YOGYAKARTA — Ghosts, yellow wallpaper, mobile phones, and Malay manuscripts became entry points for exploring spirituality in literature. Through these diverse objects and experiences, presenters at Academic Student Networking (ASN) 2026, held on Wednesday (October 7), demonstrated that literature is not merely concerned with the beauty of language, but also offers critiques of environmental destruction, power relations, and modern human life.

These discussions emerged during the second and third sessions of ASN 2026, which brought together presenters from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Universitas Diponegoro (Undip), and Universitas Andalas (Unand). Through analyses of novels, short stories, poetry, and Malay manuscripts, the presenters explored how spiritual experiences and various forms of strangeness in literature relate to social and cultural issues.

During the second session, moderated by Dinda Aura Putri, Jusmawati from UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature presented a paper titled “Ghosts as the Personification of Climate Trauma in Ayu Welirang’s Jejak Balak.” She interpreted the ghost figure in the novel as a representation of climate trauma, particularly the anxiety arising from environmental destruction and the threat of ecological disasters.

Jusmawati applied E. Kaplan’s (2015) concept of climate trauma to examine the relationship between forest destruction, land ownership conflicts, and the traumatic experiences of local communities. In her reading, environmental damage not only transforms natural conditions but also disrupts communities’ relationships with customary land, traditions, and their living spaces.

One of the issues highlighted was the conversion of customary forest land into oil palm plantations by PT Zamrud Bumi through bureaucratic manipulation. This practice triggered land tenure conflicts and illustrated how economic pressures could push communities to relinquish their ancestral land.

The logging of teak trees also created an ecological space that had lost its function and meaning for the community. This was interpreted as a form of place alienation, in which an environment that had once been integral to community life became an unfamiliar space.

The threat of flash floods, known locally as galodo, intensified this collective anxiety. In the novel, forest destruction is understood as part of a chain of problems that could lead to wider disasters.

Amid this situation, the figure of Inyak emerges as a spiritual figure whose meaning undergoes a transformation. The appearance of a pair of white beads in the customary forest serves as a warning of impending danger before an ecological catastrophe occurs. Initially understood as a sacred ancestor who safeguards moral values, Inyak later appears as a spectral figure who punishes and spreads death in the disputed territory.

Jusmawati also examined the characters’ past trauma, including an experience in which a character’s father slaughtered animals. This trauma becomes intertwined with violence when the figure of Inyak seems to be appropriated through the killing of loggers using artificial claws. In this interpretation, unresolved trauma develops into destructive terror.

Through this analysis, Jusmawati presents the ghost not merely as a source of fear, but as a personification of climate trauma and the social conflicts accompanying environmental destruction.

Horror and the Weird as Critiques of Power

Horror was explored from a different perspective by a team of presenters from Undip, consisting of Nugrahaning Anindita C., Dennis Audria Permana, and Zainab Al Awwahah. In their paper, “Something Queer: Mark Fisher’s Weird Entities in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’,” they traced the shift from Gothic horror to weird fiction, particularly through Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1892 short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

The story follows an unnamed female narrator who undergoes the rest cure, a treatment that restricts a patient’s physical and mental activities. She is confined to a room by her husband, John, a physician, and can express her anxiety only through a hidden diary.

In the presenters’ interpretation, the house and its wallpaper are more than mere settings. The long-vacant house, with its history of inheritance disputes, becomes a space that harbors strangeness. Meanwhile, the room, which should provide shelter, instead becomes a space that restricts the narrator’s freedom.

The yellow wallpaper becomes the center of attention when the narrator begins to see a figure behind its patterns. This strangeness gradually expands, seemingly spreading beyond the room and disturbing other spaces in the house.

This reading demonstrates how something considered irrational can challenge rational explanations. John continues to prioritize medical logic, but the narrator’s experiences reveal that the rational framework he uses to understand her may not be sufficient to explain everything she experiences.

The situation is also connected to power relations within the household. As both the narrator’s husband and physician, John has the authority to determine what is considered true about his wife’s condition. By contrast, the narrator has limited opportunities to communicate her experiences and determine her own needs.

By the end of the story, the narrator increasingly abandons her social roles as a wife and mother. Her apparent madness can be interpreted as a form of resistance to a world that restricts her freedom, although the story offers no entirely conclusive resolution.

