Indonesia’s First Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art To Open Next Year

INDONESIA’s very first international modern and contemporary art museum will make its debut in early 2017. Located in the nation’s capital of Jakarta, the museum will stand in Kebon Jeruk, a district away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

The exclusive establishment will be called the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (MACAN) and is set to the be first of its kind in Indonesia.

“I want the Museum MACAN to develop and advance the understanding of Indonesians about art and the appreciation of art,” stated Haryanti Adikoesoemo to The New York Times the man behind the construction and financing of the museum.

“I also want this museum to help cross-pollinate exchanges with Indonesia and the world, to provide a platform for Indonesian art internationally and to bring international art to Indonesia.”

Spanning 4,000 square metres, the museum will house “more than 800 prominent and contemporary art pieces” on top of public programmes and temporary exhibitions, states international contemporary art magazine Art Review.

Education will be a key component of the museum with an emphasis on art history and research, according to MACAN director Mr. Thomas J. Berghuis, formerly curator of Chinese art at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

MACAN’s soft launch is scheduled this year, while a grand opening will happen early next year.

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Do you think Malaysia should join the bandwagon and build ourselves a contemporary art museum or are there already enough platforms to curate and showcase modern art? Tell us what you think!