Visual Communication Design of Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta has a long history. Perhaps, from this historical journey, it then shapes the character of the DKV ISI Yogyakarta that exists today. A strong character that is different and specific with clear differentiation in its academic work in the world of higher education in Indonesia today.

Talking about DKV ISI Yogyakarta is of course inseparable from the process of forming ASRI or the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts which was established on Sunday, January 15, 1950. The inauguration of the establishment of ASRI was carried out by Ki Sarmidi Mangunsarkoro as the Minister of Education, Teaching and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia (P.P. and K. RI) at that time in Yogyakarta. The establishment of ASRI is in accordance with the ideals of the artists and the government of the Republic of Indonesia to have an art academy that will be able to raise the degree of Indonesian art and culture.

Actually, the idea and process towards the establishment of ASRI has been a long time coming, especially after Indonesia's independence in 1945. At that time, many artists had begun to emerge in the community so it was necessary to nurture and cultivate these seeds in an art academy. The idea became clearer and narrower when the National Cultural Congress took place in Magelang from Friday, August 20 to Tuesday, August 24, 1948. The first congress after three years of Indonesian independence was held at the Magelang Regency Hall and opened by the first president of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Sukarno.

Several different discussion agendas were held each day. Specifically, the discussion about the establishment of an art academy was held on Monday, August 23, 1948. The discussion meeting related to the establishment of the art academy was held at the fifth meeting at Panti Perri at 19.30 until 23.00 WIB. And the conclusions of the Cultural Congress in Magelang are divided into several categories of conclusions. Among them are Culture and the Development of Society and the State, Kebatinan in Relation to Culture, and others. As for the establishment of an art academy, it was outlined in the Cultural Institute section with the sentence "Proposing to the Government the immediate establishment of an Academy of Arts". Thus, the congress unanimously deemed it necessary to establish an arts academy in Indonesia. Unfortunately, due to the Second Dutch Military Aggression four months after the congress, on December 19, 1948, the plan was stopped immediately.

Nevertheless, at the end of 1949, the Minister of Education, Teaching and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia sent a letter dated November 14, 1949 No. 24 / Kebud. which contained inviting cultural arts figures in Yogyakarta to discuss all matters necessary for the establishment of the Academy of Fine Arts.As a result of the meeting, Ministerial Decree No. 26 / Keb. November 17, 1949 which appointed a committee for the establishment of the Academy of Fine Arts which within a short period of one month had to report the results of its work to the Ministry of Education, Teaching and Culture Jawatan Kebudayaan. The members of the committee were: RJ Katamsi Martorahardjo (Head of the cultural section of the Yogyakarta Social Ministry's teaching section) as chairman, Djajengasmoro (chairman of PTPI or Pusat Tenaga Pelukis Indonesia) as vice chairman, Sarwana (employee of the cultural ministry in the arts section) as writer, Hendra (painter) as member, Koesnadi (painter) as member, Sindoesisworo (Taman Siswa teacher) as member, Soerjasoegondho as member, Prawito as member, Indrosoegondho (employee of the cultural ministry in the arts section) as member.

This team of nine then held marathon meetings on November 17, 20, 22 and 25, 1949 at the Djawatan Kebudayaan office on Jl. Batanawarsa 34 and at the Ministry of P.P and K on Jl. Mahameru 11. As a result, the "Plan for the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts" was drawn up (When discussing the name of the art academy, the name Akademi Seni Rupa Mataram was suggested. However, because it was considered too regional, the name was not accepted). And on December 5, 1949 the "Plan of the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts" was submitted to the authorities. Not long after that, on December 15, 1949 the Decree of the Minister of P.P. and K No. 32/Kebud. was issued which contained the establishment of the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts in Yogyakarta whose opening would later be held on January 15, 1950. The Decree stated that the purpose of ASRI was "To elevate the degree of fine arts in particular and Indonesian culture in general, based on Pancasila and its tasks are (a) To educate students to become mainstream citizens with high culture and sufficient knowledge, (b) To prepare students who in society can be responsible and lead companies, agencies and so on that have to do with the vak studied, (c) To prepare students who will become drawing teachers at various schools in Indonesia." (d) To prepare students to become drawing teachers at various schools in Indonesia.

