PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania. The 59th Carnegie exhibition at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh, commemorates 200 years of carefully selected participants. The 2026 exhibition will feature works from the late 1980s, categorized into three groups that explore themes of family lineage, identity, and the essence of art. Titled "WE," this exhibition includes 60 artists from various modern art disciplines. It will showcase past creations that emphasize ingenuity in photography and specifically how creators visually responded to oppression during the New Order era.
The Carnegie International, conducted every four years at the Carnegie Museum of Art, holds the title of the longest-running international art exhibition in North America. The most recent edition, named If the word we, investigates the notion of "we" through diverse artistic methods that convey collective experiences and transformations. Curated by Ryan Inouye, Danielle A. Jackson, and Liz Park, this exhibition features works at the museum as well as at four partner organizations, highlighting Pittsburgh's vibrant art scene. Showing a variety of styles and locales, the exhibition illustrates the numerous elements that shape contemporary art.
One of the highlighted artworks in the photography section is a piece by renowned Indonesian photographer Firman Ichsan. Born in 1953 in Jakarta, he remains there and is a photographer, curator, and educator focused on fashion, image politics, and cultural education. "I met with Carnegie curators Ryan and Liz in Jakarta. They reviewed my photo portfolio during an interview. In 2025, I received an invitation to the exhibition in 2026. I wonder how my works will be presented, and they wanted to base it on the period when I was actively working as a model and lifestyle photographer in print media," shared Firman, who attended the opening ceremony in Pittsburgh last week.
“Because the works had to be selected in accordance with the interview, a curatorial team from Indonesia was formed, consisting of Grace Sambo (curator) and Lisabona (archiving). The selected works were then sent to the USA for final selection,” added Firman whose photographs are divided into three exhibit sections: an archive comprising approximately 45 photos, and nine photos enlarged to life size.
Firman is a prominent Indonesian photographer who gained recognition in the late 1970s, emerging as a significant influence in fashion and lifestyle photography through his contributions to leading women’s lifestyle magazines in Indonesia. Since 1993, he has taught and led the photography art study at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), where he played a pivotal role in establishing the nation's first formal photography academic program. Ichsan also co-founded the Oktagon Visual Education and Culture Development Foundation from 2001 to 2005, which facilitated critical discussions, photography education, and exhibitions. As a member of the Jakarta Arts Council, he notably contributed to transforming the 2009 Jakarta Biennale into an international event, the first of its kind held across various public spaces rather than solely in conventional art venues.
"For me, fundamentally, the photographs I exhibit represent an evolution of elegant yet aesthetic values, and they can stimulate critical thinking for those who appreciate photographic art, because regardless of simplicity, one must remain critical to continue evolving," Firman explained, discussing the philosophy behind his artistic and monumental works.
This exhibition will run from May 2, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
Photos by Firman Ichsan photo collection.
Related Article
Songs of New York: 100 Years of Imagining The City Through Music
New York City Honors Black History Month By Introducing A Film That Celebrates Black Lives In NYC
Indonesian Community Organizations received The New York State Assembly Citation
AAPI Heritage Month Celebration Comes to Southern Brooklyn
The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution Opens on May 1, 2026