UNPACKING ARTJOG THEMES: LANGUAGE, MEANING, AND IDENTITY

Abstract

This study examines how official exhibition descriptions containing curatorial discourse shape exhibition meaning and contemporary art identity across the 2020–2026 editions of ARTJOG in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. While previous scholarship focuses primarily on visual aesthetics and cultural tourism, the semantic function of exhibition themes remains largely overlooked. Using a qualitative descriptive design with documentary methods, this research applies Roland Barthes’ semiotic framework to analyze the progression of curatorial discourse from denotative to connotative meanings. Findings reveal that while exhibition themes initially serve as neutral dictionary designations, curatorial statements transform them into powerful ideological symbols. Across seven editions, the themes evolved from addressing pandemic-era civic survival and mutual care (2020–2021) to championing disability inclusion (2022–2023), Indigenous Javanese foresight (2024), environmental stewardship (2025), and intergenerational solidarity (2026). ARTJOG’s institutional language repositions contemporary Indonesian art from an exclusive art into an accessible, socially responsive ecosystem engaged with regional realities. This study demonstrates the exhibition discourse in constructing identities and suggests that future research explore how curatorial texts interact multimodally with physical gallery spaces and visitor interpretations.