DKI Provincial Government and Milan Collaborate to Create Public Art
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government continues to strengthen its steps towards becoming a global city through international cultural collaborations, one of which involves creating public art with the City of Milan, Italy, realised through the Leadership Exchange Programme Jakarta–Milan.
“Jakarta wants to present living public spaces through art and culture, while also opening up creative collaboration spaces for the people and artists of Jakarta,” said Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta, Rano Karno, in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.
The Leadership Exchange Programme is a city-to-city exchange programme within the World Cities Culture Forum network, aimed at promoting direct learning and strengthening the implementation of cultural policies among global cities.
Through this theme, Jakarta and Milan are encouraging the development of community-based public art through collaborations between governments, cultural institutions, creative communities, artists, and the public.
The implementation of the Leadership Exchange Programme Jakarta–Milan will take place at the Museo delle Culture or MUDEC, Milan, from 9–16 May 2026.
This programme serves as a space for exchanging knowledge and experiences between Jakarta and Milan in developing cultural policies, public art, and urban space activation.
During the event, the Jakarta delegation will learn various best practices from the City of Milan in museum management, public art, and urban space activation that make culture an integral part of daily life for the community.
Rano stated that Jakarta wants to learn from world cities that have successfully made art and culture an important part of city life.
“A global city is not just about tall buildings and modern infrastructure, but also about how its people have spaces to express themselves, interact, and feel proud of their city’s identity,” he said.
Bringing Milan artists to Jakarta
In addition to exchanging knowledge and experiences between cities, the Leadership Exchange Programme also opens opportunities for developing public art installation projects in Jakarta.
The project is planned to involve local Jakarta artists together with partners and cultural practitioners from Milan, so that the resulting works emerge from a process of collaboration, dialogue, and idea exchange between communities.
In the future, artists and cultural practitioners from Milan are planned to visit Jakarta as part of the Leadership Exchange Programme Jakarta from 18–24 July 2026.
Their presence will be filled with workshops, knowledge exchanges, and the development of public art installation works together with Jakarta artists.
The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government views public art not merely as an aesthetic element of the city, but as an important part in building public interaction spaces, strengthening the city’s cultural identity, increasing tourism appeal, and supporting the growth of Jakarta’s creative economy.
The presence of artworks in public spaces is believed to make the city feel more alive, humane, and close to its residents.
On this occasion, Rano also held strategic discussions with Isabella Valentini from the World Cities Culture Forum regarding strengthening cultural collaborations and opportunities for developing creative city partnerships between Jakarta and the global city network.
This collaboration is expected to bring more inclusive, creative public spaces to Jakarta, representing the identity of Jakarta as a modern global city that remains firmly rooted in its local character and culture.