published 2017 Nov-Sept

Published November 2017

Like volcanic dust corruption is harmful though sometimes invisible

Artists shed light on unseen

Volcanic dust is not always visible, though is nonetheless harmful and indicates the serious potential for an explosive scenario. Volcanic dust is not unlike corruption in this way, so it is quite fitting that these hazardous though invisible particles should be in the air as Festival Anti Korupsi 2017, brought to you by Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (Anti-corruption commission), comes to a close.

Holding various events throughout Indonesia aimed at raising awareness about the harmful effects of corruption, Festival Anti Korupsi Bali 2017 is part of this nationwide movement and has been ongoing since September. The Bali portion of this unique festival has included a variety of art events by some of Bali's most engaged art communities including; Comic strip workshops by Komunitas Jamur and mural paintings by Komunitas Pojok, to video art by Ruang Asah Tukad Abu, Plasticology installations, music by Akar Rumput, film making workshops by Hutan Film Festival and many others.

Along with the general inspiration that is shared through art events and workshops in general, all lot these events have explored the theme of corruption in one way or another seeking to contribute to a culture in which grafting is simply not acceptable or at the very least considered highly questionable.

Lingkara Photography Community opened their exhibition entitled "Propaganda, Racun Serangah" (Propaganda, Insect poison) on Wednesday, November 30 curated by Arif Bagus Prasetyo, featuring conceptual photographic works by 11 photographers including, high school students, professional hobbyists, that express different aspects of corruption.

The title of the exhibition speaks to the idea of propaganda that tends to be associated with the political manipulation of the masses for nefarious ends. However here the concept of propaganda is explored in terms of manipulation in the widest sense of the term.

As their stylish catalog states: "manipulation is in fact defined as using one's hands to change things, and as such is not in itself ethically charged. How we manipulate things and to what end, is what determines the ethical value of manipulation. Likewise, propaganda, which is by definition a tool to manipulate people, can be used for various purposes. Here, we are using propaganda as a kind of insect poison for corruption, as we invite the viewer to reflect on this widespread and harmful behavior".

The 20 or so photographic artworks of "Propaganda Racun Serangah", range in style and content though they all share a kind of starkness and clarity that reflects the intention of bringing this timely topic to light. Ambiguity is something that is distinctly absent in all lot the photos though none of the works lack poetic beauty.

In this way, these artworks are a successful kind of propaganda, as they appear to be art -in the sense of leaving room for interpretation, while in fact, this window of opportunity for interpretation is quite small.

This lack of room for interpretation thus pushes these works into the manipulative realm of propaganda proper. In this case, the intended manipulation is for the betterment of society rather than simply for the agenda of a few. Due to the candor of the exhibition's title, it simultaneously invites the viewer to question how photography is used more broadly to manipulate for various ends, whether intentionally or not.

Propaganda Racun Serangah will be on display at Lingkara Photography Community, Jalan Merdeka, Denpasar until December 30th, 2017.

Two Photos from the Propaganda Racun Serangah exhibition

Cleaning up Lake Batur

Looking to Balinese wisdom for sustainable solutions

Rwa Bhineda is the Balinese concept of the opposing forces that together allow for harmony. The black and white checkered cloth used in Bali's religious contexts and beyond is one example of how this concept is symbolized, though as the backdrop of reality, Rwa Bineda is found expressed in countless forms throughout nature and culture. Another way to understand this concept is in the cycles of nature: without night there is no day and without the salty corrosive ocean there would be no refreshing rain.

Segara-Gunung is another Balinese concept that literally translates as 'ocean-mountain' and is intimately tied to the broader Rwa Bnineda but on a human scale. Segara-gunung can be interpreted in a variety of ways including as a shorthand for the cycle of water that rains down in the mountains, giving life to all along its journey and taking with it all that it not needed, to be finally flushed out to sea where it is purified by the great expansive sea and then evaporates back up into clouds that rain down again. As Jero Gede Tindih from Songan, Kintamani explained in a recent discussion on the topic: "Mount Agung and Lake Batur also make up a kind of pair of opposites and as such are deeply honored for their potency and the role that they each play in maintaining harmony".

