Yogyakarta – Polanco S. Achri, a writer born in Yogyakarta and currently pursuing a master’s degree in literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada, continues to make waves in the art scene. Known for his poetry, prose, and essays on performance and visual arts, Polanco also actively contributes as a scriptwriter and musician in the Utusan Negeri Dongeng community. He is the mind behind the management of Pendjadjaboekoe and a member of Sindikat Muda Liar Ngantukan. His achievements include curating exhibitions such as Soil Distortion #2 (2024) and Membaca Jokpin (2024), as well as directing documentary films Di Balik Merangkul (2021) and Sangu Rasa (2023).

Most recently, Polanco has taken on the role of curator for the Moda-Modif Exhibition, which runs from December 20, 2024, to January 11, 2025, at Rumah DAS Gallery, Condongcatur. Open to the public daily from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the exhibition invites visitors free of charge, with no prior registration required.

About Moda-Modif: Youthful Energy in Motion
The Moda-Modif Exhibition (Creativity in Visual Arts by Youth) embodies the ideas of Moda (movement) and Modif (modification). These concepts reflect the continuous exploration, learning, and innovation of young artists who push boundaries to create new narratives.

This exhibition serves as a stepping stone, offering young artists a bridge to larger platforms. Their art is a result of a journey that is both creative and reflective. Beyond a mere display of visual arts, Moda-Modif fosters interaction through activities such as Artist Talks, Curatorial Tours, Reading Space Activations, and collaborations with local communities. Every aspect of the exhibition is designed to bring art closer to the public.

Featuring works by 17 young artists over three weeks, the exhibition highlights not only the aesthetic aspects of their creations but also stories of transformation, adaptation, and the dynamic spirit of youth.

Polanco’s Aspirations
Polanco hopes that the Moda-Modif Exhibition will encourage young artists from Yogyakarta and Solo to continue evolving, taking bold steps, and finding creative strategies to thrive.

“This exhibition is not just about showcasing works; it’s about building courage and ingenuity in navigating the art world,” he remarked.

Through his role as curator, Polanco reaffirms his dedication to bridging artistic expression with broader societal engagement, ensuring that the voices of young creators are heard and appreciated.

Photo Source: Doc. DAS House

Philology, as the study of manuscripts and classical texts, plays an important role in preserving the cultural and historical heritage of a nation. One of the interesting aspects of philology is the effort to understand and translate manuscripts, which means transforming ancient texts from their original format to new forms that are more accessible and easier to learn, such as in the form of illustrated stories, batik cloth, and so on.

Paleography is a scientific discipline that studies the character of ancient writings in manuscripts. As a science that supports the specialization of Philology, Paleography is a compulsory course for the Language, Literature and Culture Study Program.

Picture 1 Excerpted in full from: hystoryana.blogspot.com

On Friday, December 6, 2024 the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program held an exhibition initiated by the lecturers of the Philology course, Dr. Sri Ratna Saktimulya M.Hum,. and Dr. Arsanti Wulandari M.Hum,. The exhibition involved Master of Literature students in the Philology course and the undergraduate students of Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program for the Paleography course. The philological exhibition “Mengalih Wahana Naskah” aims to introduce the public to the importance of ancient manuscripts in the formation of Indonesian history and culture. The manuscripts not only serve as historical documents, but also as a means of understanding the noble values and wisdom passed down by our ancestors. This exhibition also explores how these manuscripts transformed from handwritten texts into more attractive illustrated texts and wearable batik cloth. It is a means to introduce to the public that ancient manuscripts are not just text documents, but also works of art that contain high aesthetic value.

Picture 2 Students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program in the Philology Exhibition

“Very happy to be able to organize this exhibition, previously we, the class of 2023, were asked to make batik cloth, then it will be exhibited today, it’s fun to try making batik cloth and at the same time get a grade for the Final Semester Examination” said Muhammad Rizki, one of the students of the Language, Literature and Culture Study Program.

