"We can show batik, as the most prominent symbol of our diversity, to those seeking to know the strength of our nation," he remarked during the inauguration ceremony of the Indonesia Batik Museum at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta.
The ceremony coincides with the commemoration of National Batik Day that falls every October 2.
In his speech, Minister Makarim emphasized that Indonesia must be grateful for its rich cultural heritage that takes various forms, including historical objects, traditions, and works of art, been passed on from generations to generations.
"The heritage is the very thing that formed the civilization of our nation and brought Indonesia to the international stage. It should be noted that exactly on this day in 2009, UNESCO recognized batik as an intangible cultural heritage," he pointed out.
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Furthermore, the minister opined that batik received international recognition due to its beautiful motifs that reflect Indonesian cultural values and philosophical meaning.
"The recognition of batik as a world heritage is inseparable from it being rich in cultural values and philosophical meaning that are closely related to the life cycle of the Indonesian nation," he remarked.
Makarim then affirmed that the Indonesia Batik Museum served as proof of the government's commitment to designating cultural heritage as a tool that can be used by future generations to explore their nation's culture.
"We aim to build more participative, inclusive, and fun museums. Such museums will not simply serve as places to store cultural heritage and artifacts but also media for narrating and exploring our culture, in addition to recreational places," he elaborated.
Regarding the newly inaugurated batik museum, the minister is optimistic that it would function as a medium for broadening the insight of Indonesia's youths on batik.
"Through this museum, we can jointly transfer the knowledge of batik maestros to the younger generation in the hopes of ensuring the sustainability of batik itself," Makarim stated.
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Translator: Lintang B, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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