F

or Indonesia a key aspect of the establishment of a vibrant civil society will be the creation of a new complex of institutions that reflect the extraordinary and highly diverse cultural achievements of Nusantara civilizations.

Support for the creative commons and for artistic education is a crucial component in the progress of the archipelago as a modern nation state. Despite improvements, museum culture in Indonesia remains inadequate to the challenges of fashioning a sophisticated 21st century cultural infrastructure.  

Indonesia now has the opportunity, the capacity, and the material to create new museums to rival the great institutions of the world. One need look no farther than Qatar, where the ruling Al-Thani family have made long-term cultural investment a tangible priority, to see how rapidly a nation can advance in the cultural arena when political will and capital investment converge and are deployed in earnest.

In Indonesia the question has to do largely with the when, who, and how of the matter. Will museums and libraries in Indonesia continue to be denied attention and resources commensurate with the country'€™s importance? Or will a new generation of visionary benefactors emerge to support the project of creating a vibrant, upwardly mobile and educationally dynamic Indonesian society in the 21st century?

Prominent Indonesian philanthropist and Indonesian art collector Hashim Djojohadikusumo has intimated that he is prepared to spearhead a museum project in concert with the University of Indonesia. Other powerful Indonesian business figures are also becoming fixtures on the international art scene, with some notables, like Budi Tek, establishing significant private museums.

The National Museum in Jakarta is a grand, old, colonial era treasure house that despite significant improvements does not represent Indonesian civilizations in the best light. While the collections include works of premier caliber, the overall sense of the museum is underwhelming and uninspiring. This is not to criticize the work of countless museum employees and supporters who have worked so hard to maintain and expand the role of the National Museum, just to provide impetus to a undertake a fundamental and wholesale revision of its position in national life '€” and its stature on the world stage. We believe that Indonesia can do better, and that the world will rejoice if it does.

In our view the time is ripe for a new, post-colonial refashioning of Indonesia'€™s approach to its cultural heritage and of the institutions that support and foster the arts and humanities. Unswerving commitment and profound levels of cultural investment are crucial to the success of such an endeavor.

In contrast to the omnivorous approach of the Qatar Museum Authority, which has spent lavish sums on modern art from Western traditions, we believe that Indonesia has such a rich array of indigenous material that the thrust of 21st century Indonesian museums should be focused solely on presenting the arts of Nusantara civilizations in all of their glory.

Will the funding for new institutions be public, private, corporate, or encompass all of these potential streams? Will Indonesia develop a mega museum concept that encapsulates a grand diversity of collections? Or will insular, regional, or genre based approaches be more practicable?

If Indonesia can muster the resources to initiate and support a dynamic and long term cultural investment program to build great cultural institutions, it will no doubt be a great source of civic pride and social benefit. New museums would serve as beacons, and invite emulation by private Indonesian collectors. This would also stimulate the return of cultural treasures from abroad, both to these museums and to private collections.

A fresh commitment to cultural investment will also enhance scholarly and artistic cooperation with countries all around the world, inspire research at Indonesian universities, and stimulate philanthropy '€“ as similar projects have done in India and China. Both India and China have recently seen a massive return of cultural treasures, often initially to private collections, but in many cases to be ultimately donated to public collections.

In Europe the sense of paternalistic preoccupation with former colonies is slowly fading. This is reflected for instance in the recent closure of the Nusantara Museum in Delft, and in the near-closure of the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam with its rich collection. For Indonesia, this waning overseas commitment to the preservation of Nusantara history and material culture presents a profound opening and set of opportunities.

It is time for Indonesia to initiate the serious work of reclaiming and refashioning its cultural heritage. To create a new and well rounded museum culture in Indonesia will require decades of careful planning and implementation.

If the country embarks on such a project today, it is not inconceivable that in 30 years, by the time of the Indonesian centennial in 2045, there will be a fabulous array of new museums, libraries and institutions of higher learning to serve the needs and inspire the imagination of the Indonesia of the future.

___________________

Gary Nathan Gartenberg, an independent scholar, is a U.C. Berkeley trained specialist in Southeast Asian Studies, whose dissertation work for his PhD explored literary representations of the Nusantara silat tradition. Peter ten Hoopen, author of 15 works of fiction and non-fiction, is the owner/curator of the Pusaka Collection of Indonesian ikat textiles.