Jakarta, 22 August 2025 – Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar officially opened the 6th edition of the Rekam Jakarta 2025 photography exhibition organized by Pewarta Foto Indonesia Jakarta (PFI-J) at Galeri Cemara, Menteng, Jakarta. Deputy Minister Irene regarded the exhibition as documentation of Jakarta’s transformation.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“What you are doing today is recording traces of our current reality and contributing to a national archive. This will become important when Jakarta evolves 10 or 20 years from now,” said Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene in her remarks on Friday, 22 August 2025.
The exhibition runs from 22 to 28 August 2025 under the theme ‘Metamorph’. The theme highlights the changing face of Jakarta, from its cityscape and social dynamics to the living spaces of its residents. The event showcases 62 single photos and 10 photo stories by 53 photographers, portraying Jakarta as a city in motion and full of paradoxes.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
Chairman of PFI-J Herman Zakharia said the exhibition serves as a visual reflection of Jakarta’s ongoing transformation across physical, social, and cultural dimensions. The showcased works were captured by photojournalists who are always on the frontlines of events, recording realities of the capital from various perspectives.
“These photos not only capture moments but also invite us to see and feel Jakarta more humanely and reflectively. As photojournalists, we believe photography is not merely imagery, but a visual language that preserves time, emotion, and context,” said Herman.
Curation was carried out by three national photojournalism figures: Agus Susanto (Kompas Daily), Puspa Perwitasari (Antara Foto), and Agung Kuncahya B. (Xinhua Indonesia), who crafted a visual narrative of Jakarta’s transformation—from the hustle of a megacity to portraits of urban life.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
PFI Jakarta also presented the Megapolitan Award Rekam Jakarta 2025 as recognition of outstanding works. Kompas photographer Fakhri Fadlurrohman won Photo Single of The Year 2025 with his piece Enjoying Jakarta’s Skyscrapers. Meanwhile, Jamal Ramadhan from Kumparan won Photo Story of The Year 2025 through his work Boxing Booms under the Flyover, Punches for the Future.
In addition to the exhibition, Rekam Jakarta 2025 also features educational programs, including discussions and photography workshops open to the public starting 23 August 2025.
Two main sessions prepared include Anticipating the Content Creator Era Amid Multimedia Explosion with Haryo B. Wirawan (BBC News Asia Pacific) and Building a Portfolio and Clients from Scratch with independent photographer Ahmad Zamroni.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
For Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene, the exhibition is a tangible example of collaboration between the publishing and photography sectors.
“This is not merely about capturing images, but documenting Jakarta’s history. It is a combination of two subsectors—photography and publishing—where photos speak and words provide narration. Like Yin and Yang, they become one,” said Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene.
The exhibition not only serves as a platform to appreciate visual art but also as a shared space for reflection on the city’s evolution and the lives of its people.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
Also in attendance were Indah Citraninda Noerhadi, Director of Cemara 6 Galeri Toeti Heraty Museum, as well as Oscar Motuloh from the Ethics Council of Pewarta Foto Indonesia and the Mata Waktu Visual Research Foundation. Deputy Minister Irene was accompanied by the Director of Photography and Publishing, Iman Santosa.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
