The featured speaker was Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi, a lecturer in the UGM Anthropology Department, who delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation on ethnophotography under the theme “Place-Making.” He began by displaying several photographs of middle-aged women selling goods and challenged the audience by asking what photographic element was missing. When the participants correctly identified the lack of a “close-up,” Fauzanafi confirmed their answer and noted that a wide-angle shot was also absent. This interactive opening introduced a core objective of ethnophotography: capturing maximum information through visual media while balancing the dual possibilities of conveying both raw data and deep emotion, grounded in Roland Barthes’ concept of the camera lucida.
These theoretical frameworks served as the practical foundation for the hands-on portion of the “Antro Jalan-Jalan” project, where participants integrated ethnographic elements into their fieldwork. In practice, the participants did not merely snap photographs; they were actively required to gather extensive contextual information regarding the theme of place-making. While aesthetic and creative choices were left entirely up to the participants, their style had to respect the actual context of the subjects. This approach ensured that the upcoming exhibition would not just showcase visual art, but would also meaningfully explain the discourse and ideas of place-making discovered during the project.
Foto: Nara Mager