Long before the Javanese arrived in Bali the indigenous people of Bali lived on the shores of Lake Batur and consider the goddess of the lake to be one of their ancestors. According to legend, long long ago twins were born from two deities, the divine twins were married and bore 4 sons and a daughter. The four family lineages of the people of Lake Batur are descendants of the four sons while the daughter became the Goddess of the Lake -Dewi Danau, explained Jero Tindih.

Today people from all over Bali also honor this Lake as a divine source of fertility and abundance, and tens of thousands of people come to pray at the temple by the lakeshore to pay homage and pray for blessings. Last August a giant statue of Dewi Danau was erected on the shore of the Lake in honor of her magnificence and though not directly related to the temple, this statue is a reminder to honor the lake both physically and spiritually. The government of Bangli has also been doing its part to honor the lake.

As previously reported by Bali Post (Oct. 30), the regency of Bangli's Agricultural Agency in collaboration with experts from Udayana University's Faculty of Fisheries is in the process of conducting a sustainability study regarding the numerous fish farms in the lake to determine how many cages should be there, where they should be placed and how they should operate. As also reported by Bali Post ( Nov. 6) even Bangli's military district is playing a role in honoring the lake. On November 5th, they took part in a mass garbage clean-up along with local residents along the lakeshore in the village. Similar mass clean-ups have been done by other communities along the lake recently both in honor of the eco-system as well as to prepare the area for tourism development.

Jero Cintah (or Jero CIn as he is known) is an onion farmer and fisherman from Songan who took part in one of these recent clean-ups and was so taken aback by the amount of garbage that he started to think of ways to deal with the large volume of plastic waste in his village. "Yes I and a visiting artist friend from Java have been experimenting with melting down the plastic. We finally found a way to melt a huge amount of plastic into a liquid that when cooled becomes a kind of dense concrete. We poured this liquid into two molds -one of a fish and the other a simple brick. I am really excited about the possibilities", he explained, saying that he hopes to create a production and learning center on part of his land.

"We already have a place to store large amounts of plastic garbage, the technic for melting it down, and lots of ideas about what this new material can be used for. This project could make a huge contribution to the plastic waste problem and also to our local creative economy, but we need the government to be on board, because they have the authority and responsibility for collecting waste", said Jero Cin.

He added that he hopes to gain government support for the project that would require both co-operation and funding for some simple equipment so that he and other villagers can start producing this plastic concrete. "We managed to figure out the right formula but clearly these tin pots are not strong enough to handle the heat", he said laughing hardily as he pointed to two large pots that had massive holes in their bottoms. He added that private parties are most welcome to join forces but added that government support is still needed for technical matters.

When asked about the sulphuric burst from the bottom of the lake that killed so many fish a few months back, Jero Cintah explained that sulphuric bursts were caused by the large deposits of garbage at the bottom of the lake that does not allow for the sulfur to slowly disperse into the lake, as usual, so instead the sulfur accumulates and then erupts violently. When the experts from Udayana University approached him about their study, he told them that he hopes they do more than just study the problem and that real efforts are made to remove the garbage from the bottom of the lake.

Jero Cintah also responded to the recent clean-up in Buahan with a little disappointment saying that he thought it was strange that after collecting the garbage they brought some of it to a nearby landfill and burned the rest on the lakeshore. "I already talked to the former village head of Buahan about our plastic concrete project. I also spoke to a member of the Bangli military district about it. I am not sure why they are ignoring this golden opportunity. Maybe they are confused about how to make the change.

One thing I know is that, if we want to really clean up this area, we are going to have all work together on implementing real solutions. If we want tourists to come and enjoy a clean lakeshore area doing mass cleanups every few months is really not enough- have you seen all the garbage in the area? We need serious solutions, based on real incentives and organized systems", said Jero Cintah as he went back to sorting his onions.

