respective concepts. The nominee and winner aquascapes will be displayed at the Dolphin Canteen of FPIK IPB University for exhibition. (*/Lp) (IAAS/PRP)