The discussion then expanded to the relevance of literature in social life. Wahyu Agung Ramdani questioned the extent to which literature can still be used to address political ecology, particularly when literary works remain inaccessible to many regions and book prices pose barriers to readers. He also raised the question of how readers can avoid becoming mere spectators amid the ecological crisis.

Meanwhile, Muhamad Ferdian Syah from UGM questioned the relationship between the narrator’s psychological condition in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and the weird experiences she undergoes. He suggested that the pressure caused by the rest cure and John’s treatment should not necessarily be separated from her experience of the weird; instead, the two may develop together and shape one another.

These questions extended the discussion beyond textual interpretation to broader issues of how humans understand trauma, the environment, and experiences that cannot always be explained through established frameworks of thought.

Prayer, Mobile Phones, and the Spirituality of Modern Humans

The discussion of spirituality continued during the third session, moderated by Ann Evelin Rahajeng. Awabeen Samsuding from UGM’s Master’s Program in Literature presented a paper titled “Reading Prayer in Joko Pinurbo’s Poetry: The Aesthetics of Irony as a Critique of Modern Human Spirituality.”

Awabeen examined how poet Joko Pinurbo presents prayer through everyday objects and activities. While religious poetry is often associated with solemn and sacred atmospheres, Pinurbo’s poems bring spirituality into spaces closer to modern life, including mobile phones, the human body, and cosmetics.

The research examined three poems: “Doa Orang Sibuk yang 24 Jam Sehari Berkantor di Ponselnya” (2018), “Doa Sebelum Mandi” (2000), and “Doa Seorang Pesolek” (2001).

For Awabeen, irony in these poems is not merely a linguistic device, but an aesthetic strategy for exposing contradictions in human life. Through irony, readers are encouraged to move beyond literal meanings and reconsider habits and beliefs that have long been taken for granted.

In “Doa Orang Sibuk yang 24 Jam Sehari Berkantor di Ponselnya,” for example, the protagonist loses all their contact numbers when their phone breaks but still has God’s number saved. The irony emerges when God reveals that His number is, in fact, the only one the protagonist never calls.

This situation critiques a modern life in which people have unlimited access to communication but may fail to maintain their spiritual connections. The mobile phone, a symbol of connectivity, also reveals the possibility of alienation from what is considered the most fundamental relationship.

Meanwhile, “Doa Sebelum Mandi” was examined through the issues of the body and violence. In Awabeen’s presentation, experiences of violence embedded in the body cannot necessarily be erased through physical cleansing alone.

“Doa Seorang Pesolek,” meanwhile, explores the relationship between the body, cosmetics, and mortality. Through irony, excessive attention to physical appearance is juxtaposed with the reality that human life remains finite.

To examine these issues, Awabeen drew on Y.B. Mangunwijaya’s concept of religiosity and Wayne C. Booth’s theory of stable irony. Using a qualitative approach and close reading, the study sought to demonstrate how poetry can critique modern spirituality without abandoning the everyday objects that are familiar to contemporary life.

Spirituality and Locality in the Malay Manuscript Syair Kupu-Kupu

Also during the third session, Afifah Chairunnisa and Aditya Fiandra from Unand presented a paper titled “Negotiating Spirituality and Locality in the Manuscript Syair Kupu-Kupu.” Their research applied Roland Barthes’s semiotic approach to examine the ideology embedded in the Malay manuscript, identified as Schoemann V 40.

Recognizing the importance of preserving the values contained in ancient manuscripts, the study examined their allegorical and symbolic dimensions, which allow them to be interpreted as more than written texts. The relationship between spirituality and locality was a central concern, particularly in understanding how cultural symbols and values intertwine within a literary work.

Using Roland Barthes’s semiotic approach, the researchers identified several local symbols. Mount Ledang and Mount Anta Sujana, for instance, are interpreted as sacred spaces, while songket textiles, keris daggers, betel leaves, and scarves represent honor, social status, and commitment. Meanwhile, references to Allah and the phrase “with Allah as the reason,” alongside various rituals, demonstrate how spirituality serves as a foundation for human actions and everyday life.

