reativity has to be nurtured, whether it is in the form of painting, photography or utilizing other mediums. At the core of it is the act of storytelling; looking at the simplest thing and creating a beautiful world around it, or unleashing something that is not usually visible to the naked eye.
In 2009, Astra launched Lomba Foto Astra for aspiring photographers, followed by Anugerah Pewarta Astra for writers in 2015. Both competitions were introduced to bring forth the art of storytelling, especially to divulge the diverse stories from the beautiful archipelagic country of Indonesia.
Fast forward to 2024, both contests still serve the purpose of expanding the creative industry that convenes thousands of Indonesians to unleash their talent and conjure up their artistic side. Astra recently crowned the winners of the Lomba Foto Astra and Anugerah Pewarta Astra 2023.
On Monday, 84 winners in the general and journalist categories, with photos and written works on the theme "Spirit for Today and the Future of Indonesia", were triumphantly celebrated at the Astra Tower in Jakarta.
This year, Astra partnered with Indonesian Pewarta Foto Indonesia, Young on Top and Ayofoto to look for participants who loved photography and writing throughout the country.
The competition was fiercer than ever before, as the number of participants increased by 144 percent, compared with the previous year. In total, there were 7,545 participants, with 15,920 photo works and 3,258 written works.
"We appreciate the enthusiasm of the participants in the Lomba Foto Astra and the Anugerah Pewarta Astra 2023. The more than 19,000 works collected reflect the diversity of stories and inspiration in advancing the nation for today and Indonesia's future. Hopefully all the participants' work can provide enthusiasm for rising generation of the nation to contribute to the nation," said chief of corporate affairs of Astra, Riza Deliansyah.
After going through a rigorous process of selecting and handpicking the best works, the prizes lined up were equally as exciting, including a pair of Jabra Elite 45H headphones and a Sony ZV1F Vlogging Camera.
The first-place winner took home a Honda CBR250RR. A Honda CB150X went to second place and third place received a Honda Vario 125 CBS-ISS.
The work of the winners was curated and assessed by a panel of judges who are experts in their own fields. These were chief editor of PR Indonesia Asmono Wikan, photojournalist for Agence France-Presse (AFP) Adek Berry, photographer I Wayan Wahyu Mahendranata, esteemed writer Erisca Febriani, head of corporate communications of Astra Property Demmy Indranugroho and head of the Corporate Communications Department of Astra Daihatsu Motor Indra Setiawan.
In order to gain more exposure to the photos and stories published, the public is invited to stop by the Astra Gallery in the Astra Tower, from Jan. 22 to 26. It is hoped that by viewing the works, everyone can find the enthusiasm for today and the future, toward a better Indonesia.
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