Negotiating Cultural Plurality

As a culturally diverse nation, Indonesia faces complex challenges in developing visual representations for government cultural institutions. Institutions representing museums and cultural heritage rely on communication strategies to represent complex cultural narratives in a simpler and more accessible way for diverse audiences. This article explores how visual identity functions as a cultural instrument in the logo of the Indonesian Heritage Agency (IHA), a Public Service Agency responsible for managing museums and cultural heritage sites throughout Indonesia. Using a Qualitative Interpretive approach in the study of visual culture, this study analyzes the visual identity system, including the logo, complete graphic elements, and identity guidelines. This study does not analyze aesthetic qualities but rather investigates how a visual form acts as a symbolic intermediary that translates Indonesian cultural diversity. The findings show that this visual identity constructs cultural heritage as a negotiation of diversity that is reframed through institutional narratives of unity and authority. This study highlights the role of graphic design in mediating cultural plurality and shaping narratives about cultural heritage in contemporary Indonesian discourse.