History, heritage and culture are variously represented by the city’s numerous museums, but these museums are quite a mixed bag themselves.

It is beyond dispute that Jakarta, and by extension Indonesia, has something of an abundance of cultural and artistic artifacts that can and do fill its museums.

Indeed, it is quite possible to look at the stunning array of artifacts in museum collections and see how fortunate and rich these museums are.

Travel to some other Southeast Asian countries and it is all too obvious that they do not share the kind of abundance that is evident throughout Indonesia.

All of this, reasonably enough, can lead to the conclusion that Jakarta’s museums have much to offer. Well, indeed they do, but sadly these museums and these remarkable collections are not always impressively displayed, kept and/or managed for general public consumption.

In the interests of avoiding embarrassment, no specific museums will be named here but it is clear that Jakarta’s museums need better support (i.e. funding) from the authorities and so too better support from the visiting public.

In the minds of many people, museums are regarded as dusty old dull places that they really do not visit much or at all. A friend recently reflected that she had not visited a museum in years and when pressed on the point admitted that her last visit was in fact “years and years ago, when [she] was still in school”.

This is an unfortunate reality. For too many people visiting a museum is not really a leisure and pleasure activity. Instead, many people’s thoughts and memories of museums relate to having to go to one on a school trip and all too often those memories are of those of ‘dusty old museums’.

Jakarta’s museums, the wealth of exhibits that they contain and the often incredible history and cultural heritage of the city and archipelago they represent are often disappointingly maintained and managed.

Funding is, of course, a major issue here and so should be a major area of concern, but so too should be the general perception of what a museum can be.

Often museums are left sidelined and are sadly seen as irrelevant to the lives of most people. This means they can be neglected and not staffed by people who are enthused about them and can impart this enthusiasm and some knowledge to others. This can lead to embarrassing situations.

At one museum upon a visit the question was asked if a guide was required. A polite “no thanks” was offered as it was a small museum and some pre-reading had provided some insight into what was about to be seen.

But the polite “no thanks” was ignored and a “guide” proceeded to follow the visitors around the museum.

“Follow” is the right word here, or even perhaps “shadow”. The “guide” simply went from room to room with the visitors without saying a word, without imparting any knowledge. This practically became comical and so a question was asked of the “guide” about an artifact. The answer was simultaneously inarticulate and inaccurate.

This was not a guide.

This leaves visitors feeling less than happy and disappointed. Museums need to be places that are attractive and informative. They are in many ways guardians of community’s and a nation’s cultural inheritance, but sadly it seems they are too often neglected and not respected as they should be.

Museums do indeed have so very much to offer and the benefits that they can provide to communities and to a nation can be incalculable. Jakarta’s museums hold a wealth of wonders that in the wider scheme of the city and the nation are really being under-valued. The city and the nation should do more to protect and preserve its rich cultural heritage.

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