ISAN
Rubina Melati Diran
Indonesia’s commitment to modernize itself has degraded those who are actively involved in mysticism, leading them to become social pariahs and in turn they are often forgotten, feared or ridiculed. Several of the existing solutions that I’ve come across through research are either too academic or are targeted to those who are already fascinated by mysticism or wish to practice it. The aim of my thesis is not to make people scholars regarding mysticism or encourage them to practice it—I aim to create a solution that would encourage people to be more open-minded regarding spiritual mysticism before they make any kind of judgment towards it.
In order to solve the problem, I have created a concept for a cultural institution that provides a network of five museums throughout the archipelago under the name ISAN. ISAN stands for “Institute of Spiritual Arts in the Nusantara” and is a play on the Javanese word “isun” meaning “oneself.” ISAN’s mission is to foster interest in Indonesian mystical arts and to encourage a discussion regarding the prevalence of spiritual mysticism throughout Indonesia in order to bring back cultural awareness and promote tolerance towards minor religious communities.