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When President Sukarno and Vice President Mohammad Hatta proclaimed Indonesia’s independence 65 years ago, several local photo journalists were on hand to capture the historical event.

It was through photos like these that Indonesians and the rest of the world were able to witness the birth of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

A new exhibition, “Identitas Untuk Semua” (“Identity for All”), has more than 50 photographs on display depicting major historical events as well as the lives of regular Indonesians in the run-up to the country’s declaration of independence.

The exhibition was put together by the Jakarta Arts Council to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Indonesian independence, which takes place on Tuesday, and will be on show at Galeri Cipta III in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Central Jakarta, through Aug. 23.

The photos, taken by the likes of Alex and Frans Soemarto Mendur, didn’t just document the events of the day, but often acted themselves as a catalyst, pushing Indonesia further down the road to freedom one black-and-white print at a time.

Alex and Frans, together with Justus Frans Umbas, Alex Mamusung and Oscar Ganda, started the Indonesian Press Photo Service (IPPHOS) on Oct. 2, 1946.

The group consisted of a band of dedicated photojournalists who had all been documenting events throughout Indonesia leading up to the country’s declaration of independence.

Members of the group often discreetly spread their photos to the public as a means of documenting the struggle and keeping people updated.

Most of the images on display during the current exhibition were taken by IPPHOS members.

For example, it was Frans who took the iconic picture of Sukarno reading the declaration of independence in a location now known as Tugu Proklamasi.

Another picture, taken by Dutch photographer Cas Oorthuys in 1946, shows a large slogan painted on a building that reads:

“Freedom is the glory of any nation. Indonesia for Indonesians!” Oorthuys was a foreign photojournalist who was also a member of IPPHOS.

Another image captures Sukarno and Hatta delivering their independence manifesto on Aug. 17, 1945.

Oorthuys published a book in July 1947 of the pictures he took during this period, titled “Een Staad in Wording” (“A Nascent State”). The book helped raise awareness around the world about a new country named Indonesia.

Another photo shows Vice President Hatta standing and speaking in the Manggarai train station in Jakarta surrounded by hundreds of people.

The distance between him and his audience is no more than half a meter.

“This photo shows the closeness between a leader and the people,” said Oscar Motuloh, the exhibition’s curator. “It’s a wonderful image! It shows how the vice president and the people were equals.”

There is also a picture of Sukarno delivering a speech in front of the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Looking charismatic in his military apparel, the crowd is pressing in around the president.

Again, this close proximity between a leader and the people makes the image both startling and, somehow, full of hope.

Oscar said these photographs provided a reminder of Indonesian’s identity. “The declaration of independence in 1945 was the birth of our identity as Indonesians,” he said.

“It’s an event that didn’t come cheap. It was won through centuries of struggle by our late national heroes. Lately, people seem to have forgotten this, so these photos should serve as a reminder that we must remember to tell the story over and over again to our children and their children.”

Indonesia is a complex country consisting of more than 17,000 islands and hundreds of different ethnic groups.

According to Oscar, this pluralism is not a weakness but a strength. It is, he said, one of the things that helped the founding fathers win our freedom.

“So it’s such a shame that now we often see in the news people being hostile over different opinions or religions,” he said, adding that he hoped this exhibition would help remind all Indonesians of the principle of unity in diversity.

Indra Ameng, 35, an artist from Ruang Rupa Gallery, thinks the photographers should receive credit for having played such significant roles in shaping Indonesia’s history.

“These pictures speak louder than any text could. The photographers definitely recognized how important these photos could be to Indonesia’s political situation at the time,” he said. “They need to be included in textbooks.”

Unfortunately, a national archive system is still in the process of being created and the government is notoriously weak when it comes to preserving historical documents.

Oscar said these photos are more than valuable documents, they are living history, just as important as the famous recording of Sukarno declaring independence.

“Most people have heard that recording at least once. It’s a sound that can send chills up the spines of all Indonesians. Looking at these photos has the same effect,” he said. “These photos need to be preserved at all cost.”


Identitas Untuk Semua’  (‘Identity for All’) Until Aug. 23  Galeri Cipta III, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jl. Cikini Raya  No. 73, Central Jakarta‘