SEAToday.com, Jakarta-Indonesia will have a long weekend on 8 to 12 February, let’s explore the city more, SEATizens. Other than malls, restaurants or cafes, try to visit museums or art galleries to refresh your mind and awaken your visual imagination. So, to make your long weekend full of refreshment, here are some events from February to April 2024 from museums and art galleries in Jakarta you can visit SEATizens:

1. Museum MACAN

Museum MACAN or Modern and Contemporary Art in Indonesia is the first museum to exhibit contemporary arts in Indonesia. It is located in AKR Tower Level M, Perjuangan Street No.5, Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. Here you can enjoy and experience 3 events. 

First exhibition in Museum MACAN worth visiting is a captivating exhibition named “Voice Against Reason”. Visitors will immerse themselves in the diverse perspectives of 24 renowned artists from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This group exhibition not only showcases new commissioned works and recent projects but also presents a dynamic dialogue between contemporary pieces and historic artworks from Indonesia's modern period.

The third exhibition at Museum MACAN is Fauna Wastopia. Created by Bandung-based artist Rega Ayundya Putri, this Children's Art Space commission features murals, interactive activities, and audio installations. Rega’s installation is bringing an imaginative portrayal of mutants and species affected by environmental crises caused by waste mismanagement. Children can also join the event by crafting their own mutant species in the activity area.

Note: Those two exhibitions are available from December 2023 to April 2024.

2. Hadiprana Gallery 

This contemporary museum in Jakarta is the oldest gallery in Indonesia. The gallery has been established since 1961. Hadiprana itself is the name of the founder who is also an artist, Hendra Hadiprana. Here, various paintings by professional Indonesian artists will calm your mind. 

Hadiprana Gallery presents an exhibition titled “PEREMPUAN - PEREMPUAN TANGGUH” in celebration of “HARI KARTINI”, the beginning of Indonesian women’s emancipation. The exhibition will open from March 5, 2024 to the end of April. 

3. Galeri Nasional Indonesia

Galeri Nasional Indonesia is a museum of modern and contemporary art. It is a building that functions, among other things, as a venue for exhibitions and events of Indonesian and foreign art. It is a government-owned institution under the Ministry of Education and Culture.

This February 2024, the God Bless 50 Years Masterpiece Collection Exhibition will be held to commemorate half a century of God Bless career. God Bless, the country's legendary music group of Indonesia. 

Visitors will be able to find collections related to the music group that was founded in 1973.The collections include clothing, guitars, basses, keyboards, mixers, cassettes, CDs, and vinyl records. The exhibition also collaborates with Indonesian contemporary artists Eldwin Pradipta and Muhammad Akbar.

Note: The exhibition will be held from February 16 to March 1, 2024. 

4. Museum Batik 

Another exhibition worth to visit is “Hulu ke Hilir exhibition: Batik Ecosystem”. This temporary exhibition is located at Museum Batik Indonesia, East Jakarta, and runs until the end of February 2024. Visitors will learn the long journey behind a piece of batik cloth, including information about the supply of raw materials and the process of making batik cloth until it becomes a whole cloth used by the public. We better learn, appreciate, and buy more authentic Indonesian batik fabric and garments. So we can prevent the rise of import batik garments along with the ease of batik import regulations. 

So, ready to explore art in the city this long weekend, SEATizens? Let's visit these museums! (ALIF/DKD)