The study also examined how customs, etiquette, and honorific forms of address, such as Datuk, Tuanku, Kakanda, and Adinda, reinforce social structures. These findings indicate that spirituality and locality do not exist independently; rather, they shape one another in maintaining the values, ethics, and worldview of Malay society. Thus, Syair Kupu-Kupu preserves not only literary heritage but also records how Malay society understands the relationship between belief, tradition, and social life.

The discussions in the second and third sessions of ASN 2026 demonstrated various ways of interpreting spirituality in literature. Through ghosts in novels, weird phenomena in horror fiction, irony in poetry, and symbols in Malay manuscripts, the presenters showed that literary works can serve as spaces for questioning the relationships between humans and nature, power, the body, belief, and cultural traditions.

Through their diverse approaches, the discussions positioned literature not merely as an object of aesthetic study, but also as a means of understanding persistent issues in society.

 

Author: Khotibul Umam

The Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), in collaboration with the City Government of Subulussalam, held a National Seminar titled “Hamzah Fansuri and the Tradition of Archipelago Poetics.” The event, held on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the Auditorium on the 3rd Floor of the Poerbatjaraka Building, FIB UGM, featured prominent academics and literary experts, including Prof. Dr. Faruk, S.U., Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum., and Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum.

In her opening address, Dr. Nur Saktiningrum, S.S., M.Hum., representing FIB UGM, emphasized the importance of studying Malay literature within a modern context. According to her, Malay literature is not merely a record of the past, but an essential medium for preserving cultural memory.

“The study of Malay literature opens up a space for inheritance while addressing contemporary challenges. Through this study, we maintain continuity and cultural memory. We hope this seminar becomes a productive dialogue that opens new perspectives between literature and culture in building a cultured, ethical, and good nation,” she stated.

The panel discussion highlighted the vital role of Sheikh Hamzah Fansuri, who is regarded as the pioneer of Indonesian poetry. On this occasion, Prof. Dr. Faruk examined Hamzah Fansuri as an innovator of Malay verse (syair), while Prof. Dr. Sangidu elaborated on the Sufi aspects of Hamzah Fansuri’s literary works. Prof. Sangidu expressed deep appreciation for monumental works such as Syaraabul Asyiqin, which have been preserved to this day. He also noted that historical sites related to Hamzah Fansuri remain intact and continue to be alive within the community.

In addition to classical literary studies, the dimension of social theory and literary development was addressed by Prof. Dr. Aprinus Salam through his presentation on the traces of Hamzah Fansuri in modern Indonesian poetry. In his session, he also explained the dynamics of social theories, such as Marxism, which was banned during the New Order era but subsequently opened new avenues for social analysis and critical thinking in the post-reform era.

Through this seminar, participants were invited to re-examine the roots of archipelago literature while drawing upon local cultural and ethical values to address the future challenges of national character building.

 

[Author: Humas FIB, Zaidan Abdurrahman]

There is a question that initially sounds simple but is difficult to answer: who has the right to tell women’s stories?

That question led Sofiana Martha Rini and her two colleagues, Priyo Joko Purnomo and Mulya Atmana Dwiyana WNA, much deeper. What began as an assignment for a prose course eventually developed into a paper presented at The 2nd International Conference Bali Gender Studies Forum (BGSF) 2026.

The paper, titled Walking in Her Shoes: Gender and Ethics of Representing Women in Post-Reform Indonesian Novels (2000–2025), went on to receive the Best Paper award at the conference, organized by Yayasan Bali Sruti on August 28–29, 2026, online.

For Sofiana, the paper did not suddenly emerge from a research desk piled high with books and theories. It began with a sense of unease.

One of the things that prompted it was Sofiana’s reading and reconsideration of the works of Panji Sukma. From there came questions about representation: how women are written, who writes them, and whether women’s experiences can truly be represented in their entirety by someone else.

The questions did not disappear after a single reading.

“The point is that we have to recognize that representation is difficult to make completely free from bias,” Sofiana said.

She even carried this concern into other discussions, including during a summer school, where she discussed representation and the boundaries one encounters when attempting to tell an experience that does not belong to oneself with Ramayda Akmal, a lecturer and literary writer, as well as Prof. Arnez.

