The repatriation exhibition of 288 cultural heritage objects repatriated from the Netherlands to Indonesia will complete the new face of the National Museum on October 15, 2024, when the museum reopens after the fire.
“Some of the collections that arrived on Friday (27/9), will complete the repatriation exhibition that will be present when the National Museum of Indonesia reopens. The exhibition system of repatriation exhibitions will also change periodically with the duration of the exhibition for three months,” said Acting Head of the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA) Ahmad Mahendra in an official statement in Jakarta, Tuesday.
He explained that the exhibition system that changes regularly is done so that the public can find out more about the narrative of each collection that has returned.
“Through the main pillar of IHA, reimajinasi, the National Museum of Indonesia seeks to optimize the function of the museum not only to be an attractive public space from its physical transformation, but also to present the collection in the showroom as a product of knowledge that is able to represent the identity and pride of the nation,” he said.
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According to him, in line with the spirit of IHA to reimagine cultural heritage, the return of repatriated collections will be part of one of the main programs for the reopening of the National Museum of Indonesia.
“This exhibition is not only an opportunity to see historical artifacts that have returned to the country, but also a place to learn and appreciate the struggle and hard work of Indonesia in restoring cultural heritage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the person in charge of the National Museum of Indonesia, Ni Luh Putu Chandra Dewi, said that some of the repatriation collections on display include Bhairawa statues and Nandi Singosari temples.
“Some of the collections that will be exhibited at the 2024 repatriation exhibition for the first time on October 15 include the Bhairawa statue and Nandi Candi Singosari from the 13th century AD,” he said.
According to him, the return of these cultural heritage objects and their presentation at the repatriation exhibition and exhibition of the National Museum of Indonesia will provide an opportunity for the public to learn the history and important values of cultural heritage as part of strengthening the nation’s character for a better future of Indonesia.
The signing of the collection repatriation agreement was held on September 20, 2024 at the Wereldmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by the Director General of culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Hilmar Farid with the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins.
The return of these historical objects include Ganesha statues, Brahma statues, two statues of Singosari Temple, namely Bhairawa and Nandi statues and 284 objects from the Puputan Badung and Puputan Tabanan War collections. The collection of Singosari temple statues returned this time completes the 2023 repatriation which includes statues of Ganesha, Mahakala, Durga Mahisasuramardini, and Nandishwara.
As an invitation to the public, the repatriation exhibition will be one of the main offerings when the National Museum of Indonesia reopens on October 15, 2024 and lasts until December 31, 2024.*