Cultural cooperation Indonesia-Netherlands 2025-2028

While Indonesia is largely focused on the future, the Netherlands continues to grapple with its colonial past, with new perspectives and insights emerging regularly. With the recent repatriasi – the return – of cultural objects acquired in a colonial context from the Dutch State Collection to Indonesia, a new chapter is being written in bilateral relations. Restitution and museum cooperation contribute to addressing historical injustices and open up new perspectives for cultural connections and collaborations in Indonesia. So far, two rounds of restitution have taken place, involving objects from the Singosari, Keris Puputan Klungkung, Lombok Treasure, and Pita Maha collections.

During previous policy periods, key partners collaborating with Indonesian counterparts included the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, Erasmus Huis, DutchCulture, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, Culture and Science, the Cultural Heritage Agency, the National Archives, various cultural funds, and numerous institutions and cultural professionals from across the Netherlands. Highlights of their work include performances at Erasmus Huis, tours by Dutch artists across Indonesia. As well as publications, exhibitions, and documentaries that have broadened awareness of the shared Dutch-Indonesian history, supported by DutchCulture’s Matching Fund.

The differences between the regions in Indonesia are significant. Java is the main centre for art and culture in a broad sense, with large museums such as the "Museum and Galeri National" in Jakarta. In contrast, Bali – with foreign tourists and residents – is the most successful in commercial art, featuring many galleries. Additionally, throughout the country, there are small private museums, collections, and libraries from important families associated with former presidents, revolutionary heroes and old royal houses (‘keratons’ of Surakarta and Yogyakarta). Beyond the more well-known creative centres, there are also opportunities to explore lesser-known regions where local artists and communities are developing distinctive cultural movements.  

Arts
Indonesia has a rich and longstanding tradition in the arts and culture, encompassing music, dance, visual arts, wayang/puppet theatre, spoken word/storytelling, as well as creative crafts such as pottery production, architecture, jewellery making, fabric and woodworking. Many of these art forms use ancient techniques, now adopted by young Indonesian artists to create contemporary artworks that blend tradition with modern expression. This opens up interesting opportunities for collaboration between Dutch and Indonesian creatives. Dutch performing artists who plan to tour through Indonesia may apply to the Performing Arts Fund NL for support; where possible, the embassy seeks to establish collaborative projects. With regard to visual arts, photography is a focus discipline, with several programmes and possibilities to exhibit at Erasmus Huis. Also, Indonesia offers several artist-in-residencies such as Cemeti in Yogyakarta and Ruang Rupa/Gudskul and Komunitas Salihara in Jakarta.

Heritage
Within Indonesia’s heritage management, the central focus is on how sustainable conservation can help tackle current social challenges. The growing interest in (colonial) heritage in major Indonesian cities is also boosting heritage's commercial appeal. This includes revitalising historical buildings to increase urban liveability, training a new generation of historians and archivists, collaborating at the intersection of water management and maritime archaeology, and using intangible heritage for tourism promotion. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, National Archives and Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage are working with Dutch and Indonesian partners to address this focus.

Creative industry
In recent years, there has been significant movement and new activity within the creative industry in Indonesia. The sector continues to grow through educational programmes, investments and international partnerships across various fields. This presents new opportunities for deeper bilateral collaboration across various sectors such as sustainable fashion and textile use (especially batik and ikat), co-productions in film (drama, documentary, and animation), photography, architecture, and gaming. Digital culture is also rapidly emerging, contributing to cultural innovation and diversity. In the coming years, collaboration with the creative industry will expand through new bilateral programs for young designers focused on global issues, urban sustainability, and Dutch "green design. Opportunities for Dutch creatives are still prominent and can be further explored through the networks of Creative Industries Fund NL, What if Lab, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Dutch Design Foundation, ClickNL and Topsector Creatieve Industrie.

Film
The film industry in Indonesia is booming and offers many leads for collaboration through established networks. With the signing of the Film Co-Production Treaty at the end of 2024, a "boost" is expected for new film partnerships with Indonesia. EYE and the Film Fund collaborate within SEE NL to stimulate the internationalisation of Dutch film and filmmakers and will particularly focus on opportunities in Indonesia in the coming four years. Erasmus Huis is one of the major partners of the annual “Europe On Screen” Film Festival, the largest film festival in Indonesia, ensuring the screening of a sizeable selection of Dutch films in every edition.

The Netherlands Embassy’s focus for the 2025-2028 policy period continues to build on the foundation laid during 2021-2024, as reflected by its goals:

• Developing (young) Dutch top talent in the field of art and culture and offering these artists an international stage, including at Erasmus Huis.
• Supporting and stimulating art and cultural initiatives that promote core Dutch values – innovation, inclusivity and openness – and strengthening the position and reputation of the Netherlands in Indonesia.
• Supporting the Indonesian cultural infrastructure and providing opportunities for the Dutch and Indonesian art and heritage sectors, including museology, (intangible) cultural heritage, maritime archaeology, digitisation and publication of archives.
• Exchanging knowledge and information on Indonesia’s creative industry in the broadest sense, for the benefit of Dutch artists, collectives and creative companies and organisations.
• Strengthening coordination, exchange, and collaboration with EU countries to achieve the aforementioned cultural policy objectives in Indonesia.

The cultural sector in Indonesia has a strong urge to develop and is seeking expertise and capacity building in different fields: from urban planning to museology, from historical research to marketing and communication. Particularly the arts, heritage, creative industries and film offer opportunities for Dutch cultural professionals.

Erasmus Huis
With Erasmus Huis’s ever-expanding audience, both on-site and through its social media channels, an embassy-wide integrated approach to programming cultural activities serves to strengthen Dutch diplomacy in Indonesia. Topics such as human rights, freedom of speech, Dutch and Indonesian history, the rule of law, repatriation of cultural objects, education and science, innovation in the field of agriculture and water management, sustainability and the circular economy, all gain visibility and impact with the Erasmus House as a 'showcase'.

Would you like to receive more information regarding opportunities for cultural exchange with Indonesia? Feel free to contact our Indonesia advisor Stella Roos Peters with your questions for tailored advice.

Further reading

• Go (back) to the main country page for Indonesia
• Travel advice for Indonesia (in Dutch)
• Webpages of the Embassy of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in Indonesia