Pertiwi and the conversation of civilisation

Surabaya — Stepping into the Dr Soetomo Museum in Surabaya in early June this year is not merely an encounter with displays of artefacts from the past. In a space traditionally associated with historical collections, visitors are instead invited on a more personal journey about humanity, culture, and the land known as Pertiwi.

Through “Cross Musea Pertiwi”, the Surabaya City Government has presented something different. Three museums from three separate institutions have been brought together in a single narrative space. The Ethnography Museum of Airlangga University, the Mpu Tantular Museum in Sidoarjo, and the Sonobudoyo Museum in Yogyakarta have collaborated to construct a story about the human journey from birth to the end of life.

This collaboration appears straightforward as an exhibition. However, upon closer examination, “Cross Musea Pertiwi” actually addresses a much larger issue: how museums are struggling to recover their relevance amidst the rapid pace of contemporary change.

In an era when public attention is captured by social media, short-form videos, and artificial intelligence, museums can no longer rely solely on collections preserved behind glass. The greatest challenge for today’s museums is not simply preserving historical artefacts, but ensuring that history remains alive in public memory.

New narratives

Museums have long faced nearly uniform problems. Many people regard museums as important places, yet not always attractive to visit.

Data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in recent years demonstrates that visitor numbers to museums in Indonesia remain relatively low compared to the population. In many regions, museums are more often destinations for mandatory school visits than learning spaces chosen voluntarily by the community.

This phenomenon is not solely the museum’s fault. The way society consumes information has indeed changed drastically. Young people have grown up in a digital environment that demands fast, visually engaging, and interactive experiences.