The Australia-Indonesia Museums (AIM) Project 2024 builds on the success of the 2021-2022 initiative, uniting museum professionals from Indonesia and Australia. Facilitated by SEAMS, Deakin University, and the Western Australian Museum (WAM), and supported by the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII) and the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, this project aims to strengthen and expand collaboration between museums in both countries.

The previous phases of the AIM Project focused on training workshops using the "Significance 2.0" methodology, which has been translated and adapted to the Indonesian context. The project successfully engaged over 150 curators from 80 museums across 19 Indonesian provinces, resulting in the online exhibition "Tetangga: People, Places, and Objects Across Borders." This exhibition showcased the shared histories and cultural connections between Indonesia and Australia through 20 significant objects.

The AIM Project 2024 will focus on several crucial initiatives to enhance collaboration and knowledge exchange between Indonesian and Australian museum professionals. One of the key efforts involves finalizing the Indonesian version of the "Significance 2.0" guide. This project will complete the translation and adaptation of the guide, incorporating new case studies from Indonesian museums to ensure its relevance and applicability within the local context. Additionally, the project will develop technical guidelines for provenance research, addressing a critical need identified during the previous AIM Project. These guidelines will support the "Significance" approach, particularly in understanding and navigating the complexities of post-colonial contexts.

To implement these guidelines effectively, the project will conduct extensive training and research activities across various museums in Jakarta. These activities will be managed by the Indonesian Heritage Agency and the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta, ensuring that the new methodologies are integrated into museum practices. As part of this initiative, a Provenance Research Seminar will be held on August 6, 2024. This seminar will bring together curators and museum professionals from both Indonesia and Australia to share their initial findings and discuss the broader implications of provenance research in post-colonial museum settings.

Furthermore, the AIM Project will update the "Tetangga" exhibition, enriching it with new content derived from the latest findings in the "Significance 2.0" and provenance research. This refresh will not only enhance the exhibition's relevance but also continue to build upon the project's commitment to exploring and presenting the shared histories and cultural connections between Indonesia and Australia.

The AIM Project 2024 is dedicated to enhancing curatorial skills and practices among museum professionals in both Indonesia and Australia. By focusing on the assessment of object significance, interpretation, and the integration of digital technologies, the project seeks to elevate the standards of museology in both countries. In addition to this, the project aims to build sustainable networks and capacities within the museum sectors through collaborative research and the development of exhibitions. These efforts are designed to create new narratives that explore the historical and contemporary relationships between Indonesia and Australia, moving beyond traditional nationalistic perspectives.

This continued collaboration between Indonesian and Australian museums under the AIM Project underscores the importance of shared narratives, mutual understanding, and the creation of new knowledge through cultural exchanges.