TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi called on all Indonesians to be proud of having batik as the nation's cultural heritage.

“The Indonesian people should be grateful to have batik, which is not just an ordinary piece of art but an intangible cultural heritage of the world with its symbol, techniques, and culture that are very attached to Indonesia,” he said at the "Istana Berbatik" event held at the courtyard of the Jakarta Merdeka Palace, on Sunday evening, October 1, 2023.

The Istana Berbatik event was organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy to commemorate National Batik Day, which falls on October 2. The President also urged the people to preserve and promote batik.

“Istana Berbatik is a fashion show that showcases a variety of Indonesian batik, which is full of philosophical meaning and has timeless beauty,” he added.

Angela Tanoesodibjo, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy who also led the Istana Berbatik event, said that the event aimed to promote batik, which has become a part of Indonesian life.

“In this show, we see how batik has been part of the lives of Indonesian people from time to time, from generation to generation, and has become part of Indonesia's cultural diplomacy,” Angela said.

The fashion show, held on a 150-meter-long stage against the backdrop of the Merdeka Palace, featured the best batiks from various kingdoms in the archipelago, MSMEs assisted by Bank Indonesia and state lender BRI, and batiks created by Indonesian fashion designers.

At least 503 people, including royal representatives, heads of state institutions, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, representatives of ministries/institutions, public figures, and models, took part in the event.

Attended by some 4,000 guests, the Istana Berbatik event was also enlivened by dance performances and exhibitions of batik from MSMEs.

“Through this event, we hope that batik as Indonesia's cultural heritage will become more popular, more creative, and more widely used, making it more sustainable and bringing prosperity to the people,” Angela said.

ANTARA

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