Cultural heritage: The politics of pictures of Indonesia

Abstract

When visitors take pictures of Indonesia, they photograph Indonesia’s cultural heritage. These pictures share certain qualities. They seem harmonious and to be of activities or places that have remained the same for generations or centuries. They also often exclude people or represent them as bound by history and relics of a past era. This article introduces the contemporary politics of heritage in Indonesia, the articles in this special issue, and provides an overview of the issues facing heritage access, management and use in Indonesia in democratising Indonesia.