Yogyakarta — The Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta held a press conference in commemoration of its 42nd Anniversary at the Rectorate Building Lobby on Tuesday (5/26/2026). This event was attended by 17 mass media outlets and served as the official moment to announce the series of agendas for ISI Yogyakarta's 42nd Anniversary, which this year carries the theme “Redefining Arts Impact: Arts, Humanity, and Creativity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
The press conference was not only a space for conveying information to the public, but also a reaffirmation of ISI Yogyakarta's direction as an art higher education institution continuously expanding its roles in culture, art education, artistic research, and international collaboration networks. In this forum, ISI Yogyakarta presented a series of Dies Natalis (Anniversary) activities taking place from May to August 2026, involving faculties, postgraduate programs, the academic community, artists, international networks, and the wider public.
The 42nd Dies Natalis series presents 21 cross-disciplinary public activities, ranging from open senate sessions, national seminars, fine arts and design exhibitions, screening of recorded media artworks, workshops, international symposiums, festivals, concerts, dance performances, theater festivals, to grand performances and rakyat festivals. All of these agendas demonstrate the character of ISI Yogyakarta as an art campus that connects tradition, innovation, technology, and humanitarian values.
The Rector of ISI Yogyakarta, Dr. Irwandi, M.Sn., stated that the theme for the 42nd Dies Natalis was chosen to remind the public that technological advancements, including Artificial Intelligence, must always be understood through the perspectives of ethics, emotion, and humanity. According to him, art campuses have a responsibility to ensure that technology does not advance on its own without cultural sensitivity and human experience.
“Amidst the acceleration of Artificial Intelligence, the task of art campuses is not only to follow technology, but to ensure that technology remains connected to human feelings, experiences, and cultural values. Through its 42nd Dies Natalis, ISI Yogyakarta aims to present art as a space for critical reflection as well as a creative force that provides direction for a more humane future,” said the Rector of ISI Yogyakarta, Dr. Irwandi, M.Sn.
One of the important emphases in this year's press conference was the support and collaboration of ISI Yogyakarta with Project 11 as one of the collaborators in the Dies Natalis series. Dewi Bukit from Project 11 stated in the press conference that the 42nd Dies Natalis of ISI Yogyakarta is not only an internal campus agenda but also a space for inter-institutional, international, and artistic practice encounters.
Collaboration with Project 11 is part of strengthening ISI Yogyakarta's international agenda, particularly through the Australia Art Orchestra residency and the Project Eleven International Symposium (APAF) scheduled to take place from June 19-23, 2026. This agenda is positioned as an international residency and symposium that strengthens artistic collaboration and Asia-Pacific networks.
Through this collaboration, ISI Yogyakarta and Project 11 are expanding the space for dialogue between higher art education, creative practice, cultural diplomacy, and global creative networks. This collaboration also emphasizes that art campuses not only serve as educational institutions but also as hubs for knowledge production, artist gatherings, and idea laboratories that can connect Yogyakarta with international art conversations.
The 42nd Dies Natalis Open Senate Session of ISI Yogyakarta will be held on June 3, 2026, at the Concert Hall of ISI Yogyakarta. In this agenda, Dr. Mikke Susanto, S.Sn., M.A. is scheduled to deliver a scientific speech titled “Family Photo Album: Us, Archive Governance, and Algorithms.” This scientific speech places archives, visual memory, and algorithms as important fields in the interpretation of contemporary art.
Another academic agenda in focus is the National Seminar “Dialectics of Art and Artificial Intelligence in the Reconstruction of Aesthetic Values” on June 17, 2026. This seminar will serve as a space for critical readings on how AI is changing the way humans create, interpret, distribute, and evaluate works of art, including issues of ethics, originality, aesthetic value, and the role of artists in the contemporary creative ecosystem.
In the fields of fine arts and design, the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design prepares exhibitions, fashion shows, workshops, and international forums. One of the agendas presented is “Post Machine Algorithm: Resonance of Sensation in Binary Networks,” which positions sensation as an important force in interpreting the relationship between humans, machines, digital networks, and artistic imagination in the post-machine era.
Meanwhile, the Faculty of Creative Media presents an exhibition and screening of works themed “Narrating Humanity: Social Awareness and Creativity in Recorded Media Art in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” at the RJ Katamsi Gallery and Pandeng Gallery. This event affirms that recorded media art is not only confined to visual technology but also serves as a medium for understanding social consciousness, humanity, and creative responsibility in the AI era. The Faculty of Performing Arts also strengthens the Dies Natalis series through music, dance, theater, festivals, international concerts, and public events. Several agenda items prepared include the International Djogja Earthsound Fest 2026 “Sacred Sounds Shared Earth,” Master Class & Piano Concert by Mariana Airaudo from Uruguay, Dance Lecturer Work Performance “Moving in Digital Landscapes: Reconstruction of Ecological Awareness,” Indonesian Lecturer Theater Festival “Stage of Ideas in Academic Aesthetics,” and a Grand Performance and People's Party on August 29–30, 2026. Through a press conference attended by 17 mass media outlets and supported by collaborators such as Project 11, ISI Yogyakarta emphasizes that the 42nd Dies Natalis is a public statement about the future direction of higher art education. At 42 years old, ISI Yogyakarta reinforces its position as an art campus that enlivens emotion, nurtures culture, critically interprets technology, and presents art as a relevant force for society, the nation, and global discourse.
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