While plastic garbage is a relatively new problem it has quickly become a pervasive one. Perhaps by looking at the concept of Rwa Bineda a more harmonious solution can be found. Like all things in nature, plastic too must be given a place where it can be a contributing factor to harmony instead of a disruption to harmony.

While Balinese traditions address other potentially harmful forces of nature with a kind of reverence for their due place in maintaining overall harmony, plastic seems to have not yet made its way into this lexicon. Instead, plastic is still shunned, ignored, or shuffled off to where it cannot be seen. But as with other forces of nature, it too must be given suitable attention and acknowledged as part of the cycle of nature, explained the Javanese artist working with Jero Cintah, who is embracing plastic as one embraces a new friend.

Otherwise, the harmonious cycle of water as the primary sustainer of life, flowing down from the mountain and eventually out to the ocean and back into the clouds that rain down on the mountain will continue to be disrupted and will certainly have increasingly catastrophic consequences for us all. As one local priest said: "Hopefully the beauty of Dewi Danau shining in all her splendor on the lakeshore now will serve as an inspiration for all related parties not just for her beauty and grace but also for what needs to be done to restore the harmony of this important natural cycle that she represents".

Fish from Lake Batur roasting in front of fish sculpture made from plastic from around the lake.

Published October 2017

Abstract is?"" at Bentara Budaya Bali

How perspective is formed

Abstract art arguably started with the early explorations of Braque and Picasso with what came to be called cubism. Breaking apart the different elements that make up the two-dimensional space of representational paintings, cubist works started to refer to the painted space itself rather than the subject being represented. Picasso himself never moved into pure abstraction but interestingly, he did end up looking to what is called 'primitive art' for inspiration for the massive volume of work that he created over his life.

One of the things that is interesting about this is that so-called 'primitive art' refers to the unseen forces that take form rather that serves as a literal representation of the seen world of form. It is also interesting that cubism arguably led to further explorations into abstraction from artists interested in the formal aspects of painting as well as artists seeking to express something of the spiritual by deliberately not representing known forms.

The academic study of Art history is marked by a distinct prejudice in favor of art from Europe and America, often overlooking the history of art from other places except in so far as they have influenced European and American art. European and American art has of course also influenced art in other parts of the world, however even in the case of abstract art -which ultimately seeks to refer to universal forces, how artists from different parts of the world create abstract art is naturally influenced by the particular cultural relationship they have to the creation of art and their place in the global art world.

'Abstract is?', now showing at Bentara Budaya Bali, features art works by 7 young Balinese artists who are dedicated to abstract painting: Kadek Darma Negara, Made Kenak Dwi Adnyana, I Komang Trisno Adi Wirawan, Tien Hong, Ketut Agus Murdika, I Putu Sastra Wibawa, and I Wayan Piki Suyestra. Each of the artists takes their own approach to abstraction, exploring different themes and each has their own reason for choosing to express themselves in this non- figurative visual language. Some are more focused on the formal elements of painting while others monist this drop and choose abstraction as a way to express the unseen.

Although there is a conspicuous lack of Balinese iconography in all of their works, this is not to say that their background as Balinese artists does not inform their work. Art in Bali was until relatively recently exclusively produced in the context of religion-spiritual practices. The very intimate relationship that Balinese religious customs have with the creation of art cannot be overlooked in the reading of these young artists' abstract works.

How much they are inspired by global art trends, formal art history, the spirituality of art, Balinese customary traditions of art production, and contemporary visuality cannot be calculated or proven. What is more certain is that the context in which these abstract paintings were produced and all the things that inform their perspectives, certainly give new meaning to a form of artistic expression that has been around for some time and which continues to inspire both painters and art lovers, with its openness to interpretation.

