Protest at ARTJOG 2026 Forcibly Stopped

A solo theatrical protest against the ARTJOG 2026 annual art exhibition at the Jogja National Museum (JNM) was forcibly stopped by event security officers on Friday evening. The action took place after the opening of ARTJOG 2026, when a man dressed in black and wearing a cap climbed onto the main entrance area of the gallery. Beneath the ARTJOG logo, the man performed a monologue while scattering flowers, drawing questions from visitors. “Literature is dead, art is dead. Intellectuals without the desire for rebellion are an extension of the state,” he declared. The man then produced a spray can. Security personnel stood guard and reacted after three splashes of pink paint from the east side hit the ARTJOG plaque on the wall. After a moment of hesitation, a group of security officers seized the man and took him to a security post for interrogation. The officers allegedly used physical force against him. He was later taken to a transit room to meet with organisers and explain his intentions. After about 20 minutes, the man was released. He identified himself as Ayik and said his theatrical action was an expression of his unease. Ayik explained that the protest was against ARTJOG’s sponsorship by the Didit Hediprasetyo Foundation, owned by Didit Hediprasetyo, the only son of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. “It’s just not relevant to ARTJOG now, especially with Didit and the other sponsors behind it,” he said. He regretted that his protest was met with repressive action by security. “Inside, it was somewhat safe, but during the performance, I was eventually caught and there was some hitting,” he added. The action was later revealed to be a collective movement by artists calling themselves ARTJOKES. Agam Wispi, a representative, stated that their act was purely a form of contemporary art. He argued that art should not be met with repression. “We were simply expressing what we know and feel, a consequence of the issue surrounding ARTJOG being sponsored by Didit,” Agam said. The involvement of the Didit Hediprasetyo Foundation and the subsequent rejection had already become a topic of discussion on social media. ARTJOG’s Head Curator, Bambang ‘Toko’ Witjaksono, confirmed that Didit had cancelled his attendance at the opening. “We understand the situation. After talking with Didit, it was decided he would not come,” Bambang said. He also confirmed that the foundation’s name had been removed from the list of sponsors. Bambang assured that Didit’s foundation did not intervene in the curatorial process, noting that many works of criticism and activism remained on display. ARTJOG CEO Heri Pemad added that he understood the public outcry and reiterated that the foundation’s support was solely focused on fostering the art ecosystem.