In 2003, the photography and media arts collective Ruang MES 561 took the Jogja Biennale in Indonesia by storm with their photographic performance of Keren dan Beken (Cool and Famous). The collective created an experimental photo happening in which they set up a portrait studio in the exhibition space and invited anyone visiting the gallery to pose for a photo with a member of the collective. Two copies of each photo were printed, one for the participant and one for hanging in the gallery. This piece was less about the resulting photographs and more about the performance and interaction. The photography, in essence, was a script for a performance, an image as an event. And this photographic performance asked important questions about the nature of photography, authorship, and how these relate to social interactions and constructions.
In 2014, Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, was elected President of the Republic of...