TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia will bring the statue of Ganesha from the Banon Temple in Magelang, Central Java, to European art and culture festival Europalia 2017. The event will be held from October 10, 2017, to January 21, 2018.

The statue will be featured at the Archipel exhibition showcasing the Indonesian maritime culture.
“The statue of Ganesha is on top of the Europalia International’s list to be showcased. We will bring the original statue,” Siggih Trisulistiono, the member of the maritime expert team for Europalia, said in Jakarta on Tuesday, July 11, 2017.

Read: Indonesia to Promote Cultural Diplomacy at Europalia Festival

Singgih added that the statue is a proof that Indonesia was in communications with other countries, such as India, long time ago. According to him, there are many Indonesian arts and cultures that were resulted from cultural exchanges.

“The statue proves that Indonesia was open to the outside world since long ago,” Singgih claimed.

The Archipel exhibition is one of the main features in the festival that will be held in Belgium and other European countries. Singgih pointed out that the Archipel exhibition is important to show that the Indonesian maritime culture has existed for thousands of years.

As a guest at Europalia 2017, Indonesia will bring 400 artists to showcase diverse arts and cultures.

ANTARA