Education Minister Inaugurates Indonesian Batik Museum

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim inaugurated the Batik Museum in commemoration of the National Batik Day on Monday, October 2, 2023, at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta.

"Heritage such as historical objects, knowledge, customs, arts, and traditions that are passed down across generations shaped the nation's civilizations and brought Indonesia to the international stage thanks to their recognition as the world heritage," Nadiem said in a press release received by Tempo today.

Batik has been recognized as an intangible world heritage by UNESCO since 2009 due to its cultural value and philosophical significance related to Indonesians' life cycle in addition to the technical uniqueness and the beauty of its patterns. 

"Therefore, we have the responsibility to ensure the sustainability of batik and other heritages we own," Nadiem said. "The ministry will ensure that not only maintained, the heritages are also developed. Thus, our cultural heritage will remain relevant with age and become the solution to every challenge."

There were 125 batik artists at the Batik Museum today, painting 33 batik patterns that represent each province in Indonesia. 

The deputy head of the Indonesian Batik Foundation Diana Santosa stressed that the National Batik Day involved batik artists from each region in Indonesia with the purpose of educating Indonesians, especially the youth about batik. "Understanding that batik is not a 'trend' but a cultural heritage," Diana explained. 

According to Nadiem, the inauguration of the Batik Museum is a starting point to strengthen access to batik knowledge in Nusantara. Batik Museum has the vision to continue improving museum management professionalism and public service, as well as boosting batik preservation through a collaborative space with other organizations that employ the same vision.

According to Cultures DG of the ministry, Hilmar Farid, the Batik Museum has the function to facilitate people across the boards to know, understand, and learn to produce batik. 

"Batik is one of the recognized tools of cultural diplomacy. Therefore, one of the museum's duties is to ensure that the knowledge, development, and utilization of batik is sustainable not only in Indonesia but in the world," Hilmar concluded.

DEVY ERNIS

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