The City in the Feed: The Performativity of Urban Photography in Yogyakarta on Instagram

Abstract

This study analyzes the practice of urban space photography in the Malioboro area of Yogyakarta, circulated on Instagram. Departing from a qualitative approach within an interpretative-critical paradigm, this study uses Judith Butler's performativity theory to understand how Javanese and gender identities are constructed and shaped through the repetition of poses, gestures, and the use of traditional clothing. The results show that photography is no longer merely documentation, but rather a socio-spatial practice that naturalizes norms through visual circulation and the logic of social media algorithms. The body, fashion, and urban space function as part of a performative stage that quotes each other and reinforces the structure of representation. The urban space of Malioboro is reproduced as a symbolic stage that transcends its physical function and operates within the logic of digital visibility.