On Sunday, January 15, 1950 at 10.00 am, the inauguration of the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI) was held in the Kepatihan Ward of Yogyakarta. In attendance were the Minister of P.P. and K, Ki Sarmidi Mangunsarkoro, Director of ASRI R.J. Katamsi, Head of the Culture Ministry Soedarsono along with Sindoesawarno, Sri Handojokoesoemo, and Indrosoegondho. Also present were Prof. Dr. Sardjito, Prof. Mr. Djojodiguno. KRT. Honggowongso, KRT. Notojudo. Also present were prospective teachers at ASRI, namely Djajengasmoro, Koesnadi, Prawito, and Sri Moertono. And there were also prospective students who attended the event which later one of the students named Soemardjon, a prospective student of section IV, was asked to sign the ASRI establishment charter.

At that time ASRI had sections namely (1) Painting, (2) Sculpture and Sculpture, (3) Carpentry, (4) Art of Reclamation, Decoration, Illustration, and Graphics (REDIG), (5) Drawing Teachers diploma A and B, (6) Building Art (temporarily not yet held). In the first year, 40 students were accepted out of 160 applicants. Some of these students have become ASRI Trustees in the future. They are Abas Alibasjah, Abdul Kadir, Edhi Sunarso, Hendrodjasmoro, Moch. Bakir Saptoto, Soetopo, and Widajat. The place was divided into two, the first in Bintaran Lor 12b under the supervision of the Deputy Director and the second in SMA section B Kotabaru under the direct leadership of the director. The first teachers at that time were: (1) R.J. Katamsi who taught Art, Reproduction, Perspective, Opmeten; (2) Djajengasmoro who taught Painting and Stilleven; (3) Hendra taught Painting; (4) Koesnadi taught Composition; (5) Mardio taught Methodics and Drawing on the blackboard; (6) Sri Moertono taught Advertising; (7) Ardan taught Knowledge of Materials; (8) Warindyo taught Carving; (9) Dr. Martohusodo taught Anatomy. Martohusodo taught Plastic Anatomy; (10) Dr. Martohusodo taught Plastic Anatomy. (10) Dr. Radiopoetro taught Plastic Anatomy; (11) Sindoesisworo taught Carving Drawing; (12) Soerjosoeghondo taught Illustration; (13) Toeloes Soebroto taught Philosophy; (14) Widjongko taught Photography, Typography, Painting and Graphics; (15) Padmopoespito taught Cultural History; (16) Prawito taught Home Architecture; (17) Soetjito taught Antiquities; (18) Setjojoso taught Painting; Soehatmanto taught Carving. In subsequent developments, there were various changes that aimed to further establish ASRI as an academically established university and create reliable artists and designers.

In the context of Visual Communication Design (DKV), the forerunner of DKV during the ASRI period was in the REDIG department. The first ASRI curriculum contained in the attachment to the Decree of the Minister of P.P. and K RI No. 32/Kebud. for courses contained in the REDIG department is divided into three major groups, namely: General Knowledge, Theory, and Practice. In the General Knowledge group there are courses (a) Philosophy, (b) Mental Science, (c) History of Arts and Culture, (d) Society (social and artistic), (e) Knowledge of Antiquities, (f) Bedrijfsleer (business). For the Theory group there are courses (a) Comparison and Proportion (location of limbs, location of parts of the shape and terrain of the human form), (b) Form of the body (anatomy) continued proportion, namely an explanation of the location and function of the form for the movement or not of a body (physical character), (c) Houdingen (Motion Style), (d) Perspective (in color and shape), (e) Knowledge of Materials, (f) Aesthetics and Composition, Projection, (g) Painting Measurement Science, (h) Methodics, (i) Architecture. While the practical group includes (a) Painting, (b) Drawing with potlot, tub ink, placard paint and drawing about lettering, illustration (press book illustration), ontwerp (design) poster printing and packaging, decoration for home decoration and showroom decoration, (c) Slides, (d) Cartoon, (e) Window display, (f) Photography, various types of clichés (etching, litho, woodcut, zinco, woodcarving, linoleumsnede, (g) Printing, techniques for preparing booklets, advertentie, drukwerken, (h) Projection, (i) Maquette (scale model), (j) Decorating.

In 1963 after Abas Alibasyah went to Jakarta to take care of everything related to the development and various matters contained in the ASRI environment, the Decree of the Minister of P.P. and K No. 27/1963 dated April 5, 1963 appeared. The letter gave ASRI the status of a full university. The academy only accepts high school graduates and the education lasts for five years with three years for Bachelor candidates (level A) and two more years for Bachelor level (level B). With this new situation, ASRI has six departments, namely: (1) Department of Painting with Head of Department Abas Alibasyah, (2) Department of Sculpture with Head of Department Edhi Sunarso, (3) Department of Craft Art with Head of Department Tukijo Hs, (4) Department of Advertising/Propaganda Art with Head of Department Soetopo, (5) Department of Decorative Art with Head of Department Widajat, (6) Department of Illustration/Graphic Art with Head of Department Abdul Kadir.

