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National Museum unites multidisciplinary experts to rise from the ashes
The Museum National is working hard to restore artifacts affected by a fire that tore through Building A in September 2023, as well as implementing renovations that are scheduled to take over a year.
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A tarpaulin fences in Building A of the National Museum, which is undergoing renovation in Central Jakarta on Jan. 6, 2024. Fire gutted the museum's Building A in September 2023. (JP/Sylviana Hamdani)
A
sweeping expanse of white-and-green tarpaulin envelops the front yard of Building A of the National Museum in Central Jakarta. Boldly inscribed on its surface are the words “Sedang dalam renovasi” (Under renovation).
Indeed, the building has been undergoing extensive renovation since mid-September 2023. For enthusiasts of Indonesian culture and heritage, it recalls a distressing incident on the evening of Sept. 16, 2023, when this significant section of Museum Gajah (Elephant Museum, the museum’s nickname) was gripped by a devastating fire.
Originating from a storehouse positioned at the rear of Building A, the fire rapidly engulfed the back part of the structure, driven by strong winds blowing across Central Jakarta that fateful evening. In a swift response, eight fire trucks and 80 policemen were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze and safeguard the museum.
In a span of just two hours, the fire was brought under control, yet the toll had already been exacted, leaving hundreds of invaluable items in the museum's collections marred by the destructive flames.
"On one hand, we're deeply saddened by the disaster," Budiman, curator of the National Museum, reflected during a public discussion in the Graha Utama room at the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry on Dec. 7.
"But on the other hand, there's a high sense of optimism and appreciation for the relatively quick response to the situation."
A mere two days after the incident, a concerted effort to evacuate and restore the museum’s collections was already underway.
