Cultural heritage can be utilised sustainably, says Culture Minister

Culture Minister Fadli Zon has stated that the utilisation of cultural heritage can be carried out sustainably in accordance with the rules set out in Law Number 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture. This relates to the Indarung I Factory, a national cultural heritage site established in 1910, long before Indonesia’s independence. “We continue to register national cultural heritage so that it can be utilised for the benefit of the community, whether downstream for the cultural economy, creative economy, or tourism, moving towards a cultural and creative industry and a cultural and creative economy,” Minister Fadli Zon said in a statement confirmed from Jakarta on Monday. During the Indarung I Factory Symposium, the Culture Minister assessed that the approximately five-hectare area has great potential to be developed into an art space and a space for cultural expression, including the possible construction of an amphitheatre. The Minister conveyed that cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Semen Padang is important and is also possible with the Danantara Trust Fund. According to him, through a public-private partnership scheme involving the private sector and corporations, Indarung I can be utilised as a cultural icon. “PT Semen Padang hopes that the Indarung I Factory can become a successful example of modern industrial heritage management without erasing its historical value and authenticity,” he said. After operating for 89 years since 1910, the Indarung I Factory ceased operations in 1999. Although its historical significance has been recognised internationally through its designation as a National Cultural Heritage Area and a UNESCO Memory of the World for the Asia-Pacific region, the Indarung I Factory has not yet been fully integrated as a dynamic centre of cultural activity. Minister Fadli Zon stated that there is an urgent need to promote conservation awareness and present a new interpretation of this industrial heritage towards a more lively and relevant meaning for contemporary society, especially as a cultural heritage site, the Indarung I Factory is highly likely to be utilised as a cultural space. “We hope the results of this symposium are concrete. Perhaps we can also support revitalisation in several places from Semen Padang, so that this year we can see the face or form of its utilisation,” concluded the Culture Minister. President Director of PT Semen Padang, Pri Gustari Akbar, expressed appreciation for the Culture Minister’s support for the preservation of the Indarung I Factory, which serves as encouragement to safeguard this historic industrial heritage.