Batik exhibition enlivened the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The exhibition was entitled the Exotic Indonesia Batik Exhibition which took place at Building 47 Katara on December 1-8, 2022.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Doha, Qatar, participated in the Katara Celebrations During the World Cup 2022 held by the Katara Cultural Village Foundation Qatar, by organizing a Batik exhibition.

Katara is a village that is included in the Cultural Village Foundation project, and is the largest and most multidimensional cultural project in Qatar.

In the activity that took place at Building 47 Katara on 1-8 December 2022, the Indonesian Embassy in collaboration with several embassies in Qatar presented an event ‘The Exotic Indonesia Batik Exhibition,’ according to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a written statement on Monday.

The Indonesian batik exhibition was opened by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, during his working visit to Qatar on Thursday (Dec. 1).

The Indonesian government is seriously paying attention to the development of batik in the country, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said in his remarks at the event, adding that batik is not only a noble culture, but also has a significant economic effect.

Also present at the opening of the batik exhibition were the Director of the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, Khalid al-Sulaiti, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan, expressed his joy for holding this batik exhibition in this Gulf country which is now hosting the 2022 World Cup.

"This is a government-led initiative to help the creative industries in Indonesia recover from the effects of COVID-19," he said.

In addition to displaying around 42 pieces of batik types from all over Indonesia, this exhibition also offered visitors to paint cloths for making batik.

Interestingly, there is a piece of batik cloth under the theme of the 2022 World Cup made especially for this exhibition. The batik says ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022’.

The batik also shows a picture of the world cup trophy, and is decorated with various Qatari accents, such as dallah or the iconic teapot in the Corniche area, pearl shells which are the icon of The Pearl area, falcons, and the building of the Katara cultural complex which surrounds the silhouettes of people playing soccer.

The Indonesian batik tradition has been ingrained in the lives of Indonesian people since the fifth century. Each batik pattern has its own characteristics, and is used in the sacred journey of human life: birth, marriage and death.

Through the public participation of the Indonesian people, batik was finally confirmed as an intangible cultural heritage in 2009.

Reporting by Indonesia Window