Indonesia Promotes Thematic Museums to Foster Cultural Literacy

RRI.CO.ID, Mojokerto - Indonesia is encouraging greater public and private participation in preserving and advancing the country’s cultural heritage through the development of thematic museums. The initiative was highlighted by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon during the inauguration of the Museum Cipta Mahardika exhibition space, part of the expansion of the Gubug Wayang Museum in Mojokerto, East Java, on September 13, 2026.

Fadli said thematic museums play an important role in strengthening cultural education and literacy by presenting Indonesia’s diverse heritage in accessible ways. He highlighted wayang, the main collection of the Gubug Wayang Museum, which has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2003.

“We greatly appreciate individuals, private organizations, and corporations that love Indonesian culture and have the courage to establish museums,” Fadli said. He noted that wayang has a long tradition and reflects rich cultural interactions, making thematic museums important institutions for sustaining and promoting the heritage.

According to him, Indonesia’s diverse forms of wayang have developed through cultural exchanges with various traditions, requiring stronger institutional support for their preservation. He said the growing number of thematic museums could make cultural knowledge more accessible while ensuring that Indonesia’s heritage remains relevant to future generations.

Fadli also emphasized the potential of museums managed by communities and the private sector to contribute to a sustainable circular cultural economy. Creative approaches to developing thematic museums, he said, have demonstrated their ability to attract wider public interest while supporting cultural activities and economic opportunities.

“Museums are not cost centers, but can create a sustainable circular cultural economy,” Fadli said. The Ministry of Culture, he added, hopes Indonesia will eventually have more than 1,000 museums serving as showcases of the nation’s culture and civilization to the world.

The Minister also announced plans to inaugurate the Museum of Comedians, or Museum Bing Slamet, on September 27, coinciding with National Comedy Day. The initiative is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to preserve and introduce Indonesian cultural heritage through forms that are closer and more engaging to the public.

Fadli expressed hope that Museum Cipta Mahardika and other museums within the Gubug Wayang Museum group would become examples for the development of more thematic museums across Indonesia. “Hopefully, Museum Gubug Wayang and the museums that are part of its group can inspire the growth of other, more thematic museums,” he said.