The Photography Unit of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UFO UGM) held a photo exhibition titled Kaleidoscope of Yogyakarta, carrying the theme Dynamics of Yogyakarta, on Friday (Apr. 2) beneath the Wreksodiningrat Bridge, located on the western side of the UGM campus.
The exhibition was a requirement for new UFO members before their official induction into the organization.
UFO UGM adopted a new approach for this event by choosing an outdoor venue under the Wreksodiningrat Bridge to make it more accessible to the public.
“Our exhibition division discussed trying something new, an outdoor exhibition. We chose the space under the Wreksodiningrat Bridge because it’s a strategic location, frequently passed by locals, and closer to the surrounding community,” said Yeyen Rastu in a written statement to reporters on Friday (Apr. 9).
Rastu explained that the decision to hold the exhibition outdoors stemmed from the group’s desire to break tradition, as past exhibitions were typically held in indoor galleries.
They wanted to present an event that was more inclusive and open to a broader audience.
According to her, the venue supported their mission to exhibit works depicting the lives of Yogyakarta residents, photographs that the people themselves could appreciate.
“We wanted the visitors to go beyond just students, other student activity units, and similar communities. We wanted the public to be involved too,” she said.
The exhibition showcased 155 photographs from 48 new UFO members, all of which had undergone over a month of curation.
Through this event, UFO UGM provided a platform for aspiring photographers to express themselves and capture various facets of life in Yogyakarta, offering viewers a lens into often overlooked social phenomena in the city.
Dzaky Ferdiansyah, Head of UFO UGM, emphasized that the exhibition was a proving ground for the 48 candidates to display works worthy of public presentation.
“They had already completed training sessions to gain insight and skills in photography,” he explained.
Al-Hafizh Musyaffa Ilham, one of the new UFO members, exhibited a photo series capturing a lesser-known side of Yogyakarta, often associated with the concept of slow living.
His work portrayed a nomadic family who frequently moved from place to place using a bicycle, highlighting that many residents live far away from the city’s curated tourist image.
“I wanted to show that Yogyakarta’s ‘special’ status isn’t always as beautiful as the tourism narrative makes it seem,” said the student from the UGM Vocational College (SV UGM).
For Ilham, the exhibition served as a platform to showcase his photography skills and as an outlet for his concerns about the people he frequently encountered in everyday life.
In addition to the photo exhibition, UFO UGM organized a series of supporting events, including an artist talk, talk show, workshop, photo booth, and booths for local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) around the venue.
Despite a brief interruption due to rain, the exhibition still drew an enthusiastic crowd.
According to Ilham, more than 300 visitors attended the event, including UGM students, photography communities from within and outside Yogyakarta, and members of the general public.
Author: Kezia Dwina Nathania
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographs: UFO UGM