Minister pushes museum digitization to engage younger generation
Culture Minister Fadli Zon has called on Indonesian museums to digitize their collections and strengthen storytelling to better engage younger generations, particularly Generation Z.
“Strengthening storytelling and digital elements is essential for museums to connect with the younger generation, especially Gen Z,” the minister said during his visit to the Radya Pustaka Museum in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday.
The Radya Pustaka Museum, established in 1890, is among the oldest in Indonesia and houses a wide range of important collections, including ancient manuscripts, Javanese cultural artifacts, wayang (shadow puppets), keris (traditional daggers), gamelan instruments, and statues from the Hindu-Buddhist era.
Fadli emphasized that improving exhibition layout, narrative flow, and digital adaptation are crucial to ensuring museums remain engaging and relevant for younger audiences.
He added that museums should not only serve as repositories of the past but also as spaces for learning to understand the present and shape the future.
Fadli also encouraged museums to strengthen the presentation of their collections to make them more appealing, while continuing to serve as showcases of national culture and civilization and helping raise awareness among younger generations of Indonesia’s identity and history.
Indonesia currently has 516 registered and standardized museums, reflecting ongoing national efforts to strengthen cultural infrastructure and improve museum governance across the country.
The government has also inaugurated 15 new museums in 2025 and carried out the revitalization of 152 cultural heritage sites and museums to support preservation and expand public access.
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Translator: Livia Kristianti, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak