KBRN, Jakarta: The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) in Jakarta has unveiled its latest installation, UMA: Children’s Art Space, inviting children to learn not only through visuals but also through touch, movement, and light reflections.

Designed as a play laboratory, UMA allows families to explore the diversity of Indonesian landscapes and cultures intuitively. The installation serves as a bridge between humans and nature, urban and rural life, ancestors and successors, and tradition and innovation.

UMA, which means “home” or “mother” in several regional languages across the archipelago, highlights architecture as a discipline rooted in geographic, climatic, and cultural contexts. Rather than serving individual egos, architecture is presented here as an effort to achieve harmony and sustainability.

The four-month program, open to the public, was created through collaboration between interior and exterior solutions company TACO, carpet manufacturer FIO, and the Ibu Arsitek community of female architects.

Founded on National Mother’s Day in 2018, Ibu Arsitek aims to connect and support women pursuing careers in architecture, addressing challenges such as workplace stigma and balancing professional and family roles.

TACO’s Chief Marketing Officer, Anastasia Tirtabudi, said the collaboration embodies the spirit of Explore New Horizons, showing how design and materials can function as safe educational media while stimulating creativity.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Ibu Arsitek on this multisensory educational installation. This project demonstrates that material selection and design can provide visual and tactile stimulation without compromising children’s safety,” she said in a press release on Thursday, December 11, 2025, as reported by Antara.

In the installation, TACO and FIO use materials as learning tools. Fideco’s mirror panels create reflective areas that encourage children to experiment with shape, perspective, and movement. FIO contributed broadloom and hand-tufted carpets with varied textures to enrich sensory experiences and support motor activities.

The Ibu Arsitek community designed the space with children’s needs in mind: a friendly scale, safe interaction paths, and a layout that encourages limitless multisensory exploration.

Through play, design, and sensory engagement, children are encouraged to understand the local wisdom of the Indonesian archipelago and to develop a more sensitive relationship with their environment.

Gabi Osri, a representative of Ibu Arsitek, said the installation demonstrates that design can be an interactive and enjoyable educational medium, offering children opportunities to experiment and discover new things through their five senses.

Nin Djani, Curator of Education and Public Programs at Museum MACAN, said the collaboration aligns with the museum’s commitment to expanding access to art.

“Through UMA, we hope to create a bridge between humans and nature, between tradition and innovation, and between art and life. All these elements can coexist, and this togetherness enriches our experiences,” she said.

Anastasia added that her organization remains committed to contributing to the development of Indonesia’s design industry and strengthening the competitiveness of the creative sector.

“We hope this initiative will be a sustainable step in presenting relevant design and art, while also bringing people closer to more meaningful spatial experiences,” she said. ***