Fadli Zon Highlights Indonesian Art and Environmental Awareness

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has highlighted the global potential of Indonesian visual arts while encouraging young artists to use their work to raise awareness about environmental preservation. He made the statement while attending the “Nature and the Environment” exhibition at the Seruni Gallery, Faculty of Art and Design at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Surakarta, on Wednesday August 26, 2026.

The exhibition marked the appreciation and closing of the 2026 Belajar Bersama Maestro (BBM), or Learning with Masters, residency program in painting under the guidance of renowned Indonesian painter I Gusti Nengah Nurata. The program provided young artists with an opportunity to deepen their artistic practices while learning directly from an established master.

He said Indonesia’s cultural heritage represents a significant cultural asset with strong potential on the global stage. He highlighted what is currently recognized as the world’s oldest known figurative cave painting, located at Leang Metanduno in Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, and dated to around 67,800 years ago.

“This proves that our ancestors already had contemporary cultural expressions in their time. These cultural values and roots must be understood and passed on to our younger generation so that Indonesian visual arts can become mainstream on the global stage,” the Minister said.

The Ministry of Culture has also included visual arts among the priorities of the National Talent Management program. The government is seeking to increase the international exposure of Indonesian artists through initiatives such as Indonesia’s participation in the Venice Biennale, which runs until November 2026, as well as plans to revitalize the National Gallery to make it more representative.

The 2026 BBM Painting Program provided intensive guidance for 10 selected young artists from five leading Indonesian arts institutions. From July 15 to August 15, the participants spent 30 days developing their artistic practices under Nurata’s mentorship, exploring not only artistic and aesthetic techniques but also philosophy, character, and the deeper meaning behind their works.

The exhibition’s theme, “Nature and the Environment,” presents nature not merely as a subject for visual representation but also as a reflection of the relationship between humans, culture, and the environment. Through their works, the young artists seek to encourage greater awareness that protecting nature is an integral part of preserving cultural values and sustaining life.

ISI Surakarta Rector, Bondet Wrahatnala, expressed appreciation for the cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, saying the campus has become a strategic space where tradition, innovation, master artists, and young generations can meet. The ministry said it would continue expanding similar programs to protect cultural roots, pass on local wisdom, and encourage young artists to create innovative works that can reach wider audiences in Indonesia and internationally.