Jakarta, August 4, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf) is strengthening its commitment to supporting Indonesian photographers in competing on the global stage through the exploration of collaboration with the Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest) 2026. The strategic initiative was conveyed by Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, during a meeting with the organizers of the international photography festival at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office, Jakarta.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, received an audience with the organizers of the Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest) 2026 at the Ministry of Creative Economy office in Jakarta, Tuesday (August 4, 2026).
“Indonesian photography has tremendous potential to sustainably reach the international stage. Through synergy with events such as JIPFest, we hope the festival can serve not merely as a conventional photography exhibition, but also as a platform that connects the photography subsector with other creative economy subsectors,” said Irene Umar on Tuesday (August 4).
As one of the subsectors under the Ministry of Creative Economy, photography contributed 0.53 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the creative economy in 2025, with growth reaching 10.15 percent. This positive performance continued with export value from January to April 2026, which increased to US$0.47 million from US$0.33 million during the same period the previous year. Therefore, support for international events is crucial to advancing the visual industry, which creates creative added value while generating tangible economic opportunities.
The meeting focused on strategic discussions with the government regarding preparations for JIPFest 2026, particularly on strengthening the national photography network, enhancing visual talent capacity, and expanding the Indonesian creative industry market internationally. To achieve these goals, the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy highlighted the importance of an interactive approach and the involvement of supporting sectors.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“I suggest creating synergies between walking tours, interactive photography classes, and cross-brand collaborations, particularly with relevant brands such as beauty products and smartphone manufacturers, as a key to creating memorable visitor experiences, engaging new audiences, and increasing public participation. To make this happen, the Ministry of Creative Economy is ready to support event promotion as well as open calls for participants and brand collaborators,” said the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy.
JIPFest is an international photography festival initiated by PannaFoto Institute in 2019, with the aim of facilitating impactful works while bringing Indonesian photographers to the global stage. As part of the festival, Indonesia Photo Fair (IPF) is also held as an integrated program, serving as the largest photography exhibition and marketplace to drive the photography ecosystem and creative economy.
Entering its sixth edition, JIPFest 2026 carries the theme Resilience, emphasizing that human and civilizational resilience in overcoming life's challenges is a key foundation for shared progress. Scheduled to take place from September 11 to 20, 2026, at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), Cikini, Jakarta, the festival will feature a range of flagship programs, including Interactive Installation, Exhibition, Photo Fair, Festival Tour, Discussion & Talk, Performance, Workshop, and Curatorial Tour. The festival will involve 50 photographers from 15 countries and target 440 photo submissions.
Photo: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
“We would like to thank the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy for the engaging discussion and valuable input regarding the organization of JIPFest 2026. This synergy and guidance are expected to strengthen Indonesia’s photography ecosystem while expanding the reach of local creators’ works to the global arena,” said Managing Director of JIPFest / PannaFoto Institute, Swan Ti.
During the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy was also accompanied by Director of Publishing and Photography at the Ministry of Creative Economy, Iman Santosa.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
