Time to brush away cobwebs at museums

Time to brush away cobwebs at museums

M. Henaldy, Contributor, Yogyakarta

A child visiting the Kekayon puppet museum on Jl. Wonosari looked
very unhappy when he found an idol of his hero, Gatotkaca, from
Pringgondani Palace, covered in dust and clumsily displayed
inside a glass box in a dim room inside the museum.

He also noticed cobwebs almost everywhere on the walls,
creating a depressing backdrop for the strong, dashing knight
from the Mahabarata epic.

Many other museums in the historic city are in a similar
condition, including the biology museum on Jl. Kusumanegara,
which houses a collection of flora and fauna.

There are 15 museums in Yogyakarta, yet only a few of them are
well maintained.

Ullen Sentalu Museum at Kaliurang holiday resort is one of the
few here that is well maintained and professionally managed.

Often dubbed the city of culture, Yogyakarta has not been able
to manage and maintain its various museums or to turn them into a
convenient public space, that is educational, informative and
entertaining.

A museum is supposed to be a place where people feel
comfortable and relaxed, and can have a dialog with the history
of a nation, its culture, science and technology, art, the
diversity of nature, the development of industry and mankind's
great inventions.

Unfortunately, many museums here seem to have lost their soul,
lacking a proper concept or model for museum development, mostly
due to a lack of vision and proper management.

As a tourist destination, Yogyakarta has yet to address this
issue. In most developed countries, including neighboring
Singapore, museums are highly regarded.

Both the government and the people are aware that well-managed
and well-packaged museums will boost the image of their nation.

It is probably unrealistic to imagine having a museum here
like the Louvre in France, which attracts millions of tourists
from around the world and produces substantial revenue for the
country.

However, look at how Singapore has cleverly created an image
for itself, not only as a global business hub, but also as one of
the world's top centers for cultural tourism.

Although it is not as richly endowed, culturally, as
Indonesia, Singapore has proved itself successful in creating a
concept for developing museums through professional management,
creative promotion and carefully selected collections. This is
all done with the full support of the government, and has
resulted in museums of world-class standard.

Generally speaking, museums in Yogyakarta have weak concepts,
poor design, unattractive displays and poor management.

Furthermore, there is a lack of serious support from local
government and a lack of awareness within the community over the
function of museums.

One of the key approaches to change the image of museums in
Indonesia as dusty, cluttered, outdated, and unattractive places
to visit is by creating a more positive image of them.

This could be achieved by producing attractive logos, adding
an aesthetic touch -- for example by maintaining the original old
building and providing modern displays, interior design and
lighting.

From the management point of view, creativity is critical.
Creative promotion, which can be held in cooperation with other
institutions or individuals, will also be of help to boost the
image of museums and bring them closer to the public.

Local governments, similarly, should demonstrate greater
seriousness in supporting the development of museums within their
jurisdiction, for example, by allocating additional funding,
helping to open up access points deemed important for the
development of museums, inviting professionals from other
countries to share their knowledge on the management of museums,
etc.

To turn museums into a more integral part of people's
lifestyles and as places that are as attractive as malls,
discotheques, or cafes is indeed not an easy task.

However, professionally managed museums could contribute a
great deal to the country's tourist industry. Attractive museums
could generate a huge income.

Besides, many here long for welcoming and attractive museums
that could be a source of pride and give the museum staff the
inspiration to work.

They are fed up with the boring, dusty, unwelcoming places
that are currently called museums.