Didit Foundation Denies Political Co-optation Allegations at Artjog

The involvement of President Prabowo Subianto’s son, Didit Hediprasetyo, in funding the Artjog art exhibition has drawn protests from various circles. Artists criticising Artjog experienced violence from security personnel and digital attacks. Beyond the protests, the involvement of the Didit Hediprasetyo Foundation, established by Didit Hediprasetyo, resulted in the cancellation of partnerships with several sponsors and artist collectives. Some of those who withdrew accused the foundation’s involvement of being ‘art washing’, or a practice of image manipulation using the medium of art. Others alleged the funding was part of political co-optation of the arts. The sponsor’s name as a strategic partner briefly appeared on a poster widely circulated on social media. Initially, the Artjog committee scheduled Didit to open the event. The poster disappeared a day before the opening due to intense public protest. Didit ultimately did not attend the opening at the Jogja National Museum on Friday, 19 June 2026. Artjog Director Heri Pemad acknowledged that the Didit foundation provided financial support, noting it was not the sole supporter of Artjog. The communications team for the Didit Hediprasetyo Foundation, Boedi Basoeki, responded to Tempo’s interview request with written answers on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. Boedi stated the foundation was recently contacted by the organisers to support the 2026 event. He clarified that the foundation’s involvement was limited to sponsorship support in the form of purchasing Artjog 2026 tickets, according to the cooperation scheme offered by the organisers. The foundation agreed to this support to help creative spaces like Artjog continue to grow and reach a wider public. Boedi denied information that Didit had acquired shares or was connected to the organising company, PT Artjog Matra Nusantara, stating there was no share ownership and the support was purely sponsorship. Regarding the funding amount, the foundation said it respected the agreement and planned to distribute the purchased tickets to its partners and networks. Boedi asserted no special conditions were imposed on the Artjog team, and the intention was solely to support arts and culture development in Yogyakarta by expanding the audience. Responding to public debate, the foundation said it valued diverse views and hoped discussions would remain healthy and proportionate. The decision to remove the foundation’s logo from publicity materials was described as a gesture of respect for the various perspectives, without altering the commitment to support. Addressing accusations of art washing, the foundation stated its involvement stemmed from a focus on cultural development, education, and the creative industry, aimed at supporting the festival and artistic freedom. On allegations of political co-optation, Boedi explained the cooperation was formed at the organisers’ request due to a shared vision for the arts ecosystem. He stressed the foundation’s role was limited to financial support, with no involvement in curatorial matters, artist selection, exhibition narrative, or final artwork decisions, which remained entirely under the curatorial team’s authority. The foundation believes supporting art means safeguarding spaces where ideas, creativity, and even criticism can flourish, and that a healthy arts ecosystem is born from collaboration and mutual cooperation that respects the boundaries, roles, and independence of each party.