The architects featured in the exhibition Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek: An Indonesian-German Architectural History were pioneers of independent Indonesian architecture and responsible for some of the most significant buildings in modern Indonesian architectural history. However, their work has remained largely undocumented until now. This is partly due to the limited number of museums, galleries, collections, and archives in Indonesia that focus on architecture. Most of the materials presented in this exhibition come from family holdings, which are neither systematically catalogued nor preserved for the long-term.

Similarly, in Germany, not all architectural documentation is collected or safeguarded. Moreover, the archives and materials that do exist are often difficult to access and only selectively made available to the public.

This raises several important questions: Who collects what, and why? How, for whom, and where are these collections made accessible? How can more archival material be collected and made accessible through partnerships and collaborations?

In this talk, we discussed strategies for collecting and presenting architectural work, with participants from both Indonesia and Germany.

The evening began with Hans-Dieter Nägelke, Director of the Architecture Museum of the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, who explained the work of the museum.

“Draw, collect, share – private collections of architectural drawings” was the title of the lecture by Nadejda Bartels, Director Tchoban Foundation, Berlin, Germany, where she gave deep insights into the work of the Tchoban Foundation.

Avianti Armand and Setiadi Sopandi, co-founders and directors of the Museum Arsitektur Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia, told us about the history of the Museum Arsitektur Indonesia as well as their vision for the future.

Adelia Andani Djarot and Angeline Basuki, Museum Arsitektur Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia, explained how they activate exhibitions to gain a broader audience and discussed practical aspects of working with architecture archives and collections in Indonesia.

The event was moderated by Friederike Meyer, BauNetz, architectural journalist, Berlin.