UNESCO recognizes batik as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
A printing technique is called batik . The term has its origin in the Javanese language, and can be translated as “painted” .
Batik is representative of Indonesia , especially the island of Java . It is also popular in countries such as Malaysia , India , Thailand and Sri Lanka . Since 2009 it has been part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognized by UNESCO .
What is batik
Batik is one of the so-called reserve dyeing techniques . In this type of method, the entire fabric is not dyed, but rather a part is reserved where the dye cannot act, thus generating a print with patterns or motifs .
In traditional Indonesian dyeing, a mixture of wax and paraffin is used and applied hot to the fabric. There are different tools and brushes for this application. Once this step has been completed, we proceed to the first dyeing of the fabric.
After the corresponding drying, the previous steps are repeated, using the wax to cover those colors that are intended to be preserved. In this way the framework that characterizes batik is built.
Traditional batik is developed by artisans.
Its symbolic importance
UNESCO , by including batik in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity , highlighted the relevance of the technique in Indonesian life. The organization mentions that, at birth, babies are carried in a batik harness or sling.
At the other extreme of existence, the shroud of the deceased is made with a batik shroud. In addition, batik clothing is worn at weddings and even in everyday life.
It is interesting to mention that batik is made by artisans who alternate the combination of wax and paraffin with dyes and hot water that allows the mixture to be removed at each step. Among the motifs that are captured, animals , flowers and geometric shapes appear.
As an artistic expression, batik is often passed down from generation to generation. Thus the tradition is maintained over time, forging the identity of the town.
Batik Air
The Batik Air airline began operations in 2013 . This Indonesian company has a fleet of more than seventy aircraft , most of them Airbus A320-200 and Boeing 737-800 .
The first flight of Batik Air , which is a subsidiary of Lion Air , linked Jakarta and Manado . Today the company carries out domestic and international trips, reaching cities such as Kuala Lumpur ( Malaysia ), Madras or Chennai ( India ), Perth ( Australia ) and Singapore .
The term in computing
Batik is the name of a computer tool based on the Java programming language . It is used for generating, editing, and rendering scalable vector graphics ( SVG ).
This software is distributed under Apache 2.0 license. This means that it has a free software license, which means it can be used without restrictions, making it possible to modify and redistribute it.
Batik in cycling
The Batik team was active in professional cycling between 1993 and 1997 . It was born as Mecair-Ballan , then it was renamed Gewiss-Ballan , later it was called Gewiss-Playbus and finally Batik-Del Monte , modifications linked to the group's sponsors.
The Russian Yevgueni Berzin (winner of the Giro d'Italia in 1994 ), the Latvian Piotr Ugriúmov , the Danish Bjarne Riis , the Italian Ivan Gotti and the Spanish Jon Odriozola were among the main cyclists who made up the Batik team.