From there, a topic that initially stemmed from a single work expanded into a broader question: how are women represented in Indonesian literature after the Reformasi era?

Together with her two colleagues, Sofiana did not stop at one or two novels. They read 21 Indonesian novels published between 2002 and 2025, written by both male and female authors from different literary backgrounds and ideological orientations.

One of the theoretical frameworks informing their analysis was Stuart Hall’s concept of representation. Within this framework, representation is not merely about making something visible or presenting something so that it can be seen. Rather, it is a process through which meaning is produced.

The question therefore shifted: who constructs meaning about women? From whose perspective are women’s experiences told? And who has the authority to represent women?

To examine these questions, they employed several theoretical tools, including Laura Mulvey’s concept of the male gaze, as well as the concepts of focalization and non-narratorial commentary in Mieke Bal’s narratology.

Their reading of dozens of female characters across the 21 novels revealed an interesting pattern.

Women increasingly appear at the center of stories. But being at the center of a story does not automatically mean being at the center of power. Women may speak. But who determines what that voice means?

In a number of novels, Sofiana and her team found that women were still largely positioned around male characters.

There are women who speak, feel, love, and even make decisions. Yet their voices remain within narrative structures determined by male characters.

They found one example in Ayat-Ayat Cinta by Habiburrahman El Shirazy. Aisha has her own voice and emotional experiences. However, the way readers come to understand those experiences remains closely connected to Fahri’s position as the center of the story.

Another pattern emerges when women become the main characters.

Yet once again, being a protagonist does not necessarily mean possessing authority.

In their reading of several novels, women may become the focus of the narrative, while decisions about how their bodies, experiences, trauma, and lives are interpreted can still be controlled by a larger narrative structure.

At this point, Sofiana identified an important distinction between agency and authority.

Women may possess agency—the ability to choose, act, refuse, and even resist. But that does not necessarily mean they possess the authority to determine how their own stories are understood.

Then comes another question: what happens when women write about women?

This question brought their research to its next stage. Does representation automatically become more ethical when women are the ones writing it? Their answer turned out to be more complicated than that.

Sofiana and her team also examined works written by female authors. In these works, they found that women could indeed appear with more diverse voices, experiences, and concerns.

But for them, the author’s gender is not the only measure. The issue is not simply who holds the pen. More important is how the text produces meaning about women and the extent to which it recognizes the limits of its authority when speaking about someone else’s experience.

That is why the conclusion of their paper feels more like a question deliberately left without closure:

Can we ever fully walk in her shoes?

Perhaps not. And precisely because of that, Sofiana and her team argue, literature needs to recognize that no one can ever completely walk in another person’s shoes.

The ethical task is not to pretend that one has arrived at or fully understood that experience. It is to recognize the limits.

Interestingly, the paper that eventually brought Sofiana the award began with something very close to everyday student life: a course assignment.

The paper originated as an assignment for a prose course. After completing it and reading it again, Sofiana and her two colleagues realized that there was an idea within it that could still be developed.

They then revised the paper and submitted it to the BGSF call for papers.

Yayasan Bali Sruti has long worked to develop publications in the fields of academic literacy, social and cultural studies, women and children, language, and public policy. The organization also has publication lines for conference proceedings and book chapters. Sofiana and her team’s paper was eventually presented online on August 28.

Their presentation time was also limited—only about six minutes.

Six minutes to bring 21 novels, several theories, concerns about representation, and questions of authority before an international forum.

In the end, it was that paper that brought Sofiana and her team the Best Paper award. The recognition came not simply because of the number of novels they had read or the theories they had employed. There was a longer journey behind it: a course assignment that did not remain merely an assignment, a concern that continued to occupy their thoughts, and a question that they carried all the way into the conference room.

Who has the right to tell women’s stories?

Sofiana herself does not offer a simple answer. Perhaps there is none.

Because the further she reads, the clearer it becomes that the question of representation is not merely about who gets to speak. Whenever someone speaks about another person, there will always be a part of that experience that can never completely belong to them.

