Museum MACAN Children's Art Space Commission
Few of Entang Wiharso’s artworks that will be displayed on Museum MACAN Children’s Art Space Commission
Museum MACAN Introduces Educational Program of Children’s Artspace Commission

Museum MACAN has a strong commitment to promote modern and contemporary art to the public, and children is no exception. A curated educational program has been designed by the museum in collaboration with Indonesian artist, Entang Wiharso. Together, they present the inaugural Children’s Art Space Commission which will be unveiled in conjunction with the museum’s grand opening in November. The special commission by Entang Wiharso will see an installation that incorporates artworks, murals, and education activities that explore the ideas of ‘floating gardens’. Floating gardens itself is a concept of land and nature based on the artist’s unique artwork style and vision. New wall-based reliefs by Entang will adorn the Children’s Art Space, and will include a site-specific mural, which will serve as the backdrop for education activities. The Children’s Art Space is a dedicated education area for children in the museum and it is an area where children could explore their creativity through educational programs that is presented there. The programs will change for each exhibition, offering different themes and concepts and act as an entry for children to artworks and exhibition.

The commissioned installation by Entang Wiharso itself talks about the environment, ecology, and permaculture based on his experience of residing in both Indonesia and United States. “In the effort to produce more, we often fail to realize the disruption we make to the environment around us,” says Entang. “In a production-focused culture, we are conditioned to manipulate what is around us to maximize production. Land becomes scarce. We became surrounded by less greenery and the environment is changed in order to accommodate human demands. It us up to the young minds of the world to make a difference.” By showing this ‘Floating Gardens’ installation, the children are encouraged to think about nature as opposed to their native urban habitat. Not only the nature, they will also learn more about the techniques and styles that can be found within the artist’s work. For this special program, the museum works closely with local schools and cooperate with the educators, so once the program has ended, the pupils will still learn about the importance of art and the concept it brings.

“Education is a core mission of Museum MACAN. The Museum offers a variety of programs catering to the different needs of our visitors. These programs relate to the art on view and change regularly,” says Director Aaron Seeto. “We are committed to making art accessible to the wider public, especially young people and children. Partnering with local schools, we provide educational resource materials for teachers and educators to help engage their students with art beyond the walls of our museum. We are also committed to help develop a healthy art ecology and landscape for art in Indonesia through internship opportunities and other educational training for young professionals that supports the development of artistic, curatorial, and professional museum practices in Indonesia.” This is clearly a step forward to art’s awareness for our public and a visionary mission to educate, introduce, and make the children become art conscious. The entry is free with valid ticket from the museum and children must be accompanied with carers. We’re looking forward to how the programs unfold in the future!