PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE
NUMBER: 4192/SP-HMS/06/2023
(Culture)
June 23, 2023

To Increase Public Appreciation for Traditional Woven Fabrics, DKI Cultural Department Holds the Wastra Exhibition at the Textile Museum

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, through the DKI Jakarta Cultural Department, again held a Wastra Exhibition with the title, 'Menjalin Benang, Meniti Sukma: Wastra Tenun Bertuah dalam Siklus Daur Hidup.' This event was held to commemorate the 47th Anniversary of the Textile Museum and Wastraprema Association and to increase public appreciation of traditional Indonesian woven fabrics.

Iwan Henry Wardhana, Head of Jakarta's Department of Culture, said the exhibition will be held until July 30, 2023, from Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Textile Museum, West Jakarta. The entrance ticket costs 5,000 rupiah for adults, 3,000 for students, and 2,000 for children. In addition, several exhibitions were conducted with several events, including hybrid seminars, workshops, and talk shows for wastra lovers.

"In today's practical modern era, a series of life cycle ceremonies are rarely carried out, which only exist in certain places and groups as part of tradition. Therefore, many life-cycle wastra are no longer woven, and the knowledge of how to make and use them is slowly fading. Hopefully, the existence of these wastras can be informed to the public and presented in the form of this wastra exhibition," said Iwan in Jakarta on Friday (23/6).

Furthermore, Iwan explained that 85 pieces of woven fabric collections were on display and funded by the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) non-physical Operational Assistance (BOP) for Museums and Cultural Parks, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia.

The collection of woven fabrics comes from the islands of Sumatra to Nusa Tenggara, which are collections from the Textile Museum, Jo Seda's Wastra House, and collectors such as Sri Sintasari Iskandar, Aswin Wirjadi, Tjok Istri Ratna, Dini Jusuf and Vilidius Siburian. According to Iwan, the beauty in simplicity and luxury that radiates from each piece of fabric is a silent word that calls out how rich and majestic Indonesia's wastra culture is.