The National Museum of Indonesia will display new narratives in three buildings, namely building a, Building B, and Building C when it reopens on October 15, 2024, after experiencing a fire that occurred on September 16, 2023.
“Building A is talking about a past full of meaning,” said exhibitionist expert and curator of the National Museum of Indonesia (MNI) Aprina Murwanti in Jakarta, Friday.
He explained that in Building A, in phase one in 2024, a rotunda or round building will be displayed filled with statues from the Majapahit era to ancient Mataram.
“In building A there is also an exhibition of world citizens from the archipelago, where we can scan faces to know, actually we are more similar to which tribe, anyway?”said he.
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In addition, in building a also displays the exhibition poros adab and science, with a narrative about the importance of prioritizing adab before science.
“In contrast to the West who think with science alone is enough, but if in the archipelago, adab must also be owned,” he said.
In building a also displayed an exhibition that raised the narrative about the universe of life. “The universe of life is talking about humans, the universe, and its relationship with spiritual relations and spiritual appreciation,” he said.
The narrative, according to him, is in line with the spirit of the Public Service Agency (BLU) Museum and cultural heritage or Indonesian Heritage Agency which has three objectives, namely scholarly (scientific research), enjoyment (entertainment), and spiritual.
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“If in the West, they sometimes collect statues that were not told formerly for what ritual, what meaning, because for them it’s just a collection, while for us, ancestors appreciate it as part of a living community or living community,” he said.
Then Building B, Apriani said there was a narrative about muruah Indonesia. “In Building B there will be stories about the collective struggle of the nation to fight for independence,” he said.
Narrative about the struggle for independence, according to him, it is important to convey because many students still do not understand about the struggle of the nation, so that it will be retold in other museum units.
Then in Building C will show about the provision of a sustainable future. “In building C, there are services, there is an open laboratory, so visitors can see how conservators work, and access public services for Conservation,” said Aprina.
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On October 15, 2024, the National Museum will be opened to the public with an entrance fee of IDR 25 thousand for adults and IDR 15 thousand for children.
On October 15 to December 31, 2024 in Building B, an exhibition of repatriation or repatriation of historical objects ranging from artifacts, jewelry, to statues from the Singasari Kingdom can be seen by the general public.
After December 31, 2024, the repatriated objects will still be stored at MNI while the exhibition space will change to another narrative for refreshment.