Abstract is? will be on display at Bentara Budaya Bali, Jalan Ida Bagus Mantra, Denpasar, until October 22nd, 2017

Vernissage of "Abstract is?' exhibition at Bentara Budaya Bali

Nyoman Bratayasa's Solo exhibition

Soul of Nature expressed in water

Watercolor is a tricky medium to work with as it leaves little room to hide. Like water itself, watercolor paint shows even the slightness vibrations. It is therefore a fitting medium for painter Nyoman Bratayasa to work with as this talented young painter is very much interested in the subtler vibrational aspects of visuality.

Although Bratayasa often paints in acrylic, he has found himself increasingly drawn to the more ephemeral qualities of watercolors as they allow the soul of nature to speak through him as he tries to visually translate the spirit of sacred places and objects into paintings.

Soul of Nature is in fact the name of his solo exhibition at Maya Resort & Spa that opened on Wednesday, October 11th. The intimate gallery is displaying 20 or so of Bratayasa's recent works exploring the beauty of the unseen spirit that infuses the material world.

Many of the paintings, explained Bratayasa, were first sketched on the spot and colored in later, while others were painted from memory. In both cases, this young artist seeks to express something of his own feelings about the subject of his paintings. As he explained: "it is all about feeling, no two people feel the same things. For example, when I visited Pura Anantaboga in Java, I felt something different, something I have never felt anywhere in Bali. I cannot explain it, and maybe it is different for other people. I just try to let the feeling I had come through when I paint, without thinking about how I am going to do that".

This emphasis on feeling is something that comes through these simple yet profound watercolor paintings. Although the objects of his paintings (temple doorways, Balinese offerings, shadow puppet characters amongst other things) verge on the banal and have been reproduced by countless other painters, there appears in these works something extraordinary.

Wavering between abstract expressionist and purely realist there is a subdued sharpness to these works. Allowing the subtler vibrations of his own feelings to be expressed in the spontaneous movement of his hand across the paper, the vibration of his subjects is thus transmitted in a unique manner. Combining balanced compositions based on Bali's centuries-old artistic traditions, with the looser qualities of water color itself along with Bratayasa's fearless approach to uncertainty, we are given depictions of real and imagined spaces inviting us to feel into what it is that creates beauty, quite apart from form.

As Bratayasa says, what makes the objects of Balinese culture so beautiful is their intimate and inseparable relationship and respect for the natural world. This respect is expressed in 'The soul of Nature", in a refreshing manner reminding us that beauty is expressed when we allow the natural forces within us to speak rather than trying to speak for them. It is the subtle balance between order and chaos depicted in these works that so beautifully expresses the harmony that is all around us.

Nyoman Bratayasa's solo exhibition entitled 'The Soul of Nature' will be on display at Maya Resort & Spa Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur until December 7th, 2017.

I Nyoman Bratayasa and paintings at vernissage for "The Soul of Nature"

Artist-Priest Wayan Sumerta's solo Exhibition at Arma

Optical invitation to peacefulness

Apuan village in Baturiti, Tabanan is a special place for many reasons. For one it is home to two important temples: Pura Puncak Padang Dewa and Pura Natasari where Barong and Rangda - symbols of opposing forces in Bali, come to refresh their spirits and re-establish harmony.

Apuan is also home to several formidable contemporary painters, all of who have developed their own distinct style of painting while remaining nonetheless rooted in or strongly influenced by Balinese traditions, whether aesthetically or philosophically.

Wayan Sumerta is one of these painters and spends a better part of his time serving as Pemangku (priest) at Pura Puncak Padang Dewa. On October 1rst, Sumerta opened his solo exhibition entitled 'Damai itu Indah' (peace is beautiful) at Arma Museum's gallery of contemporary art. For the occasion Arma founder Agung Rai, Ubud palace's Tjorkorda Raka Kerthysasa, ISI Denpasar secretariat rector I Wayan Dana, Balinese dancer and Professor I Made Bandem and renowned art writer Jean Couteau all spoke a few words about this unique painter and his works.

