Yogyakarta, February 26, 2026 - Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta has re-affirmed its position as an art university with an international reputation. Dr. Citra Aryandari, an academic and researcher at ISI Yogyakarta, was chosen as the Short-Term Fellow at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM), USA, to research ancient Javanese manuscripts housed at the Yale University Art Gallery.
The fellowship, which took place in February 2026, focused on researching 18th-19th century wayang manuscript collections that have not been studied in depth. Through research at the Wurtele Study Center, Citra connects the material archive at Yale with performance knowledge that is still alive and growing in Yogyakarta.
This research was presented on February 19, 2026 at Miller Hall, Yale ISM, in an academic forum entitled “Dancing Ink: The Rhythmic Dialogue of Text and Image in Javanese Manuscript.” At the same time, the video art essay research results are also screened as part of international academic dissemination.
In her presentation, Citra emphasized that the wayang manuscripts cannot be understood solely as historical documents.
“I found that these manuscripts are not just historical documents, but are ‘scores’ for wayang performances that encode visual, narrative, musical, and even theological information,” Citra Aryandari says.
During her fellowship, Citra conducted intensive transliteration of around 250 pages of manuscripts. To date, she has successfully transliterated around 1,500 words of Old Javanese manuscripts. The research also identified two types of tembang macapat-Pangkur and Durma-which are encoded through visual markers in manuscript illuminations. Another significant finding is evidence of Islamic-Javanese syncretism in wayang narratives, including the representation of Semar as a “scholar” who is depicted performing the Duha prayer.
This research combines two complementary methodological approaches. First, an ethnographic approach in Yogyakarta through interviews with art practitioners, including puppeteer Ki Catur Benyek Kuncoro, gamelan musician Ipon (Afan Akbar), child puppeteer Sakka, and philologist Dr. Sri Ratna Saktimulya. Second, an archival approach at Yale through documentation, visual analysis, and manuscript transliteration at the Wurtele Study Center.
Citra emphasized that this research shows the reciprocal relationship between archives and living practices.
“Without the practitioners in Yogyakarta, I cannot understand the significance of what is in the manuscripts. Without the manuscripts at Yale, practitioner knowledge loses its material footing. Archives and practice are not alternatives, they are interdependent,” he says.
This achievement is not only a personal achievement, but also reflects the strength of the scientific ecosystem at ISI Yogyakarta which integrates artistic practice, philological research, and global academic networks. ISI Yogyakarta's presence in the prestigious academic forum at Yale emphasizes that art knowledge based on Nusantara traditions has an important contribution to the international scientific conversation.
Participation as Short-Term Fellow at Yale ISM expands the network of international collaboration while strengthening ISI Yogyakarta's bargaining position as a center of excellence for the study of art, manuscripts, and traditional performance. This momentum is also a strategic promotion for ISI Yogyakarta in demonstrating the capacity of arts-based research that is able to bridge global archives with vibrant and dynamic local cultural practices.
Through this achievement, ISI Yogyakarta reaffirmed its commitment as an art college that not only preserves cultural heritage, but also develops it in the world's academic horizon.
Complete documents related to the information on this page can be accessed through the following link as an official reference of Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bJijxJacmKZUCP4vSVsYadP_trBZ91lp/view?usp=drivesdk
EN 
ID