Indonesian Gov’t Adopts NFTs To Preserve Traditional Arts And Cultural Heritage

Updated: 31 March 2023

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Despite suffering from the recent general crypto bear market, the nascent non-fungible token sector continues gaining traction across businesses, institutions, and governments. Indonesia is the latest government to adopt NFTs to preserve traditional arts and cultural heritage.

In a recent short interview with Cointelegraph, El Himam, the deputy chairman of Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, confirmed that they have integrated non-fungible tokens (NFT) to preserve the traditional art and cultural heritage in the country.

Indonesia Adopts NFTs To Preserve Traditional Arts

Launched sometime in 2014, NFTs are crypto tokens hosted on a blockchain network. These crypto tokens represent ownership and cannot be replicated, making them an ideal data record-keeping solution. The Indonesia government has teamed up with Quantum Temple to safeguard the cultural heritage using NFTs. Himam explained:

“I believe that NFTs can contribute to preserving Indonesia’s cultural heritage while enhancing virtual tourism. NFTs may also be a medium in ushering in the next billion users into the crypto space, especially if the NFT elements of the cultural heritage are well-known and appreciated.”

In a recent interview, Linda Adami, the CEO of Quantum Temple, revealed that they have already developed a multichain NFT market platform in partnership with the Ministry Of Tourism to tokenize tangible and intangible traditional arts as NFTs. She explained:

“Digital representations include traditional ceremonies, craftsmanship, and knowledge of nature and our universe, but also musical and oral expressions, dances and pilgrimages. By tokenizing cultural heritage, three critical areas of value are created: immutable archives of culture, transparent alternative income streams through royalties, verified provenance and recognition for cultural creators.”

Indonesia Launches Cultural Heritage-Themed NFTs

In partnership with Quantum Temple, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has already launched the first collection of cultural-themed NFTs dubbed “Paths to Alango.”The new NFT collection features 11 unique NFTs from local artists, showcasing various aspects of Balinese cultural heritage, such as temples, dances, landscapes, and philosophy.

Quantum Temple’s top executive teased the new collection last week during Paris Blockchain Week at L’Atelier des Lumières in Paris, France. At the time, she said blockchain could significantly address critical challenges within a country’s cultural sector. Adami remarked:

“Authenticity and quality are fundamental to cultural heritage’s tangible and intangible value. Blockchain can be used to create an immutable and invaluable record that recognizes authorship and guarantees the authenticity and provenance of creative assets.”

Indonesia joins the rapidly growing list of countries embracing NFTs to preserve their cultural heritage. Last year, Ukraine adopted non-fungible tokens to store cultural arts information on a blockchain network amid its war with Russia. The Indonesian government has started crafting clear regulations and policies on how decentralized technologies could be fully applied.