Heaptalk, Jakarta — Setara Events is hosting an art exhibition titled ‘Ruang Setara’, meaning equal space, from April 25 to 27 at the Museum Koleksi, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta. The exhibition showcases paintings by disabled artists Faisal Rusdi, Anfield Wibowo, and Revanza.
Rizky Syaputra and Idayu Matagena Ismail, students from the Faculty of Business at LSPR Institute of Communication and Business, initiated the event as their final assignment for undergraduate study. In addition to the art display, the exhibition features a talk show with the artists and an inclusive bazaar for people with disabilities.
In more detail, Rizky explained that the idea for this exhibition stemmed from the lack of inclusive art spaces in Indonesia for disabled artists, particularly painters. “A Selasar Sunaryo Art Advisory Board member stated that art spaces still lack inclusivity for people with disabilities. This became one of our references for creating an art exhibition showcasing works by disabled artists,” Rizky said during the press conference for Ruang Setara at Museum Koleksi, Taman Ismail Marzuki (04/25).
Reducing inequality in art and creative work
Melvin Bonardo Simanjuntak, a supervising lecturer at LSPR’s Faculty of Business, explained that the university allows students to choose their final undergraduate assignments, which can be a thesis, non-thesis project, or scientific writing/proposal. In this case, Rizky and Idayu opted for a non-thesis project.
He further elaborated that the university supports students in fulfilling their final assignments by providing relevant coursework, including guidance for non-thesis projects. “LSPR’s support for this non-thesis project also includes collaborations the institution has built as an educational body, particularly in advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) values. Rizky and Idayu highlighted two SDG points: gender equality and reducing inequality in art and creative work,” Melvin emphasized (04/25).
Yosi Twentiarani, Secretary of SDG’s Association IV, expressed appreciation for all parties organizing the exhibition. According to her, inclusivity is often unnoticed by society and the government, as seen in the lack of support. To address this, she sees the only solution is strengthening education. “The challenge is that education is needed not only for people with disabilities but especially for those without disabilities. Often, we don’t know how to interact with, embrace, or collaborate with disabled individuals. Hopefully, this positive event can serve as an educational tool for all of us here to better support our friends with disabilities,” Yosi added.
Faisal Rusdi thanked the event organizers for involving him in the project. “We hope more visitors will come to see our works. But my message is: Don’t focus on our disabilities—focus on the art we’ve created. We also welcome any critiques, as we are open to feedback and suggestions,” he concluded.
