“MERUPA: Merayap Rupa”: Reading Density as a Process of Becoming
Figure 1. Poster of MERUPA: Merayap Rupa, an art exhibition organized by students of the Art Education Study Program (Source: FPSD Press, 2025).
Bandung, 15 December 2025 - Bandung once again becomes a site of artistic inquiry through an exhibition entitled MERUPA: Merayap Rupa, held from 15 to 17 December 2025 at the Ground Floor Lobby of the FPSD ADB Building, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. This exhibition functions as a meeting point for works and ideas emerging from students’ lived experiences in confronting the dynamics of a dense, constantly moving city that often exerts pressure on everyday rhythms. The exhibition was initiated by students of the Art Education Study Program, Class of 2025, Faculty of Art and Design Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, and features 77 artists presenting a total of 35 artworks.
Under the theme Padat Merayap (Creeping Density), MERUPA positions density not merely as an urban issue, but as a lived condition that shapes ways of thinking, feeling, and creating. The term MERUPA is a portmanteau of merayap (to creep) and rupa (form/image), representing a visual process that grows slowly amid spatial constraints, targets, and systemic demands. This process is understood as a form of metamorphosis, in which change does not occur instantaneously, but unfolds through phases marked by friction and negotiation.
Figure 2. Exhibition view of MERUPA: Merayap Rupa, showcasing students’ artworks arranged according to four conceptual phases reflecting urban density and processes of becoming (FPSD Press, 2025).
The curatorial narrative is structured into four conceptual phases. The first phase presents self-reflection on urban streets that continue to expand while becoming increasingly congested with vehicles. The second phase represents urban spaces growing ever more cramped due to uneven development, intersecting with deadline pressures and demands for productivity. The third phase reveals tensions between freedom of expression and social responsibility arising from population growth and restrictive systems. The fourth phase serves as the narrative culmination, where density is no longer perceived as a burden, but as a potential source of solidarity, collaboration, and collective awareness.
The exhibition showcases a wide range of two- and three-dimensional media, including painting, digital illustration, objects, and intermedia practices. The spatial design draws inspiration from elements of Bandung’s urban landscape such as street poles, toll gates, and other familiar symbols thereby reinforcing an immersive experience that invites visitors to metaphorically traverse the city and its phases of density.
Figure 3. Exhibition view of MERUPA: Merayap Rupa, showcasing students’ artworks arranged according to four conceptual phases reflecting urban density and processes of becoming (FPSD Press, 2025).
MERUPA is not only a platform for presenting artworks, but also a space for learning and dialogue. Public discussions, live sketching sessions, and direct interactions between artists and visitors open possibilities for broader and more layered interpretations of the works. Through this exhibition, students present not only visual outcomes but also articulate their processes of becoming as creative individuals living within a city that continues to creep and expand. In this sense, MERUPA affirms density as an inseparable part of urban experience. Amid pressure and spatial limitations, art emerges as a medium through which we understand, respond to, and renegotiate the ways we live together in the city.
Contributor FPSD PRESS: Nadia Alisa
#FPSDPRESS#SDGs