Source: Urban and Real Estate Planning Program, FAPRE Untar
In celebration of the 500th Anniversary of Jakarta, Universitas Tarumanagara (Untar), in collaboration with the University of San Francisco (USF), the Jakarta Maritime Museum, and the Jakarta Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum, organized an international photography exhibition titled Jakarta: Mirror of A Thousand Reflections. Held from July 17 to August 8, 2026, the exhibition presents diverse perspectives on Jakarta as a continuously evolving metropolitan city through photography and urban research.
The exhibition is a collaborative initiative between the Urban and Real Estate Planning Study Program and the Architecture Study Program under the Faculty of Architecture, Planning, and Real Estate (FAPRE) Untar, together with the Visual Communication Design Study Program of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD) Untar. The event also involves the University of San Francisco, the Community for Maritime Studies Indonesia (CMSI), and is supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government through its Department of Culture.
Under the theme Jakarta: Mirror of A Thousand Reflections, the exhibition invites the public to explore Jakarta as a city with multiple layers of life. As Southeast Asia’s largest metropolitan center, Jakarta embodies numerous paradoxes—from rapid urban development and the dynamic pace of city life to the diversity of spaces and social experiences that shape its identity. Coinciding with Jakarta’s 500th anniversary, the theme reflects the city’s many faces, stories, and lived experiences.
The exhibition at the Jakarta Maritime Museum // Source: Urban and Real Estate Planning Program, FAPRE Untar
The exhibition features the results of an urban research collaboration led by Prof. John Zarobell, Professor of Global Studies at the University of San Francisco, alongside photographic works by Pedro Lange-Churión, aerial photographs by Centropolis Untar, and works created by students from Untar’s Architecture and Visual Communication Design programs. Through these visual narratives, visitors are invited to explore Jakarta’s history, cultural identity, social life, public spaces, as well as the challenges of urbanization, climate change, and development inequality.
Untar Vice Rector Assoc. Prof. Sri Tiatri, S.Psi., M.Si., Ph.D., Psikolog, stated that the international collaboration reflects Untar’s commitment to expanding academic partnerships while introducing Jakarta to a broader audience through the lens of photography. “The partnership between Untar and the University of San Francisco, which has been established since 2019, is expected to continue growing through various collaborative programs in the future,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prof. John Zarobell noted that photography serves as a powerful medium for presenting diverse perspectives on Jakarta as a city in constant transformation. He expressed hope that the exhibition would deepen public understanding of contemporary Jakarta through visual documentation capturing the dynamics of urban life.
Representatives of Untar and the University of San Francisco during the opening ceremony // Source: Urban and Real Estate Planning Program, FAPRE Untar
The exhibition is open to the public and will be held in two phases: from July 17–25, 2026, at the Jakarta Maritime Museum, and from July 31 to August 8, 2026, at the Jakarta Fine Arts and Ceramics Museum. In addition to viewing the exhibition, visitors can participate in a variety of public programs held every Friday and Saturday throughout the exhibition period.
Through this collaboration, Untar and the University of San Francisco have created a cross-cultural platform that brings together Indonesian and American perspectives in interpreting Jakarta as a city that continues to evolve, transform, and reflect both the challenges and aspirations of urban life. (VC/YS)