Chief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), Moeldoko, praised Perum LKBN ANTARA’s virtual exhibition ‘Indonesia on the move (Indonesia Bergerak) — 1900-1942’, which features photos and graphics documenting the history of Indonesia.
The exhibition has been designed as a visual archive of the nation's journey to motivate people to work towards the improvement of the country.
"I am very happy that our children can see the exhibition online. Because once again, when our children see the picture, they will see, they will arrange in the future, they will introspect, if it used to be like this, now like this, what will it be like in the future," Moeldoko said at the opening of the exhibition and the launch of the book Flashback 2019 + COVID-19, at the ANTARA Journalistic Photo Gallery in Jakarta on Monday.
Moeldoko said it could not have been easy to collect visuals depicting the journey of the Indonesian people in the past.
This collection of valuable archives, said Moeldoko, can provide inspiration to the younger generation to do better for the nation and country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The presence of a visual archive will be able to describe, in greater detail, to the public the nation's past struggles and provide inspiration, he noted.
"This is something that is not easy, what we are doing can provide inspiration, new enthusiasm, new inspiration to do something that is beyond our imagination,” the former commander of the Indonesian military said.
According to Moeldoko, one of the characteristics of a country with an advanced civilization is that it has excellent archives stored in its museums and libraries.
"Museum, library (in a country) must be good. The people (from developed countries) when going to a country definitely see the museums, (which serve as records of) its civilization,” he said.
Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, president director of Perum LKBN, said the virtual exhibition has 75 photo collections documenting Indonesia’s past, including the diverse character of the country.
"Moving together, whether men, women, (or people of) Javanese and Arab descent, and so on, actually reflects what Indonesia is," Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, also known as Dimas, said.
In the current pandemic situation, said Meidyatama, LKBN ANTARA is innovating by displaying exhibitions virtually so that people can access them from the confines of their homes.
Dimas emphasized that LKBN ANTARA was a record-keeper and an actor in the history of the Republic of Indonesia. The founders of the news agency continued to struggle intellectually, taking notes, writing, and reporting on the Indonesian independence movement.
"Likewise in this era of COVID-19, we will continue to move forward and move," he added.
The exhibition will be available for one month, from 7 September to 7 October, 2020. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Indra Arief, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
