Minister urges cultural preservation, highlights keris heritage

hartono · Apr 19, 2026

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon officiates the opening of the Solo Arts and Culture Exhibition at the Keris Nusantara Museum on Saturday (April 18, 2026). (ANTARA/HO-Kementerian Kebudayaan)

Jakarta (ANTARA) -
Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized the importance of cultural preservation efforts to strengthen the cultural heritage ecosystem, including through the keris, a traditional dagger showcased at the Solo Arts and Culture Exhibition.

He welcomed the exhibition as an important step in advancing culture, noting that it also reinforced the keris’ position as a world cultural heritage inscribed by UNESCO.

“Keris is an Indonesian cultural heritage. It originates from Indonesia and serves as part of our national identity. It embodies various cultural expressions, from symbolic and philosophical meanings to its highly refined artistic achievements,” he said in a press statement on Sunday.

The Solo Arts and Culture Exhibition was a way to preserve culture while honoring the nation’s history. It features various collections of keris, paintings, and special performances.

This year’s exhibition showcased collections from collectors of diverse professional backgrounds, including the military, police, and banking sectors.

He also underlined that Indonesia’s culture is highly rich and diverse, or "mega-diverse“. He explained that Indonesia is among the countries with one of the oldest civilizations in the world, supported by authentic evidence indicating its role as an early center of human civilization.

“This should serve as the foundation of our identity, character, and pride. We are not merely a nation-state, but a civilizational state with a long history and diverse acculturation,” Zon said.

The Solo Arts and Culture Exhibition is being held at the Keris Nusantara Museum under the theme “Jaga Budaya or "Let's Preserve Culture".

Surakarta Deputy Mayor Astrid Widayani highlighted the museum's strategic role as a center for the most comprehensive keris collection and a symbol of preserving intangible cultural heritage.