Conservators’ Professional Visibility in Public Cultural Institutions in Jakarta: A Case Study
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Windri Sunarno
Abstract
This paper provides a discussion about the conservation profession in the Jakarta area of Indonesia. The study, which uses descriptive and qualitative research, was conducted among three public, cultural institutions: a museum, a conservation center, and a library. These institutions were chosen because of their collection of ancient manuscripts and their employment of professional conservators. The study’s findings show that conservators are concerned about the visibility of their profession in terms of lack of appreciation from the government as well as the status of their profession and that they believe they need professional associations and more comprehensive legal instruments to strengthen their profession’s visibility and the public’s opinion of them. This paper contributes to the discussion of the conservation profession, especially in the Indonesian context.
Zusammenfassung
In diesem Beitrag wird die Professionalisierung der Restaurierung in der Region Jakarta in Indonesien erörtert. Die Studie, die auf deskriptiver und qualitativer Forschung basiert, wurde in drei öffentlichen Kultureinrichtungen durchgeführt: einem Museum, einem Konservierungszentrum und einer Bibliothek. Diese Einrichtungen wurden ausgewählt, weil sie alte Handschriften sammeln und professionelle Restaurator*innen beschäftigen. Die Ergebnisse der Studie zeigen mangelnde Sichtbarkeit des Berufs und mangelnde Wertschätzung durch die Regierung. Berufsverbände und umfassendere rechtliche Instrumente sind notwendig, um die Sichtbarkeit des Berufs zu fördern und den Status zu stärken. Dieser Artikel leistet einen Beitrag zur Diskussion über Professionalisierung der Restaurierung im indonesischen Kontext.
Funding source: Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, Riset, dan Teknologi, Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia [The Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia] Tahun Anggaran 2023 [Year 2023] under Grant Penelitian Dasar Unggulan Perguruan Tinggi.
Award Identifier / Grant number: Grant Number NKB-873/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2023
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi, Riset, dan Teknologi, Kementerian Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia [The Directorate General of Higher Education, Research, and Technology, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia] Tahun Anggaran 2023 [Year 2023] under Grant Penelitian Dasar Unggulan Perguruan Tinggi 2023 (Grant Number NKB-873/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2023).
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Works
- The Technique of “Book Beating” in Traditional Chinese Book Conservation
- Increasing the Resistance of Archival Cardboards against Thermal Destruction
- Surveys of Plastics in Post-1950 Non-published Book Collections
- Conservators’ Professional Visibility in Public Cultural Institutions in Jakarta: A Case Study
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Works
- The Technique of “Book Beating” in Traditional Chinese Book Conservation
- Increasing the Resistance of Archival Cardboards against Thermal Destruction
- Surveys of Plastics in Post-1950 Non-published Book Collections
- Conservators’ Professional Visibility in Public Cultural Institutions in Jakarta: A Case Study
