JAKARTA – Indonesia proudly returns to the famous Venice Biennale 2026 with a bold creative vision. This year, the Indonesian Pavilion presents a powerful and thought-provoking theme titled Printing the Unprinted. Seven talented Indonesian artists completed a fruitful two-month residency at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice to prepare for this grand occasion.
Aminudin TH Siregar curates this important six-month contemporary exhibition with great precision. Recently, the Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, shared the wonderful news about the pavilion’s highly successful grand opening. He noted that the display receives an amazing response from the international public every single day. Consequently, more than 300 eager art lovers walk through the pavilion doors daily to admire the unique collection.
Connecting Cultures and Generations
The close collaboration with the local Venice graphics school adds great practical value to the entire exhibition. Furthermore, the pavilion attracts many high-profile guests from various international cultural backgrounds. These esteemed guests include global curators, festival directors, foreign culture ministers, and foreign ambassadors. Therefore, Minister Fadli Zon expects a highly successful run until the exhibition officially closes on November 22.
Meanwhile, the national pavilion features a diverse group of artists from the Program Manajemen Talenta Nasional (National Talent Management program). These creative individuals come from different regional backgrounds, including Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Papua. In addition, these experienced masters offer valuable mentorship to the younger generation of artists in the team. This collaborative effort effectively strengthens the artistic bond and spirit of the entire group.
The Mythical Voyage Across the Seas
The main visual installation successfully recreates an epic sea voyage from the distant 15th century. Seven great masters—Agus Suwage, Syahrizal Pahlevi, Nurdian Ichsan, RE Hartanto, Theresia Agustina Sitompul, Mariam Sofrina, and Rusyan Yasin—worked together to build this beautiful project. Specifically, the artwork tells the fascinating story of a 14-year maritime journey that occurred between 1472 and 1486. This historical voyage started at Lake Toba and traveled through Sumatra, Malacca, Gujarat, and the Red Sea before finally reaching Venice.
The historical narrative features three incredible ships that carried the ancient explorers across vast oceans:
- Siboru Deak Parujar (the mother ship) represents the traditional Batak creator goddess.
- Naga Padoha (a strong escort ship) protects the main vessel from deep-sea dangers.
- Sahala ni Ombak (the third ship) conducts important scientific exploration during the long and challenging voyage.
Unlocking the Invisible Archives
An imaginary archivist from Sumatra, Datu Na Tolu Hamonangan, records this whole historical adventure for posterity. He writes down the intimate details of the journey in a mysterious, long-lost manuscript. For hundreds of years, this beautiful manuscript kept a hidden collection of etchings, drawings, sketches, and texts away from the eyes of the world.
Now, the Indonesian Pavilion shares these mysterious documents with the modern global public. The final exhibition contains 21 unique etchings across eight exciting narrative chapters. Visitors easily discover the rich history and deep meaning behind this grand creative voyage as they explore the pavilion.
