Charting New Paths
EMBARKING ON A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY, MUSEUM MACAN WELCOMES VENUS LAU AS THE VISIONARY ESTABLISHMENT’S NEW DIRECTOR
Museum MACAN recently announced the appointment of Venus Lau as its new director. With a distinguished background in the art world, including pivotal roles in Hong Kong and Greater China, most notably as the Artistic Director of the K11 Art Foundation and Art Strategic Director of the Modern (Meta) Media Group, Lau brings a wealth of experience in the field and a visionary approach to the helm of the storied institution.
We recently had the chance to chat with the new head of Museum MACAN to learn more about her plans moving forward.
DAMAN: Congratulations on your appointment as Director of Museum MACAN. What was it that motivated you to take on this new challenge?
Venus Lau:
Thank you. It’s an exciting new chapter for me and Museum MACAN. Looking at the big picture, Southeast Asia represents a significant growth area for the world, and Indonesia—with a population of over 250 million people—is an important center for the arts in the region. The potential and opportunities that are present here really stood out to me.
Within Indonesia, Museum MACAN is a key institutional pillar and, more broadly, one of the leading contemporary art museums in Southeast Asia. We sit at the heart of Jakarta’s rapidly expanding art scene, and we provide an important platform for artists, both locally and internationally. As an institution, we play an essential part in moving the needle and shaping Southeast Asia’s dialogue with the international art world.
DA: What areas will you mainly focus on as the new Director of Museum MACAN?
VL:
Continuing the path of cementing Museum MACAN as a leading Southeast Asian institution is a key focus, but that naturally begets the question: where to go from here? After all, the museum has carved out quite a prominent name within the region in a short time. It’ll take a solid vision to go on up and further up.
I see the greatest potential in fostering new dialogues for the region. It’s important for MACAN to strengthen its role as a platform for contemporary art and ideas, and we want to encourage dialogue and engagement that helps bridge these lines of thought and create connections beyond the existing narratives. I’m passionate about the untapped creativity and fresh perspectives that can stem from these exchanges, and I hope to centralize these possibilities in my tenure at MACAN.
On a more personal level, I also find the process of discovery compelling, especially here in Indonesia, which has such an electrifying art scene borne from a rich culture and history.
DA: In your opinion, what is it that differentiates Museum MACAN from other art establishments across the country and the region? VL:
Museum MACAN is incredibly special because it is the first art institution in Indonesia to be a core part of the infrastructure within the regional art ecosystem. It’s part of our mission to be a platform for artists in Indonesia and Southeast Asia to reach a wider audience and make international exhibitions accessible to local audiences that might not otherwise have the chance to experience these artists. Most museums tend to be quite hierarchical and bureaucratic, but our mandate at MACAN allows for a high level of agility and autonomy. Through our programming, we respond to what is going on around us, whether locally or in global affairs.