Lombok Zone – The efforts to bring the cultural wealth of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) to the global stage are becoming more tangible. Sinta Agathia, the head of the NTB PKK and the NTB Dekranasda, has expressed her full support for the upcoming textiles exhibition in Australia as part of an international cultural promotion strategy.
This support was conveyed during a meeting with the head of the NTB State Museum and his team at the Pendopo Barat in Mataram on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The discussion revolved around the exhibition of textiles that will be conducted in collaboration with The Art Gallery of South Australia.
Sinta, affectionately known as Bunda Sinta, believes that this exhibition is a strategic opportunity to showcase Lombok’s textiles on a global scale while reinforcing the region’s cultural identity.
“This exhibition presents a significant chance to introduce Lombok’s textiles more broadly. We want the culture of NTB to be recognized not just domestically, but to compete and be appreciated internationally,” she stated.
She emphasized that promoting culture through textiles is crucial in supporting the regional development vision, especially in realizing NTB’s aspirations to thrive and be known worldwide.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Nuralam, the head of the NTB State Museum, elaborated that this exhibition is part of an international collaboration and a cultural diplomacy effort between the NTB Museum and AGSA.
“This is not merely an exhibition; it is a form of cultural diplomacy. We want to demonstrate that NTB’s cultural heritage has a strong global appeal,” he explained.
The exhibition will focus on the themes of Lombok and Bali and will coincide with the launch of a book titled Two Islands, One Thread: Textiles of Lombok & Bali. The NTB Museum will showcase approximately six outstanding textile collections.
According to Ahmad Nuralam, the community in Adelaide has shown a keen interest in Lombok and Bali’s cultural heritage, with several related collections already included in AGSA’s collection.
Furthermore, AGSA has officially invited the NTB Dekranasda chairperson to attend the exhibition and symposium scheduled for June 2026, with a similar invitation sent to the NTB Governor.
This meeting marks a significant first step in strengthening cross-national cultural collaboration while also opening broader opportunities for promoting NTB’s textiles on an international platform.
The NTB Provincial Government hopes that this initiative will not only enhance cultural recognition but also positively impact the region’s creative economic value through textile products.
