Murals as a Medium of Visual Communication: A Semiotic Analysis of Adeco’s Murals in Semarang

Rashif Surya Rimandanu; Bangkit Sanjaya

doi:10.29407/jbsp.v10i2.29097

Authors

Rashif Surya Rimandanu Program Studi Pendidikan Seni Rupa, Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Semarang https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3072-3715
Bangkit Sanjaya Program Studi Pendidikan Seni Rupa, Fakultas Bahasa dan Seni, Universitas Negeri Semarang https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7489-6024

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29407/jbsp.v10i2.29097

Keywords:

Mural, Visual Communication, Roland Barthes’s Semiotics, Public Space, Semarang City

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the visual meaning of Adeco murals in Semarang City as a visual communication medium that represents social, cultural, and urban identity messages. The study uses a descriptive qualitative approach with Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis method. Data were obtained through observation, visual documentation, and literature study of three Adeco murals, namely the murals at the PLN Jatingaleh Office, Pak Widodo's Welding Workshop, and Wardana Kopi Semarang. The analysis was carried out through denotation and connotation stages to identify the literal meaning and socio cultural meaning of the mural's visual elements. The results show that Adeco murals represent humanistic public service, urban work culture and worker solidarity, and the local cultural identity of Semarang City through the use of symbols, colors, illustrations, and contextual visual compositions. These findings confirm that murals function not only as public space artworks, but also as communication media, visual branding, and representation of urban identity. This research contributes to the development of contemporary mural visual communication and semiotic studies in Indonesia

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