The exhibition showcased batik cloths that had previously been made by students of the Javanese Language, Literature and Culture Study Program in the Switching Workshop. The long sash batik cloths were written based on the interests of each student. There are 3 scripts that can be chosen to write the proposition sentences that have been made. Javanese script, Pegon script, and Balinese script, each has its own uniqueness and beauty. Dr. Arsanti Wulandari M.Hum, revealed that this project will be taken as the fulfillment of the Final Examination of Paleography course in 2024. There are also illustrated stories made by Master of Literature students.

Picture 3 Students of Javanese Language, Literature, and Culture Study Program Make Batik for the Exhibition

It is hoped that the Philology exhibition: Alih Wahana is able to introduce many people to the existence of Philology as a useful science for life. Ancient manuscripts can be absorbed with the science of Philology to prepare for present and future life. In addition, this exhibition is one way to preserve ancient manuscripts in Javanese culture.

Picture 4 Group photo at the Philology Exhibition

[Public Relation FIB UGM, Sandya Kirani]

Yogyakarta, October 16, 2024 – The Master of Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) successfully held a Public Lecture and Book Launch with the theme “Revealing the Veil of Trauma and Memory in Literature” on Wednesday, October 16, 2024. The event took place in Room S709 Soegondo Building, 7th floor of the Faculty and was attended by academics, students, and literature lovers.

The event began at 08.30 WIB with a public lecture session that explored the important theme of trauma and memory in literary works. This topic discusses how literature can be a medium to reveal traumatic experiences and collective memory in a social and historical context. The participants seemed enthusiastic in attending the lecture and discussing with the speakers.

Not only a public lecture, this event was also coupled with the launch of four new books that will soon be published. The books include:

1. Being Women in Literature  
2. Indonesian Postcolonial Literature 
3. Trauma and Memory Literature  
4. Popular Literature with a Sociological Approach

The launch received high appreciation from the participants because the books present new and important perspectives in the study of literature in Indonesia, especially related to social issues, trauma, and memory.Despite the limited quota of participants, the event was successful and provided deep insights for all participants who attended. Many of them hoped that similar events could continue to be held as a venue for critical discussions about literature.

“This public lecture provided a very interesting perspective, especially on how literature can deeply represent trauma and memory. The books launched are also very relevant to current social issues,” said one of the participants. With the success of this event, the Master of Literature Program at Faculty of Arts UGM once again proved its commitment in encouraging innovative and impactful literary studies for the academic community and the public.

On Monday, August 5, 2024, the Master of Literature Study Program, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has successfully held an online socialization of new student admissions. This activity was attended by all new students of odd semester 2024/2025 after they completed the registration stage. This socialization aims to introduce the lecture process and various important information related to the study program.

The event, which started at 10.00 WIB, went smoothly and was attended by many participants. Through the Whatsapp Group platform, new students were given the opportunity to interact directly with the study program, namely Dr. Aprinus Salam, M.Hum. as the head of the master of literature study program, and get a detailed explanation of the procedures for lectures and other academic activities. We hope that this activity provides optimal benefits and readiness for new students in starting their academic journey.

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Starting from a Familiarity Night activity for postgraduate students in literature class 23, even period, on Sunday 3rd of March 2024 in Kalimasada, there was another event that they had without planning. Their agenda that morning was having breakfast. Coincidentally, there was a place to order food near the villa where they were staying. When they got there, who would have thought that this place was the house of Mr. Sardi or who is familiarly called Sardi Beib. So after eating at his house, they were shown works of art that Mr. Sardi had made from used goods. They saw various kinds of works, from statues, masks, night lamps, to the famous crystal wayang.

Pak Sardi also said that all of his work is processed from used items that are no longer used. In other words, he turns rubbish into something beautiful and valuable. This is so because he had marketed his work abroad at fantastic prices. He also often organizes cultural arts activities which are then covered by local, national and foreign media. According to Sabrian, one of the students who had the opportunity to visit at that time, the visit was very inspiring, because in addition to introducing wayang, Mr Sardi also shared his experiences while working in the world of arts and culture. This further motivated him to continue learning about arts and culture, as a literature student.