Culture Minister Reviews Collections and Development Potential of Mpu Tantular Museum

East Java (ANTARA) — Culture Minister Fadli Zon conducted a working visit to the Mpu Tantular State Museum in East Java to review its collections, facilities, and potential for development as a centre for education and cultural activities.

“The Mpu Tantular State Museum is a fairly large museum with grounds spanning approximately three hectares. It houses a vast number of collections that historically were established by a Dutch figure named G.H. Von Faber. These highly valuable collections are extremely important to preserve,” Fadli Zon explained in a press release on Sunday.

He emphasised that the Mpu Tantular State Museum is a major museum with invaluable collections and strong potential for development as a centre for historical and cultural learning. The museum holds various important collections representing the historical journey and civilisation of East Java from prehistoric times through the colonial era.

“With such extraordinary collections, we need a strong storyline, a strong narrative, and strong literacy. Revitalisation of the exhibition layout is an important necessity to make the museum more appealing to younger generations. Additionally, improvements to lighting, display arrangements, and storylines are needed to make the museum more attractive,” he explained.

Beyond exhibition improvements, the Culture Minister also stressed the importance of developing creative products based on museum collections as part of strengthening the museum ecosystem. He noted that merchandise is important, and that objects in the museum can become intellectual property, such as Garudeya ornaments and various other collection pieces.

Furthermore, Fadli expressed his hope that the Mpu Tantular State Museum could evolve into a vibrant space for cultural activities — not merely a venue for storing and exhibiting collections, but also a centre for education, information, and cultural activities.

The Culture Minister also encouraged the involvement of the private sector and philanthropists in museum development across Indonesia. This collaborative approach has already been applied in the development of national museums and cultural heritage sites, yielding positive results with numerous business figures voluntarily contributing through grants.