UNAIR NEWS – The 13th International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) kicked off with with great enthusiasm on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) through the Airlangga Institute for Indian Ocean Crossroad (AIIOC) hosted the major event. The event’s first day featured the Interdisciplinary Educational Exhibition at Youth Hall Surabaya.
Farah Andita Ramdhani SHum, representing the Department of Culture, Youth, Sports, and Tourism (Disbudporapar), commended the successful launch of this major conference. Farah pointed out that this is the first time Surabaya has hosted a Conference-Festival (Confes) of this kind. “Conferences typically focus solely on dialogue. However, ICAS 13 is unique, incorporating workshops, exhibitions, art, and performances alongside discussions,” she explained.
First time in Surabaya
Ramdhani highlighted that the Interdisciplinary Educational Exhibition showcases works from both local and international artists. “This exhibition illustrates that art is a universal language. Even if we do not understand each other’s spoken language, art allows us to communicate and understand the conveyed messages,” she said.
The exhibition offers Surabaya residents an excellent opportunity to gain new insights from around the world. Additionally, it has the potential to boost Surabaya’s creative economy. “We see this exhibition as a key element of Surabaya’s creative economy. It inspires us to develop a creative economy that can attract tourism,” Ramdhani added.
Five-day exhibition
Dr. Restu Gunawan MHum, Director of Cultural Development and Utilization at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, officially opened the exhibition. He hoped that the exhibition would foster new networks and proceed smoothly. “I hope this exhibition strengthens the networks and creativity of both artists and visitors. I wish ICAS 13 tremendous success,” he stated.
The Interdisciplinary Educational Exhibition will be open for five days, from Sunday, July 28, to Thursday, August 1, 2024. The general public can visit the exhibition for free from 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The full schedule of exhibition events is available at https://icas13.eventscribe.net or on AIIOC Instagram account, @aiioc.unair.
Author: Icha Nur Imami Puspita
Editor: Edwin Fatahuddin
