In the ever-evolving landscape of Indonesia’s creative ecosystem, Futuloka is undergoing a major transformation—shifting from an event-oriented festival to a program-based platform with long-term goals. This change is not simply a pivot in format, but a strategic reimagining of how the initiative can more meaningfully contribute to the future of Indonesian art, culture, and technology. As a core unit of Spektakel, Futuloka is now positioned as an open innovation laboratory, designed to foster sustainable exploration, collaboration, and knowledge-building by leveraging blockchain technology.
Spektakel and the Cultural Context
To understand this shift, it’s important to see how Futuloka fits within the broader vision of Spektakel—a creative house established in 2017 with a mission to bridge Indonesian art and culture with contemporary innovation. Spektakel is known for blending cultural research, artistic development, and technological experimentation, with a focus on creating meaningful and economically sustainable creative ecosystems.
Futuloka extends this mission into future-oriented territories, specifically through the lens of Web3 and blockchain. As digital environments redefine authorship, ownership, identity, and community, Futuloka becomes Spektakel’s platform to engage with these changes actively, not just observe them.
This programmatic shift transforms Futuloka into a continuous laboratory, where experimentation happens over time, impact is measurable, and opportunities for creators are repeatable and inclusive.
What Does It Mean to Be Program-Based?
A program-based approach means that Futuloka is no longer built around an annual event. Instead, it is built around values, goals, and consistent activities that engage participants over weeks, months, and eventually years. These programs serve different audiences—from creators and developers to curators, collectors, and the public—but they are united by a common aim: to explore how technology can enhance the depth, reach, and resilience of Indonesian culture.
Some of the core ongoing programs include:
1. Futuloka TTS
A bi-weekly Twitter Space series where creators, curators, researchers, and technologists engage in public discussions around art, culture, and blockchain. TTS explores current issues, shares insights, and builds community literacy in an accessible, conversational format. It’s an evolving talk series designed to demystify blockchain while making space for cultural reflection.
2. Futuloka Webinar Series
A recurring online workshop series that aims to help Indonesian artists and cultural workers onboard safely into Web3. These webinars are beginner-friendly, hands-on, and built with a focus on empowerment. Topics include digital ownership, minting NFTs, creative licensing, and navigating blockchain platforms ethically. The webinars act as entry points to a broader network of creators exploring new creative economies.
3. Innovation Lab & Pilot Projects
Futuloka plans to expand into offline and hybrid formats that involve hands-on collaboration and experimental pilot projects. These include co-creation residencies, hackathons, and interdisciplinary labs that explore how blockchain can be embedded in real-life creative practice—from traditional craft economies to gaming, and digital storytelling.
Why Blockchain? Why Now?
Futuloka’s interest in blockchain is not about following a trend—it is about addressing structural issues within Indonesia’s art and cultural industries. Many artists and creators, especially those outside the major urban centers, face significant challenges in monetizing their work, protecting their intellectual property, or reaching wider audiences. Blockchain technology, particularly when used thoughtfully, can provide tools for:
- Digital provenance and ownership
- Royalty tracking and automated compensation
- Direct creator-audience relationships
- Collective decision-making and community governance
- Preservation of intangible cultural heritage in digital forms
These potentials are not theoretical—they are within reach, but only if creators have access to knowledge, networks, and support. Futuloka exists to fill that gap.
The Future: A Movement, Not a Moment
The move from event to program is also a move from moment to movement. Futuloka is now designed to grow organically and sustainably. It’s no longer about one big splash a year—it’s about showing up consistently, building a trusted presence, and becoming a platform for co-creation.
It’s also about bridging generations. Indonesia’s rich traditions in visual arts, performance, crafts, and storytelling can evolve—not by discarding their roots, but by embracing new mediums that resonate with younger, digitally native audiences. Futuloka is a space where this evolution can be guided, supported, and celebrated.
Conclusion
The transformation of Futuloka marks a crucial step in the evolution of Indonesia’s cultural-tech ecosystem. As it becomes a program-based innovation lab, it offers creators not only a space to showcase their work but also a structured, supportive environment to explore the future responsibly.
By rooting itself in Spektakel’s cultural vision and embracing blockchain technology not as an endpoint but as a creative tool, Futuloka is helping shape a more open, inclusive, and forward-thinking landscape for Indonesian art and culture.
This is not just a new format—it’s a new foundation.
Futuloka 