Jakarta, Indonesia - Recent
1. Various of artworks on display at Museum MACAN, appreciated by visitors
2. FX Harsono talking with visitor
3. Various of Harsono's artworks on exhibition
4. Various of FX Harsono talking with visitor in front of his artwork
5. SOUNDBITE (Bahasa) FX Harsono, artist:
"The Chinese community in Indonesia were only able to express their culture freely a couple of decades ago. I was not allowed to use my Chinese name before but now that I can, I find that a lot of my art work is related to how I can freely express my culture, especially my name. I'm drawn to issues about my identity as an Indonesian person with a strong Chinese background."
6. Visitors at exhibition hall
7. Various of paintings on display
8. Various of sculpture on display
9. Various of paintings depicting time line of Indonesia during its independence presented, drawn by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang
10. Various of exhibition in progress
11. Aaron Seeto, curator of Musuem MACAN, walking toward painting
12. Seeto appreciating artwork
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Aaron Seeto, curator of Musuem MACAN:
"It's important for us to be able to support and to generate interest in art from the very early stages of your life. We really like working with kids. There are a few spaces and a few artworks that have been specifically made for children and also labels that we've written specifically for children to open up their minds about looking at art."
14. Various of visitors appreciating artworks
15. Various of artworks on display
16. Visitors appreciating artworks

More than 90 pieces of artworks are catching visitors' eyes at the Museum MACAN, known as Indonesia's first museum of modern and contemporary arts officially opened to the public in Jakarta this month.

FX Harsono, whose artworks are on display at the museum, emerged as an important voice in the development of contemporary art in Indonesia.

His work mainly consists of self-portraits combining both cultures most familiar to him -- Chinese and Indonesian.

"The Chinese community in Indonesia were only able to express their culture freely a couple of decades ago. I was not allowed to use my Chinese name before but now that I can, I find that a lot of my art work is related to how I can freely express my culture, especially my name. I'm drawn to issues about my identity as an Indonesian person with a strong Chinese background," said Harsono.

In the meantime, paintings depicting the time line of Indonesia during the country's independence to the creative work of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang are also presented here.
The exhibits in this museum tackle some serious issue -- political, cultural and educational -- those that have already happened and are currently happening in Indonesia.

The artworks here could spark very important conversations among communities here while helping boost the appreciation of art within Indonesia.

That's exactly what Aaron Seeto, curator of the museum, hopes to do -- reignite the love of art in the Indonesian public.

"It's important for us to be able to support and to generate interest in art from the very early stages of your life. We really like working with kids. There are a few spaces and a few artworks that have been specifically made for children and also labels that we've written for children to open up their minds about looking at art," said Aaron Seeto, curator of the Museum MACAN.

The museum also acts as a platform for artists, curators and young professionals to come together to strengthen and help develop Indonesia’s vibrant arts scene.