Commemorating the second anniversary of the Kanjuruhan tragedy, the Ministry of Strategic Studies and Action (Kastrat) of the Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) Universitas Brawijaya (UB) held an exhibition themed “Forgotten Tragedy, Unraveled but Considered Over.” The event, which took place at the SAC Gallery Building A FIB UB, was held from September 26 to October 1, 2024, with various activities that included an exhibition of works, general discussions, and contemplation and prayer.
The exhibition features artworks produced through an open submission system, in which anyone who has a work with the theme of the Kanjuruhan Tragedy can participate. The submitted works were then curated by students of Pure Fine Arts and the Ministry of Kastrat BEM FCS UB, including paintings, poetry, and photography.
According to Febrizio, the Chief Organizer of the Kanjuruhan Tragedy Exhibition, this event aims to preserve the collective memory of the Kanjuruhan tragedy, a tragedy that he says “has not been resolved, both from legal and political-economic aspects.” He also added that the initiative to hold this exhibition came about because he saw the case had not been resolved until almost two years after the incident.
“This exhibition has been around since last year but has not been tied to the BEM program. Seeing that the case has not been resolved for almost two years, the Ministry of Kastrat BEM FCS UB finally took the initiative to hold this exhibition,” he explained.
In addition to the exhibition of works, the event also featured a general discussion with speakers consisting of anthropologists, academics, and families of the victims on Monday (9/30/2024). The discussion aimed to dig deeper into the impact of the tragedy from a social, political, and humanitarian perspective and to invite the audience not to forget the tragedy.
A contemplation and prayer session was also held at the Cultural Terrace of Building A FCS UB, with a series of poetry, theatrical drama, and music performances that recalled the tragic event on Tuesday (10/1/2024).
Febrizio also added that this exhibition received support from various external parties, such as Kamisan Malang, the Indonesian Student Press Association (PPMI) Malang, and the Kanjuruhan Tragedy Justice Foundation (YKTK), who were actively involved in providing permits and moral support for the continuation of this event.
“These parties are very supportive of this initiative,” he said.
Through this exhibition, Febrizio hopes to foster empathy and public awareness that the Kanjuruhan Tragedy case must be resolved.
“The first thing is, of course, empathy. That’s why we also display many photographic works that capture the situation when the tragedy was happening,” said Febrizio.
He also emphasized that the exhibition aims to convince the public that there are still injustices to be fought.
In addition, infographics displaying facts related to the Kanjuruhan case are also included to increase visitors’ understanding of the situation that is still happening today.
With this series of events that lasted for almost a week, the Ministry of Kastrat BEM FCS UB hopes that the spirit of solidarity and the struggle for justice for the victims of the Kanjuruhan Tragedy will remain in the minds of the public. [acl/dts/PR FCS]
