Pramono Vows to Revitalise TIM, Highlights Planetarium Queues

Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung has affirmed his intention to revive the function of Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) as a home for artists. Pramono stated that Ali Sadikin’s greatest legacy was not merely physical developments such as Ancol and Ragunan, but also his profound attention to culture and the arts. He made the remarks whilst attending the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Ali Sadikin’s birth at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

‘For me personally, it is not only about physical matters, but his most important work relates to culture and art, one of which is in this place,’ Pramono said. He admitted that since being inaugurated as Governor of Jakarta, TIM has been one of the locations he wanted to address immediately. The first step taken was to improve the relationship between the Jakarta Provincial Government, the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), and the management of TIM.

‘What was on my mind was how to repair the relationship that had been less than cordial between the Jakarta Provincial Government and IKJ, and with the management of this place,’ he stated. Pramono said communication with IKJ is now much better. He also mentioned that the Planetarium has been reactivated and is crowded with visitors almost every day. ‘We revived the Planetarium. And now almost every day people queue to enter the Planetarium. Communication between IKJ and the TIM management is now, God willing, better,’ he said.

Furthermore, Pramono stressed that spaces within TIM must be more open to artists. According to him, the management of an arts district cannot rely solely on a business or profit-oriented approach. ‘Artists and cultural figures certainly cannot think entirely in the same way as people whose approach is bureaucratic,’ he remarked. He also noted that several facilities in the area will be renovated to optimise their use.

‘It is impossible for a place as good as this, the home of artists, to be managed solely on a profit-and-loss basis. Therefore, we place greater emphasis on jointly utilising this space,’ he explained. According to Pramono, the existence of TIM plays an important role in realising Jakarta as a global city. He believes urban development should not rely solely on infrastructure but must be accompanied by the strengthening of cultural identity. ‘I truly want to create ample space for culture, art, and expression in Jakarta,’ he added.