Officially Opens Ghost Nets Exhibition: Awakening The Drifting Giants, Rano Karno: Inspiration To Protect The Environment

JAKARTA - Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta, Rano Karno, officially opened the Ghost Nets exhibition: Awakening the Drifting Giants at the Maritime Museum, North Jakarta, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta and the Australian Embassy.

Rano Karno opened the exhibition with Australian Business Authority for Indonesia, Gita Kamath. In his remarks, Rano Karno admitted that he appreciated the cooperation between the two countries for holding the exhibition, in an effort to increase public awareness to protect the marine ecosystem.

"This exhibition is a form of collaboration between the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and the Australian Embassy in an effort to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting marine ecosystems," said Rano Karno.

The exhibition features 18 hand-woven works, in the form of fish, sea turtles, and manta rays. All works of art are made from fish trawler waste (ghosts net), which is assembled by a group of artists from the Australian Strait Islands, Erub Arts.

The exhibition is inspired by the sea that connects Australia and Indonesia. The exhibition creates a platform to explore various challenges in the common environment, including reducing plastic waste and converting the sea.

Rano Karno hopes that the exhibition can further inspire people to preserve the environment. Environmental sustainability is needed for the survival of future generations.

"I hope this exhibition will not only provide interesting experiences, but also inspire us to continue to preserve the environment, preserve marine and coastal ecosystems, and overcome climate change. So the future is better for generations to come," he explained.

Meanwhile, Gita Kamath, who represents the Australian government, is grateful for the willingness of the Maritime Museum as the venue for the Ghost Nets exhibition: Awakening the Drifting Giants. This exhibition is a form of strengthening cooperation between Indonesia and Australia.

"Thank you for the marine museum as the host of this exhibition. We are very proud that this exhibition underscores strong and close cooperation over our two countries," added Gita Kamath.