Bangkok, Thailand – The Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta is strengthening its international presence through active participation in the Silpakorn University International Conference in Total Art and Science (SICTAS) 2026, held from June 16-21, 2026, at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand. With the theme “Art, Music and Design for Sustainability,” this forum serves as a strategic space for art higher education institutions to bring together academic ideas, artistic practices, design innovations, music education, and sustainability agendas in a single global conversation.
The presence of ISI Yogyakarta at SICTAS 2026 was not just in the form of individual lecturer participation, but also as part of an international institutional network. In this year's event, ISI Yogyakarta served as one of the co-host institutions along with Silpakorn University and several international academic partners, including Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) – University of the Arts Singapore, National University of Singapore, Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts – Shanghai University, Silliman University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Wuhan University.
This position affirms ISI Yogyakarta's role as an Indonesian higher education institution for the arts that actively builds cross-national, interdisciplinary, and creative ecosystem collaborations. Through this forum, ISI Yogyakarta brings Indonesian artistic perspectives into the international academic sphere, while simultaneously expanding opportunities for knowledge exchange, research, publications, academic mobility, and creative cooperation within the Asian region and its global network.
SICTAS 2026 is designed as an international platform for presenting research results, exchanging knowledge, and strengthening the integration of art, music, design, and related disciplines. Within it, sustainability is understood broadly, not only as an environmental issue, but also as a social, cultural, technological, educational, emotional well-being, and community development agenda. Its series of programs will include international keynote speakers, panel discussions, over 80 academic presentations, and the Silpakorn Showcase, which will transform the BACC into a space for cross-national exchange of ideas, works, and inspiration.
In the scientific agenda of SICTAS 2026, four lecturers from ISI Yogyakarta presented through oral and poster presentations. Lily Elserisa presented “Visual Construction of Intergenerational Care in ‘Granny Loves to Dance’ Children’s Picture Book” in Track 1 with the theme “Visual Arts and Emotional Well-being for Sustainable Communities.” This study positions children’s picture books as a visual medium for understanding intergenerational relationships, care, and emotional well-being in sustainable communities.
Taufik Ivan Irwansyah presented his paper “Walking with the Speculative Objects as Artistic Research” in Track 2, themed “Interdisciplinary Aesthetics and New Media for Sustainable Futures.” The presentation demonstrated how artistic research can function as a method for knowledge creation, particularly when objects, speculation, bodily experiences, and new media are brought together to formulate possibilities for a more sustainable future.
From the fields of music and education, Oriana Tio Parahita Nainggolan presents “Developing Piano Learning Readiness in Children: A Video-Based Study of Dalcroze Eurhythmics in Early Childhood Music Education.” This research expands the discussion on piano learning in early childhood through the Dalcroze Eurhythmics approach, while also affirming the contribution of music education in building children's learning readiness, body awareness, rhythm, and creativity.
Meanwhile, Fortunata Tyasrinestu participated with the poster “The Melancholy of Adults in Nostalgia for Javanese Children Song.” This academic work explores memory, nostalgia, and the heritage of Javanese children's songs as a relevant field for cultural interpretation for contemporary society. The presence of this theme enriches the SICTAS 2026 conversation with an Indonesian local perspective rooted in tradition, yet remains open to global dialogue.
These four contributions demonstrate the breadth of ISI Yogyakarta's academic mandate as an art institution operating in the realms of fine arts and design, new media, artistic research, music education, cultural studies, and knowledge-based creative practice. This participation also shows that art is positioned not only as aesthetic expression but also as a tool for research, education, community empowerment, cultural advancement, and a response to sustainability challenges.
For ISI Yogyakarta, SICTAS 2026 is an important moment to strengthen international recognition, expand academic networks, and affirm the contribution of Indonesian art universities to the global conversation about the future of art. Through this forum, ISI Yogyakarta continues to encourage lecturers and the academic community to be present on the international stage, build equal collaborations, and develop art knowledge that is relevant to humanity and sustainability.
ISI Yogyakarta's participation in SICTAS 2026 is also part of ongoing efforts to enhance institutional reputation through work, research, and collaboration. Amidst the changing landscape of global higher arts education, ISI Yogyakarta's presence in Bangkok affirms that Indonesian higher arts education institutions have the capacity to contribute to global issues, while also offering the richness of the Nusantara perspective in designing a more inclusive and sustainable future for art, music, and design.
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