ANTARA Proklamasi Archives Selected for August Exhibition

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon. (IST)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Culture opened the opportunity to use the archives of photos, documents, and news owned by LKBN ANTARA for the Independence Proclamation exhibition ahead of the Indonesian Independence Day in August.

The plan was discussed by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon together with the President Director of Perum LKBN ANTARA Benny Siga Butarbutar in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 22.

The exhibition is planned to take place at the Museum of the Proclamation Manuscript. The material will utilize ANTARA's historical documentation regarding the events leading up to and after independence.

"The photo archives and historical documents owned by ANTARA are part of the collective memory of the nation," said Fadli.

According to Fadli, the documentation can be displayed through exhibitions and used for the development of museums so that they are easier for the public to access.

The Ministry of Culture has also prepared a Film Museum in Jakarta, a Photography Museum in Semarang, and a Music Museum in Bandung. ANTARA's old photo archives, documents, and news are considered to complement the collection and exhibition materials of the three museums.

Director of History and Museums Agus Mulyana said the government was identifying the needs of around 200 historical photos for the compilation of a national history book.

ANTARA archives are also considered to strengthen the collection of the Photography Museum which is being prepared.

In addition to the use of archives, the two institutions discussed the expansion of the dissemination of cultural information. The Ministry of Culture wants the network of ANTARA offices in the regions to be connected to the Cultural Preservation Center.

The collaboration is aimed at expanding coverage of films, music, performing arts, visual arts, literature, and other cultural programs.

"We hope that ANTARA can become a strategic partner of the Ministry of Culture in disseminating various cultural programs," said Fadli.

Benny stated that ANTARA was ready to support the program through its national, international, and multimedia product networks. ANTARA also proposed a special channel called ANTARA Culture to accommodate cultural information from various regions.

"ANTARA wants to continue to play a role in strengthening the dissemination of Indonesian cultural information, both at the national and international levels," said Benny.

The continued discussion will include the exhibition of the Proclamation archive, the use of documentation for museums, the need for historical photographs, and the development of the ANTARA cultural channel.