Cultural Heritage exhibition sees few visitors
Cultural Heritage exhibition sees few visitors
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
On a typical Wednesday morning at the National Museum, fewer than
10 people were seen strolling around the three-month Shared
Cultural Heritage exhibition, which is displaying hundreds of
ethnographic and archeological artifacts of the highest
importance to Indonesia.
Since it was opened by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on
Aug. 18, the exhibition has received only 3,000 visitors -- an
average of 50 per day.
In comparison, a busy bar in Jakarta could receive as many as
1,000 patrons in just one night.
"We (the Dutch organizers) expect to receive hundreds of
thousands of visitors to Shared Cultural Heritage in Amsterdam in
December," said Maarten C.D. Mulder, the counselor for culture
and education of the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
After the closing ceremony on Nov. 15, the organizers will
pack all 326 artifacts and send them to Amsterdam for a similar
three-month exhibition. Mulder said upbeat anticipation of the
exhibition in Amsterdam had convinced the organizers to hold two
opening days there.
The generally low level of enthusiasm of Indonesians for
museums cannot be compared with that of Europeans.
The National Museum, the country's largest, with an extensive
and important collection, receives an average of 10,000 visitors
annually, despite the cheap entrance fee charged. Tickets for
adults are only Rp 700 (70 U.S. cents).
The most popular museum in the capital, Jakarta Historical
Museum, was also unpopular until Tinia Budiati and her staff
launched an intensive and effective promotion aimed at young
Jakarta professionals.
Other museums in Jakarta that do not make promotional efforts
have consistently experienced dismal attendances.
Nevertheless, it is disappointing to know that only 3,000
people have visited such an interesting exhibition.
Mulder said that from the start, the exhibition did not
receive much publicity from the Indonesian press.
"Only The Jakarta Post and Kompas wrote articles. The one in
Kompas was also very brief," he said.
He said he was surprised to see press indifference towards
such an important event.
"Because we perceive it as very important, the (Netherlands)
embassy shelled out hundreds of thousands of euros for the
exhibition and another 10 billion for the insurance," Mulder
added.
The exhibition is displaying 329 artifacts, of which 178 were
carefully packaged and sent from Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde
(RMV) in Leiden, and would soon be returned to the Netherlands.
The event highlights the collection of the Singasari Kingdom
in East Java from the 13th century because the artifacts are the
masterpieces of the period -- the secondary peak in arts
achievement after the Syailendra era in Central Java.
From the total seven Singosari pieces on display, RMV sent
five statues, of which two, Arca Durga Mahisasuramardini and Arca
Ganesa, belonged to the main temple of Singosari.
Besides the Singosari collection, the front of the exhibition
hall also houses a collection from the Trowulan site, Mojokerto,
East Java, which is considered the center of the Majapahit
Kingdom, as well as items from Borobudur temple, Central Java.
The exhibition is well arranged: After seeing the artifacts
and the useful information in the front hall, patrons may stroll
inside, where collections are categorized according to place of
origin and respective collector.
Other collections comprise royal jewelry, antique cloth,
household equipment, ceremonial gear and decorative items.
The explanatory text attached to each article is very
informative, although patrons who wish to know more may ask for a
guide or buy a catalog.
The exhibition will close on Nov. 15 and, especially for
Shared Cultural Heritage, the National Museum will open longer on
Saturdays.
Shared Cultural Heritage
National Museum
Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No. 12
Central Jakarta
tel. 3868172