On May 9, 2025, the Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program (PSPSR) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a sarasehan themed “Beyond the Wall of Self,” where Dr. Gabriel Roosmargo Lono Lastoro Simatupang, M.A., reflected on his personal and professional journey, emphasizing the significance of growing together with others.

Unlike typical commemorations that focus on external tributes, Lono Simatupang deliberately chose “Beyond the Wall of Self” to highlight how his artistic and academic journey has always been shaped by encounters and collaborations. “I did not want others to merely talk about me, but rather, I wanted to share how I have grown because of and together with others,” he remarked during the event. read more

Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies (PSPSR) Program at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) organized an inspiring dialogue titled “Beyond the Wall of Self” on Friday, May 9, 2025. This event commemorated 36 years of Lono Simatupang’s academic journey and 34 years of PSPSR UGM’s contributions. The dialogue provided a platform for reflection on meaningful interactions and relationships with Dr. Lono Simatupang, particularly within academic and creative contexts. Lecturers, alumni from various generations, and students of PSPSR UGM attended the event. This activity served as a space to reflect on PSPSR’s role as an educational institution shaping individuals and fostering the creation of significant works. The Dean of the UGM Graduate School, Prof. Ir. Siti Malkhamah, M.Sc., Ph.D., highlighted PSPSR’s role in producing alumni as a key indicator of success. She emphasized that the multidisciplinary approach forms PSPSR’s core strength, broadly impacting society. read more

UGM Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Study Program in collaboration with Jogja Disability Art (Indonesia) and DaDa Fest (United Kingdom), two organizations working in the area of disability arts, held a Mini Seminar entitled Creating Meaning and Empowering Possibilities in Disability Arts Practice: A Reflection From Dada Fest (UK) and Jogja Disability Arts (Indonesia). This seminar was held on Wednesday, 8 May 2024 at 13.00-15.00 on 5th floor of the postgraduate school building UGM, guided by A. Sudjud Dartanto as moderator. read more

The Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies Program in collaboration with the Department of Culture (Kundha Kabudayan) of the Special Region of Yogyakarta Province and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia held the International Panji Seminar, Tuesday (12/10) at the UGM Postgraduate School Auditorium.

The Panji International Seminar on this occasion presented speakers from various countries who discussed the cultural dynamics surrounding the Panji story in Southeast Asia. The resource person presented in this seminar was Dr. Lydia Kieven (Germany), Dr. Thaneerat Jatuthasri (Thailand), Dr. G.R. Lono L. Simatupang, M.A. (Indonesia), Dr. Soo Pong Chua (Singapore), Rudy Wiratama, S.I.P., M.A. (Indonesia), and Mrs. Ei Ei Thant (Myanmar). read more

Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies together with the Jogja Disability Arts Foundation held an International Seminar on Disability Arts: Creativity, Agency, Connectivity, Wednesday (11/8) at the UGM Postgraduate School Auditorium. This event was held as one of a series of Jogja International Disability Arts Binealle 2023 events. This seminar discussed the importance of discussing disability arts in its complex intersection with creative practices, empowerment actions and collaborative initiatives. read more

Jim Supangkat is a prominent art curator in Indonesia, as well as a witness to the history of Indonesian modern art. The relay momentum in Jim Supangkat’s thoughts is presented in the summary of the book he has compiled entitled “Satu Abad Gagal Paham” which is also the subject of a seminar organized by Buku Seni Rupa in collaboration with PSPSR in the Auditorium Room, 5th Floor, Faculty of Postgraduate School, UGM, Wednesday (10/5).

The event began with a discussion on the context of “Satu Abad Gagal Paham”, which was born from Jim Supangkat’s long contemplation after evaluating his experience in conversing with various art figures from around the world. The initial discussion was opened with a discussion of art myths that distort the understanding of western and eastern society, thus creating a misunderstanding in Indonesia. Furthermore, Jim also invites the audience and readers of his book to review artistic ideas in art events and review various artistic expressions in various parts of the world. From there, according to Jim, we will realize that there is an art discipline that influences art work practices, as well as an understanding of art itself that has been constructed through art history. read more

“The Future of Arts” as the theme of this year’s PSPSR anniversary highlights the future of art, both in terms of form and position, in the context of contemporary society. That future is not merely a continuation of the present or a projection of the present, but rather an imagined hope or condition that has yet to take shape. Furthermore, art actually contributes to shaping the future because art is part of social practice, especially in its role in creating a symbolic world. Art, as we know, carries aesthetic values that not only inspire but also make life more intense. read more

The cultural mission in the Indonesian homeland had been implemented after Indonesia’s independence in 1945. For Sukarno, it was through culture that Indonesia could demonstrate independence, as well as its cultural diversity. On that basis, Sukarno had carried out a cultural mission by sending various artists abroad. In short, the cultural mission kept Sukarno’s foreign policy agenda. Also an Indonesianist, Jennifer Lindsay also wrote that: Many cultural missions were sent abroad by President Soekarno in the 1950s and 1960s. The mission, which usually consists of dancers and musicians, is intended as an expression of ‘national confidence and pride’ (Lindsay, 2012: 195). While agreeing with this, in her writing Barbara Hatley stated that in that era there was indeed an agenda of creating an advanced national culture for the Indonesian nation (2014: 4). read more

Play and Display: Dua Moda Pergelaran Reyog Ponorogo di Jawa Timur are an analysis of the Javanese folk dance performance, namely Reyog Ponorogo. The basic premise of this study is the view that the meaning of Reyog Ponorogo is necessarily intertwined in the events of its performance, and collaboratively that is constructed and reconstructed the meaning by the participants as the events are intertwined and the performance is carried out. This view then led ua to examine the formal elements, namely: how are the elements arranged into performances in various space-time and opportunity settings? How do participants interact in different settings? Through this search, this study affirms two modes of Reyog Ponorogo performance, namely: the presentational mode and the participatory mode. This book reveals that both modes of performance are public events with temporal, spatial, ideational framing so that Ponorogo people as actors and spectators alike experience (visually, aural, physically and mentally) a number of important aspects of their personal existence. Ponorogo community members, as well as nationals. The strength of the Reyog Ponorogo performance lies in the fact that it is a moment for Ponorogo people to experience and express these basic matters in an entertaining way, namely: play and display. read more

Art shows the complexity of reality by presenting opportunities to penetrate the boundaries of ‘commonness’. Art is creative work where the ‘impossible’ becomes ‘possible,’ the ‘hidden’ becomes ‘visible,’ the ‘bad’ becomes ‘good,’ which ‘cannot’ become ‘may be,’ and so on. However, art never simply follows interpretation or common sense of reality, but creates alternative interpretations of reality. read more