Living at the Urban Seafront in Jakarta and Bremen: Photography exhibition opens on March 13

The exhibition shows 35 works by 15 photographers from Jakarta, a city sinking into the Pacific Ocean in dialogue with selected images of flood defence architecture in Bremen and Bremerhaven. It is realised by Fotoetage Bremen. The complex situation of the sea-level city Jakarta and how it is already dealing with the consequences of climate change is revealed in the sequence of urban views and social use of flood scenarios and adaptable architecture. The importance of sustainable use of building culture resources becomes clear.

A multidisciplinary jury, consisting of six members from Bremen/ Germany and Jakarta/ Indonesia, made a selection of the photos submitted to the competition. Photographs documenting the resilience and agency of the local population were particularly compelling. The photographs make a valuable contribution to raising awareness of the social and design requirements for coastal protection and to promoting discourse. In May 2025, an exhibition on the same topic can be seen at the Goethe-Institut Indonesia in Jakarta.

„Exhibition is a powerful reminder that no place is immune to the climate crisis“

Dr. Ulrike Heine, Head of the Office of the German Committee of the UN Ocean Decade (ODK) based at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and jury member: “Many of the photographs focus on life with water under changing conditions: They show the range of collective and individual adaptation measures and, when viewed together, the ambivalence of life at the interface between land and ocean - under the signs of increasingly rapid climate change and rising sea levels.”

Irene Barlian, documentary photographer and jury member: “The exhibition ‘Living at the Urban Seafront’ is a powerful reminder that no place is immune to the climate crisis. The images of flooded streets were frighteningly familiar. Rising sea levels threaten communities where families face the same fears. But the people are resilient. These photos give a glimpse into the lives of people who continue to struggle, adapt and find hope for the future despite the challenges.”

The photographers

The following photographers are represented with works in the exhibition: Aan Melliana, Abyan Madani, Arie Basuki, Dikye Ariani, Iqro Rinaldi, Muhammad Fauzan, Qeis Sulthon, Wiagung Prayudha, Yuan Adriles, Agus Susanto, Djuli Pamungkas, Fernando Randy, Idealita Ismanto, Rejeky Kene and Nafiah Solikhah.

The selected photographers represent a wide range of perspectives. The participants live in different regions of Indonesia and have different levels of photographic knowledge and experience. The subjects of their work are also diverse. Their interests range from documenting social, societal and cultural issues, gender and identity issues to climate change issues. By exhibiting their work, the photographers hope to raise awareness of the impact of rising sea levels on coastal communities and to initiate positive changes in social discourse.

„Our environment is facing serious threats“

Muhammad Fauzan describes his motivation for taking part in the photo exhibition: „Our environment is facing serious threats. By participating in this photography exhibition, I am trying to voice these concerns and build collective awareness. More specifically in this exhibition I want us to realize that rising sea levels not only threaten the environment, but also have a big impact on the economy and society.“

The following guests are expected to attend the exhibition opening:

• Dr. Ulrike Heine, Head of the Office of the German Committee of the UN Decade of the Ocean (ODK)
• Jan-Philipp Possmann, initiator of the international network POLIS_SEA
• Nikolai Wolff and Kay Michalak, curators of the exhibition. Fotoetage Bremen

Greeting: Prof. Dr. Christian von Wissel, Professor of Urban Theory, and Prof. Dr. Heiko Spekker, Professor of Hydraulic Engineering, both from the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Environment at HSB.

Student: „Architecture and the city urgently need to be rethought and built differently“

Ingke Färber, student at the School of Architecture at HSB and (student) employee of the project: ‘For me, building culture is the fair and sustainable treatment of the built environment. My generation is the generation of a structural change in the way we build. Architecture and the city urgently need to be rethought and built differently. This starts with houses and extends to the design of public spaces and coastal protection. Looking at Jakarta helps us to recognise the seriousness of the situation and at the same time to promote the discourse on possible options for the local population to deal with flooding.’

International cooperation

The project ‘Sea Level Cities. Living at the Urban Seafront’ is an official activity of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It is being realised by the Bremen Centre for Building Culture (b.zb) and Bremen University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Indonesia, Fotoetage Bremen, the international network POLIS-SEA and Universitas Indonesia. The exhibition is sponsored by the HSB's ‘Region in Transition’ research cluster. It is the second exhibition as part of the inter- and transdisciplinary research and transfer project ‘DeichStadt’ on the topic of coastal protection and building culture in urban areas. Bremen University of Applied Sciences and the Bremen Centre for Building Culture are organising a series of exhibitions and other events with changing partners from the fields of architecture and hydraulic engineering, art, culture, planning and science. Partners include the Senatorin für Umwelt, Klima und Wissenschaft (SUKW) and the Hafentechnische Gesellschaft (HTG).

Additional programme

On 27 March, a HTG forum on tsunamis and storm surges and their impact on coastal cities is planned in cooperation with the Hafentechnische Gesellschaft. Further information can be found at www.bzb-bremen.de.