When viewed from the new structure, the original Sculpture and Sculpture became the Sculpture Department. Then the Art of Advertising, Illustration Decoration and Graphics separated into the Department of Advertising/Propaganda Art, the Department of Illustration/Graphic Art, and the Department of Decorative Arts. Thus in that year REDIG, which became the forerunner of DKV, changed to the Department of Advertising / Propaganda Art, but the word 'propaganda' since 1968 was eliminated with the consideration that the word 'propaganda' was said to be less 'delicious' and actually the word 'Reklame' was sufficient. So that way for five years only the Department of Reclame / Propaganda lasted.

This Reclamation Department lasted from 1969 to 1979. In this period, precisely on November 4, 1969 through the decision of the Minister of P.P. and K. No. 0100/1968 ASRI changed its status from Academy to College with the title of Sekolah Tinggi Seni Rupa Indonesia 'ASRI' or STSRI 'ASRI'. At that time the Head of the Department was Drs. R. Soetopo Mangkoediredjo.Still in that period, precisely in 1978, a government policy emerged regarding the dynamics of campus life. The policy was outlined in Decree No.0156/U/1978 concerning Normalization of Campus Life or NKK and the next Decree No.037/U/1979 concerning the Student Coordinating Board or BKK by the then Minister of Education and Culture, Daoed Joesoef. The existence of this decree caused the Department of Advertising to change its name to the Department of Communication Design.

In the next journey there was a major change in the organization of education at STSRI 'ASRI'. This was because in mid-1984 there was a merger between three institutions, namely STSRI 'ASRI', AMI, and ASTI into one higher education institution for the arts called Institut Seni Indonesia or ISI on July 23, 1984. This change also caused changes in the majors contained therein. And for the Communication Design department which was originally in the form of a department turned into a study program. The name also changed, which was originally named Communication Design to be named Visual Communication Design.

Before changing the name to Visual Communication Design, Dr. HC. RM. Saptoheodoyo (1960-1963), Drs. R. Soetopo Mangkoediredjo (1963-1978), and Drs. Margono (1978-1980). And when it changed its name to Visual Communication Design study program, the first head of the study program was Drs. Sadjiman Ebdi Sanyoto in 1980-1991. Consecutively after that were Drs. Asnar Zacky, MSn. in 1991-1992, Drs. M. Umar Hadi, MS. in 1992-1996, then Drs. Baskoro Suryo Banindro, MSn. who served for two periods from 1996-2004, after which it was held by Drs. Lasiman, MSn. (alm) from 2004-2008, the next was Drs. Hartono Karnadi, MSn. who also served for two periods from 2008-2016. And then the head of the DKV study program was held by Indiria Maharsi, MSn. who served in the period 2016 to 2020. Next, in 2020-2024 the Head of the Visual Communication Design study program was held by Daru Tunggul Aji, S.S., M.A.

In the period from REDIG to DKV at this time there have been many events that have become part of the long history of DKV ISI Yogyakarta's journey. These events actually strengthen DKV as a study program engaged in fine arts. And as a reminder, it is necessary for the author to convey a little speech from the director of the first Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts, R.J. Katamsi at the inauguration of the opening of ASRI: ".... we will be able to carry out our ideals, namely guiding a line of dynamic and creative new artists, who can truly contribute their highly talented souls for the benefit of Nusa and the Nation ..." This little statement can always remind us all of our current position in the world of fine arts in Indonesia and the world.

Greetings culture.

Reference source:

• "Toekang Reklame School - A Journal of Visual Communication Design ISI Yogyakarta", Baskoro Suryo Banindro, MSn, (http://dgi.or.id/in-depth/history/sekolah-toekang-reklame-suatu-catatan-perjalanan-disain-komunikasi-visual-isi-yogyakarta.html).
• "Bianglala Budaya Rekam jejak 95 Tahun Kongres Kebudayaan 1918-2013", Nunus Supardi, 2013, Directorate General of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture.
• "ASRI 20 Years", Sekolah Tinggi Seni Rupa Indonesia Jogjakarta, Pertjetakan Mobil MPU-JG-I-69-46.
• "ASRI Jogja 1950-1955 Education and Culture", Publication Series for Information, Published by the Ministry of Education, Teaching, and Culture, Republic of Indonesia, No. 7 - January 1955.