Pramono Assures IKJ Will Not Be Relocated, Plans Expressive Space in Old Town

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has emphasised that the Jakarta Institute of the Arts (IKJ) will not be moved from its main location in Cikini, Central Jakarta. However, the DKI Provincial Government is preparing additional expressive spaces for the IKJ academic community in the Old Town area as part of the development of a cultural and creative district.

Pramono stated this to clarify the circulating issue that the IKJ campus would be fully relocated to Old Town. According to him, what the Provincial Government is preparing is a creative space so that art students can engage in activities, create works, and hold exhibitions amid the revitalisation process of the historic area.

“So I want to clarify, IKJ or artists will be given ample space to express themselves in Old Town. That we will prepare a building for IKJ, yes. But after we reviewed it, we will not relocate IKJ, no,” said Pramono at City Hall on Thursday (9/4/2026).

The DKI Provincial Government is currently arranging Old Town as a pedestrian-oriented area and public creative space. The plan includes opening art studios, exhibition spaces, and performance areas that can be utilised by communities and arts institutions, including IKJ.

Pramono described this step as also strengthening Old Town’s identity as the axis of Jakarta’s creative economy and culture. He hopes that the presence of IKJ students in the area can bring a lively artistic dynamic and enhance interactions between the public and creative works.

“Because relocating IKJ would undermine the main goal for Old Town as a destination for tourism and cultural preservation. Old Town is actually like the Amsterdam of the Netherlands because it’s of the same type,” he added.