Jakarta, June 12, 2025 — Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, officially opened the Graphic Memoir Comic Exhibition at Bentara Budaya Jakarta. The Deputy Minister encouraged local comic artists to develop a comprehensive comic industry while nurturing young talent in this field.
"Comics are a powerful medium to tell both personal and collective stories, combining the strengths of visual art and narrative. This exhibition provides space for local creators to show that their work is not only culturally meaningful but also economically valuable," said Deputy Minister Irene during the opening ceremony on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Graphic memoirs are visual artworks—such as comics or graphic novels—that typically convey personal experiences and narratives. This exhibition, a collaboration between Bentara Budaya Jakarta, the Institut Français Indonesia (IFI), and the Visual Communication Design Program of the Institut Kesenian Jakarta (Deskov IKJ), will run until June 22, 2025, showcasing works by 62 artists from Indonesia, France, and the United States.
The exhibition aims to demonstrate how this visual medium can play a vital role in a narrative-based and culturally rooted creative economy. Deputy Minister Irene also emphasized the importance of young talent development, cross-country collaboration, and distribution through both print and digital media to boost creativity, expand the local comic market, and create high-quality job opportunities for younger generations.
“This exhibition proves that the creative economy is not merely about entertainment; it is a medium to convey values, evoke empathy, and strengthen cultural identity,” said Deputy Minister Irene, who was accompanied by the Deputy for Media Creativity, Agustini Rahayu.
Director of Institut Français Indonesia (IFI), Jules Irrmann, expressed his appreciation for the exhibition, noting its success in bridging cross-cultural perspectives within a shared creative space.
“It is truly inspiring to see Indonesian and French artists sharing space to present personal and historical narratives through comics. This is a meaningful form of cultural exchange,” said Jules Irrmann.
Also attending the opening were the General Manager of Bentara Budaya and Communication Management at Kompas Gramedia, Ilham Khoiri; Director of Corporate Communication at Kompas Gramedia, Glory Oyong; Deputy Cultural Counselor at the French Embassy and Deputy Director of IFI Jakarta, Vincent Degoul, as well as curators from Bentara and deans from IKJ.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
