The Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture through the Directorate General of Culture presents Exhibition of Traditional Games at the Terminal 3 International Departure Waiting Room of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten. This exhibition was held to highlight the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra. There are 75 types of traditional games from various regions in Indonesia exhibited at the event, and each of the game is featured with information such as the origin, the meaning and philosophy. Six of the 75 types of games, namely congklak (traditional game using board and seeds), bola bekel (bouncing ball), dam-daman (traditional game like chess) and rubber jump can be played directly by visitors in the exhibition area which will open until September 15, 2018. After inaugurating the exhibition on Monday, August 27, 2018, Director General of Culture of The Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid said the exhibition of the traditional games was the first step of the cooperation between the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture and PT Angkasa Pura II as the management of Soekarno Hatta Airport. He hopes that other exhibitions related to Indonesian art and culture can be held again at Soekarno-Hatta Airport as one of Indonesia's gateways.
"On behalf of the ministry, we would like to thank Angkasa Pura 2 for providing room for cultural preservation, especially traditional games. And we hope that in the future it can be a wider partnership. Besides traditional games we also still have art. So this might be a good starting point. We also thank all parties who have supported the event,” Hilmar Farid said.
Furthermore, Hilmar Farid said that his party wanted airplane passengers, especially the 2018 Asian Games foreign contingent to fall in love with Indonesia through the unique impression of traditional games. In the future, Hilmar Farid also instructed that this traditional game exhibition not only be held in the international departure area. He hopes that similar exhibitions can be held at domestic departure area so that efforts to build cultural awareness, especially traditional games mostly abandoned by the millennial generation, can be successful. In addition, by organizing the exhibition, older generations can enjoy their nostalgic moments and look back their childhood. (VOI/Rezha/AHM)