SURADAYA— What remains unseen

A Franco-German photography and visual literacy program in Surabaya

Surabaya is constantly photographed, shared, and represented — in media, on social platforms, through institutional communication, and increasingly through AI-generated images. Yet these representations remain partial.

They show a city of malls, infrastructure, and curated lifestyles. What they leave out is just as important.

Suradaya — What remains unseen — is a collaborative program that explores these gaps. Instead of focusing only on false or manipulated images, it investigates what images systematically overlook — and how this shapes our understanding of the city.

Images do not only inform — they select, frame, and exclude.

By shifting the focus from misinformation to invisibility, Suradaya proposes a different approach: understanding how partial representations shape collective imaginaries, and how alternative images can open new perspectives on the city.

Over the course of one month, participants will engage in a combination of workshops and fieldwork designed to develop both practical and critical skills.

The program is structured around 3 main components:

1. Reading images (visual literacy)

You will analyze how Surabaya is currently represented across media, social networks, archives, and AI-generated content. The goal is to identify dominant narratives and blind spots.

2. Producing images (collaborative photography)

Working in mixed teams (Indonesia–France–Germany), you will conduct field-based photographic investigations, engaging with local communities, everyday spaces, and often overlooked realities.

3. Imagining alternatives (AI as a critical tool)

Using AI, you will explore possible urban futures — not as aesthetic experiments, but as a way to question what is missing and what could exist.

The project is structured around three 3 perspectives on the city:

Surabaya Works / Moves — labor, mobility, informal economies

Surabaya Eats / Consumes — food systems, markets, everyday consumption

Surabaya Sleeps / Plays — housing, rest, leisure, and social inequalities

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be based in Surabaya Raya or Malang Raya (living or studying locally for the full duration of the program). Participant from Malang  shall make sure to have a personal solution to be accomodated in Surabaya

• Be between 18 and 30 years old

• Have a background in visual communication, photography, or a related field

• French and German applicants must already be residing in Surabaya (exchange students, interns, or assistants — no short-term mobility will be supported)

• Demonstrate a basic level of photographic practice

• Own and be able to use their own photographic equipment

• Be fully available for the entire program, including all workshops, approximately four weeks of fieldwork, and the exhibition opening event

• Be willing to work collaboratively in an international group

Additional considerations:

• The final group will be composed of up to 15 participants, with attention to gender balance

Participants will be selected based on:

• an online application form,

• a portfolio of previous work,

• and a short statement of intent outlining their interest in the project

The project will result in:

• a collective exhibition in Surabaya (September 2026),

• a touring exhibition in Indonesia and Europe,

• a trilingual digital platform,

• and a critical visual archive of the city.

Suradaya is developed by Wisma Jerman & the Institut français d’Indonésie (IFI) Surabaya, in collaboration with:

• Hochschule Hannover - University of Applied Sciences & Arts (Germany)

• ENSP Arles (France)

• Universitas AIRLANGGA

• Petra Christian Unversity

• Universitas Ciputra

The project also involves local communities, NGOs, and cultural actors across Surabaya.

1. Open Call for Participants

• 06/04 — Applications open

• 30/04 — Application deadline

• 01– 08/05 — Selection of participants

2. Workshops & Fieldwork (May–June 2026)

• 18 – 23/05: Workshop 1 & Fieldwork Phase 1  > Image Research (Visual Literacy)

• 25/05 – 13/06: Workshop 2 & Fieldwork Phase 2  > Documentary Photography Production

• 15 – 19/06 Workshop 3 & Fieldwork Phase 3  > Speculative Image Making (AI)

3. Editing & Production

• 22/06/26 – 03/07/26 — Image selection for exhibition

• 06/07/26 – 18/07/26 — Printing of works

4. Exhibition (Surabaya)

• 01/09/26 – 03/09/26 — Exhibition setup

• 04/09/26 — Opening (Orasis Gallery)

• 07/09/26 – 12/09/26 — Public talks and presentations

• 13/09/26 — Closing event

5. Exhibition Tour (Indonesia & Europe)

• 14/09/26 – 31/12/26 — Touring exhibition across multiple venues  (including Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Jakarta, Hannover, and Arles)