 

Author: Khotibul Umam

The Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), is pleased to announce the Call for Papers (CFP) for its 2026 International Dissemination event, themed “Literature in the Crosscurrents of Globalization.” The event will be held online via Zoom Meeting on 4 November 2026, bringing together academics, researchers, lecturers, students, teachers, and literature enthusiasts from Indonesia and around the world to discuss the dynamic relationships between literature, culture, and society in today’s global context.

In addition to serving as an international academic forum, the event offers valuable publication opportunities, including publication in an ISBN-registered edited volume. Selected papers will also be recommended for publication in Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra (SINTA 2 accredited). Participation is free of charge, with no registration fee required.

The theme, “Literature in the Crosscurrents of Globalization,” reflects the increasingly intensive encounters among diverse cultures, values, and perspectives in the era of globalization. Advances in digital technology, human mobility, and transnational information exchange have transformed contemporary social and cultural life. Within this context, literature functions not only as a representation of reality but also as a space where identities, ideologies, traditions, and human experiences are negotiated, contested, and reimagined.

According to Rini Febriani, Chair of the Organizing Committee, the forum is expected to become a platform for exchanging ideas and research findings on cultural transformations occurring in today’s global society.

“Through this event, we aim to create a space for dialogue that brings together scholars and researchers from diverse backgrounds to discuss how literature represents, critiques, and transforms cultural changes in the era of globalization. We hope this dissemination forum will expand academic networks and foster productive research collaborations,” she stated.

The CFP welcomes submissions under several subthemes, including:

• Cultural Industry and the Standardization of Literature
• Literature as a Site of Power Negotiation
• Myth-Making in Popular Literature
• Contestation and Demystification of Narratives in Global Space
• Reconfiguring Localities in Globality

These subthemes provide opportunities for scholars to explore literary studies and cultural phenomena relevant to the development of contemporary global society.

Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum., Head of the Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, UGM, also expressed his support for the event. He emphasized that globalization not only facilitates interactions among cultures but also shapes the politics of literary production on a global scale.

“The themes emerging in contemporary literary works do not arise by chance. Behind their emergence lie global dynamics and power relations that influence the direction of literary production worldwide. Issues such as the environment, gender, and other contemporary concerns are often part of global currents that shape literary trends and orientations. Therefore, literature should be understood not only as an aesthetic work but also as an integral part of political economy and global cultural dynamics,” he explained.

Paper submission and registration will be open from 29 June to 4 September 2026. The peer-review process will take place from 5–26 September 2026, with acceptance notifications announced on 28 September 2026. Revised manuscripts must be submitted by 5 October 2026, while presentation materials are due on 26 October 2026. The International Dissemination Forum will be held on 4 November 2026.

Participants are invited to submit full papers in English through the official registration link provided by the organizing committee. Submitted manuscripts should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words and will undergo a selection and peer-review process before being accepted for presentation at the conference.

Through this International Dissemination event, the Master’s Program in Literature, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, aims to strengthen national and international academic networks, encourage cross-institutional collaboration, and provide a productive platform for scholarly discussions on literature and culture amid the complexities of globalization.

Further Information

Registration: https://bit.ly/Desiminasi2026UGM

General Information: https://bit.ly/GeneralInfoDissemination2026

WhatsApp Contacts:

• Ella: +62 823-2494-4082
• Mita: +62 813-9056-4071

Email: diseminasiugm@gmail.com

Author: Rini Febriani Hauri

Yogyakarta, June 9, 2026 – Students from the Master’s Program in Literature and the Undergraduate Program in Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture organized a manuscript exhibition titled Pusaka Kata (“Heritage of Words”) at the first-floor lobby of Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), on Tuesday (June 9). Held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the exhibition served as a platform for academic collaboration, bringing together the fields of philology, Javanese manuscript studies, and codicology in an effort to preserve and revitalize the manuscript heritage of the Indonesian archipelago.

The exhibition involved graduate students from the Philology and Javanese Manuscript Studies classes, as well as undergraduate students from the Codicology class of the Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Program. The event was supervised by Prof. Dr. Sangidu, M.Hum., Dr. Arsanti Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum., and Zakariya Pamuji Aminullah, S.S., M.A.

Under the theme Pusaka Kata, the exhibition was inspired by the awareness that Nusantara manuscripts constitute invaluable intellectual and cultural heritage. These manuscripts preserve ancestral knowledge systems covering various aspects of life, including education, medicine, religious practices, and literature. However, beyond the threat of physical deterioration due to age, these manuscripts also face a growing challenge: the widening gap between younger generations and the knowledge contained within them.

