JAKARTA - Talking about Bang Ali - a nickname for Ali Sadikin who served as Governor of Jakarta in 1966-1977 - also means talking about his position in using his authority to produce various policies that support the development of art and culture.
The views were conveyed by Panca Lintang Dyah Paramitha and Ganda Swarna researchers in the 100 Years of Ali Sadikin archive exhibition entitled "Pasca Gita (Jaya): Maecenas and Artistic Independence" at the Oesman Effendy Gallery, Taman Ismail Marzuki.
The term maecenas comes from the French word mecenat, which refers to a benefactor or patron of the arts who provides support to artists.
Referring to Umar Kayam's thoughts on "Maecenas and the Arts Council Network", Ali Sadikin's role is considered to reflect the figure. He not only disbursed funds and provided facilities, but also gave confidence to artists through policies born from his position as governor.
However, the concept of maecenaserap is seen as inseparable from the desire of rulers to be remembered as benefactors who have contributed to the development of art and culture.
Ali Sadikin was directly appointed by President Soekarno as the Governor of Jakarta on April 28, 1966 at the State Palace. At that time, he was also a member of the staff of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, Finance, and Development, and was considered to have the capacity to lead the capital.
During his tenure, Ali built Jakarta as a cultural city through collaboration between the government and artists. One of his important steps was to give a relatively wide autonomy to the Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ), so that the institution, which is composed of artists across disciplines, can organize various programs, ranging from traditional and modern art to activities on a local, national, international scale, as well as coaching for young and professional artists.
"I state firmly, officials should not interfere in the affairs of other cultural services, other DKJ affairs. The task of DKJ is to provide advice and opinions to the governor, whether requested or not, in fostering culture in Jakarta," said Ali in the book Bang Ali: for Jakarta 1966-1977.
Another important legacy of Ali Sadikin is the establishment of Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) in 1968, which to this day remains a space for the growth of art, culture, and creativity in Jakarta.
According to the Governor of DKI Jakarta for the period 2007-2012, Fauzi Bowo, the idea of building TIM originated from a simple question asked by Ali, "There used to be a lot of artists gathering in Senen. Now where are they?" Fauzi, who is familiarly called Foke, answered that the artists no longer have a place to gather. From the anxiety, the idea of presenting a space for the art ecosystem was born.
The traces of the journey are displayed in the exhibition through newspaper clippings, photos of the construction of art buildings in TIM during the leadership of Ali Sadikin, documentation of the work of the 2001 (1979) President's filtered print graphics by Hardi, to various art performance posters that have ever been held in TIM.
Although remembered as a supporter of the development of art, a number of Ali's policies also caused controversy. He legalized gambling by withdrawing his taxes to finance the development of the city, developing the nightlife area, and building the Kramat Tunggak complex as a location for prostitution.
Some of the proceeds from gambling are even allocated to subsidize activities at TIM as part of its vision of making Jakarta a cultural city.
However, this policy also has other impacts. The circulation of money concentrated in Jakarta through gambling triggers economic disparities with a number of regions. In the field of culture, Ali himself admits that the centralization of art activities in TIM also presents challenges for the development of artists in the region.
The controversial side was specifically raised through an exhibition corner titled #PojokGosip, which reviewed the gambling policy in the era of Ali Sadikin.
For visitors who want to get to know Bang Ali more closely, the exhibition also presents a row of photos that record his various expressions throughout his leadership of Jakarta.
This exhibition is part of the series of commemorations of the 100th anniversary of Ali Sadikin which was held by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government together with the Jakarta Arts Institute, the Jakarta Arts Council, and the Betawi Cultural Institute.
The Head of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Culture Service, Mochamad Miftahulloh Tamary, said the series of commemorations took place on July 7-14, 2026.
In addition to the archive exhibition, the activities also include a short film making workshop, a mural themed Ali Sadikin, Ali Sadikin Art Market, a public discussion on the future of Jakarta's cultural policy, cultural art performances, to the launch of Ali Sadikin's biography.
Ali Sadikin's greatest legacy is not only the physical development of Jakarta, but his courage to build an art and culture ecosystem. This spirit is now the foundation of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov) in continuing the development of the capital city.
DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung considers that Ali's legacy needs to continue to be revived through strengthening the art and culture ecosystem. Therefore, the DKI Provincial Government has strengthened integrated public transportation, developed transit-oriented areas (TOD), and rearranged the New Market and Old City.
Pramono imagined Pasar Baru developing into a lively area like Myeongdong, a popular shopping district in Seoul, South Korea.
"A place for people to have a comfortable dinner, we show the culture with various things, and the most important thing is clean, orderly," he said.
In the cultural field, various facilities at Taman Ismail Marzuki were revived, ranging from the Planetarium to the extension of library service hours at night. Collaboration between the DKI Provincial Government, the Jakarta Arts Institute, the TIM management, as well as artists and cultural figures continues to be strengthened.
The development of the city goes hand in hand with the preservation of Betawi culture, among others through the revitalization of Setu Babakan and strengthening the elements of Betawi culture in various government programs.
Attention to Betawi culture is even present in simple things. Pramono instructed that Betawi dodol should always be available in every official activity of the DKI Provincial Government. The products presented were also chosen directly by him.
Not only dodol, pletok beer is also a festive drink for the City Hall guests, including guests from abroad. According to Pramono, the Betawi specialty is favored by guests from various countries, including Russia and Poland.
"My message is only one, the beer should not be too sweet," said Pramono as quoted by Antara.
Ali Sadikin has passed away almost two decades ago. However, his footprint which places culture as the foundation of Jakarta's development is still felt until now, ranging from Taman Ismail Marzuki which remains a space for the arts to the spirit of presenting culture in the pulse of city life.
Exactly on July 7, 2026, one century has passed since the birth of Bang Ali. The 100th anniversary of Ali Sadikin at Taman Ismail Marzuki is not merely an event to remember a former governor, but an opportunity to recall that a city is not only built with roads, buildings, and bridges, but also with space for art, culture, and freedom of expression.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
