From Margins to Algorithms: Mediatization of Yogyakarta Visual Art on Instagram

Authors

  • Nadiyah Tunnikmah Faculty of Visual Art and Design, Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25038/am.v0i28.630

Keywords:

mediatization; Instagram; Yogyakarta visual arts; digital art practices; social media algorithms.

Abstract

This research explores the mediatization of Yogyakarta's fine arts scene on Instagram, analyzing how algorithmic mediation influences artistic interaction, representation, and professionalization. Through ethnographic and netnographic methods conducted between October 2021 and April 2023, this study examines five Yogyakarta-based artists with varying career lengths (15–30 years) and follower counts (5,000–38,000). The findings reveal that Instagram serves not only as a distribution channel but also as a transformative space that reconfigures artistic practices, challenging traditional exhibition paradigms while reinforcing algorithm-driven visibility. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of digital mediation in contemporary art, highlighting both the opportunities and limitations imposed by the platform.

Author Biography

Nadiyah Tunnikmah, Faculty of Visual Art and Design, Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta

Nadiyah Tunnikmah, born April 12, 1979, is a lecturer at the Visual Art Department, Faculty of Visual Art and Design, Indonesia Institute of Art, Yogyakarta. With her academic background from the Graduate School of Performing Arts and Visual Arts Studies at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), she has dedicated her career to exploring the fascinating intersection of art and technology. Through her work, she investigates the dynamic relationship between traditional visual art practices and emerging technologies, aiming to contribute meaningful insights to Indonesia's contemporary art discourse. She is also actively involved in the Yogyakarta art world, collaborating with fellow women artists to form collectives that enrich the local artistic community. Her work serves as a bridge between Indonesia's rich artistic heritage and the evolving landscape of digital and technological innovation in visual arts.

References

Briggs, Asa, Peter Burke, and Espen Ytreberg. A Social History of the Media. From Gutenberg to Facebook. Polity Press, 2001.

Burhan, M. Agus. Perkembangan Seni Lukis Mooi Indie Sampai Persagi Di Batavia, 1900–1942. Galeri Nasional Indonesia, 2008.

Crowley, David, and David Mitchell, eds. Communication Theory Today. Polity Press, 1994.

Deacon, David, and James Stanyer. “Mediatization: Key Concept or Conceptual Bandwagon?” Media, Culture and Society 36, no. 7 (2014): 1032–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443714542218.

Esner, Rachel, and Sandra Kisters, eds. The Mediatization of the Artist. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66230-5.

Fishwick, Paul A. Aesthetic Computing. MIT Press, 2006.

Hjarvard, Stig. The Mediatization of Culture and Society. Routledge, 2013.

Kellner, Douglas, and Meenakshi Durham, eds. Media and Cultural Studies: Key Works. Blackwell, 2006.

Leaver, Tama, Tim Highfield, and Crystal Abidin, eds. Instagram Visual Social Media Cultures. Polity Press, 2021.

MacDowall, Lachlan, and Kylie Budge. Art After Instagram Art Spaces: Audiences, Aesthetics. Routledge, 2022.

Silverstone, Roger. “Complicity and Collusion in the Mediation of Everyday Life.” New Literary History 33, no. 4 (2002): 761–780.

Spanjaard, Helena. Cita-Cita Seni Lukis Indonesia Modern 1900-1995: Sebuah Kreasi Identitas Kultural Nasional. Translated by Iswahyudi Iswahyudi. Ombak, 2018.

Thimm, Caja, Mario Anastasiadis, and Jessica Einspänner-Pflock, eds. Media Logic(S) Revisited: Modelling the Interplay Between Media Institutions, Media Technology and Societal Change. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

Thumim, Nancy. Self-Representation and Digital Culture. Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.

Tunnikmah, Nadiyah. “Impact of COVID-19 on the World of Fine Arts; between Online Exhibitions, Virtual Exhibitions in Cyberspace Appreciation.” In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts & Humanities (ICONARTIES), 2020. 149–158.

Tunnikmah, Nadiyah. “Instagram Selfie Di Pameran Artjog.” Ars: Jurnal Seni Rupa Dan Desain 21, no. 2 (2018): 116–32. https://doi.org/10.24821/ars.v21i2.2887.

Downloads

Published

15.09.2025

How to Cite

Tunnikmah, N. (2025). From Margins to Algorithms: Mediatization of Yogyakarta Visual Art on Instagram. AM Journal of Art and Media Studies, (37), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.25038/am.v0i28.630