The name Pusaka Kata was chosen to emphasize the significance of manuscripts as an intergenerational legacy. In Javanese tradition, pusaka refers not merely to an inherited object but to a trust passed down through generations, carrying values, identity, and responsibility. Meanwhile, kata (“words”) represents the medium through which knowledge has been preserved and transmitted from ancestors to future generations.

Interpreting Knowledge Preserved in Manuscripts

One of the highlights from the Philology class was a Malay-Islamic manuscript titled Kitab Jimat, Tangkal, dan Obat-obatan (Book of Talismans, Protective Charms, and Medicines). Digitized by the British Library through the Endangered Archives Programme (EAP), the manuscript contains knowledge related to self-protection, healing practices, and environmental safeguarding through prayers, Qur’anic verses, magical diagrams (rajah), and herbal remedies.

Fajar Nur Zaima explained that one of the most prominent sections of the manuscript discusses the virtues of Qur’anic verses, particularly the recitation of the basmalah. According to him, the manuscript presents the basmalah not merely as an opening formula but also as a source of blessings, protection, and safety in various aspects of life.

Another featured object was the section on talismans contained in Serat Primbon, a manuscript from the collection of the National Library of Indonesia, catalog number NB 973. This section includes at least twenty-nine types of talismans serving different purposes, ranging from attracting affection and maintaining health to ensuring safety and warding off misfortune.

Giandra Febriyan Haidar explained that talismanic texts can be understood as representations of how Javanese society perceived the relationship between humans, nature, and forces beyond everyday rationality. He cited a love talisman described in the manuscript as a means of gaining affection and social acceptance. In this context, he argued, talismans should not be viewed merely as magical objects but as symbols of human aspirations for harmonious social relationships.

Reading Manuscript Histories Through Physical Form and Aesthetics

The Javanese Manuscript Studies class presented research on the physical and aesthetic aspects of Javanese manuscripts. One exhibition item focused on a manuscript written in Javanese script, currently preserved in the Department of Nusantara Literature Library under the code 899.047.

Through this study, visitors were invited to understand manuscripts not only as textual repositories but also as cultural artifacts that document copying practices, literary traditions, and histories of ownership and transmission. Elements such as paper type, binding structure, script, and physical damage provide valuable information about a manuscript’s journey through time.

The class also showcased a study of manuscript illumination titled Wêdana Gapura Rênggan. The manuscript contains several texts, including Aji Pamasa, Mihradipun Jêng Nabi, Rajah Kalacakra, Jumbuhing Panembah, and Lêlampahanipun Raden Sahid.

Affan Akbar explained that manuscript illuminations serve not only as decorative elements but also as important sources of information regarding manuscript production processes. Observations of unfinished sketches and coloring revealed that the text had been written before the ornamental designs were added. Such findings provide insights into the stages undertaken by manuscript scribes in producing complete handwritten works.

Codicology and Creative Approaches to Manuscript Preservation

Meanwhile, the Codicology class introduced visitors to the study of manuscripts from a material perspective. Codicology examines manuscripts as physical objects, including their writing materials, binding techniques, ornaments, layouts, and patterns of damage that record traces of their historical use.

In addition to presenting research findings, students displayed practical projects such as manuscript covers, storage boxes, and hand-bound books accompanied by interpretive narratives.

One work that attracted particular attention was created by Arfia Kholifatul, who adopted the Javanese wayang character Semar as the central theme of her bookbinding and cover design. Through imagery inspired by shadow puppetry and botanical motifs, the work interpreted Javanese philosophical values such as urip iku urup—the belief that life should bring benefits to others. The upward-growing leaves and vines symbolized the continuous pursuit of truth and the sustainability of life.

Through the collaboration of these three academic fields, the Pusaka Kata Exhibition offered a comprehensive perspective on manuscripts as living cultural heritage. Rather than being regarded merely as historical artifacts preserved in archives, manuscripts were presented as enduring sources of knowledge that can continue to be read, understood, and reinterpreted by contemporary generations.

Author: Khotibul Umam