Sumerta's paintings speak volumes about his personal spiritual journey, the cultural environment in which he lives, and his background as an apprentice painter. Like many Balinese artists, he did not specially set out to be an artist but was nonetheless bathed in the rich aesthetic heritage of this island. His paintings that combine personal, abstract, universal, and inherited styles are an inspiration for the future of art on the island and harken peace for all through the power of beauty, explained the opening speakers.

Like many Balinese painters, Sumerta did not set out to become a painter but was nonetheless bathed in the rich aesthetic heritage of Bali and unwittingly learned about painting from the people around him. Unlike many traditional Balinese painters, however, he was not taught to replicate the works of the master but instead was slowly influenced by the Avant-guard works of his uncle renowned painter Made Wianta who reached well beyond the norms of traditional Balinese painting to create abstract, conceptual and other types of artworks. As Wianta was experimenting with different techniques, his nephew Wayan Sumerta served as artisan coloring in the spaces of these early geometric works.

It was not until many years later, after many spiritually challenging experiences that Sumerta started creating his own artworks. The fact that Sumerta serves a priest in his home village is worth noting for although his artworks certain speak the aesthetic language of optical art -with geometric patterns and contrasting colors creating visual vibrations, the strength of his works lies not in the optical effects that they produce alone, but rather in the deeper meaning that these vibrations speak of, particularly in the context of Balinese spirituality.

The first painting that greets people as they enter the Damai Itu Indah exhibition shows the head of a barong and a butterfly that appear to be fragmenting into abstract geometric lines. As Sumeta explained: "this kind of represents my path as an artist, you see I am starting from the visual forms of Balinese culture, but the butterfly represents my own transformation and more generally the need for humans to reach beyond what they know in order to create new forms of the eternal. This eternal energy can take any form but I feel that simple geometric lines in contrasting colors create a visual vibration that points to this eternal energy without actually depicting it".

Early abstract painting and later optical art in general were also rooted in a desire to reference the eternal or spiritual unfettered by the boundaries of descriptive visuals. However, what makes Sumerta's works unique is that they do not depart entirely from a specific point of reference to reach towards a general or universal vision. Instead, these paintings remain tied to the Balinese cosmo-vision and visual language while presenting a new lens with which to see this vision. Through this lens, we gaze upon the beauty of the colors that invite an inner peace, the peace that is found in that subtle space between the material and the non-material -the harmony of opposing forces or what the Balinese call Rha Bhineda.

"Naturally, I see things in terms of Balinese Hinduism and the wealth of spiritual wisdom of my culture and I like to draw on this for inspiration for my paintings. I also feel that is important to explore beyond the confines of my cocoon so that like the butterfly, I can pollinate the flowers allowing the fruits and vegetables to nourish us all", explained the artist-priest.

Wayan Sumerta's solo exhibition 'Damai Itu Indah' (Peace is beautiful) will be on display at Arma Museum on Jalan Raya Pengosekan, Ubud from October 1 to 31.

"Sawah" by Wayan Sumerta's solo exhibition "Indah Itu Damai" at Arma Museum

Published September 2017

Theatrical Film 'Rahim'

old language for new voice of Indonesian Cinema

Indonesia has an exceptionally rich and varied performing arts heritage going back thousands of years, drawing on innumerable customary ways of life, world views, and both maritime and agricultural practices. To this day each region of every island of the archipelago has its own unique storytelling tradition many of which continue to evolve with great dynamism. Indonesian cinema however is still struggling to find its own unique voice.

Whereas Indonesia's storytelling history is strongly rooted in open spaces, theatrical presentations involving song dance, and visual arts as well as varying degrees of audience participation, the medium of film requires a relatively closed space and a passive experience for the spectator. Film however also allows for a wider range of possibilities in terms of manipulating time, space, and other dimensions, including characters. Given the wealth that Indonesian artists have to draw on from their own artist heritages, there is certainly a lot of room for these two art forms to come together in unprecedented ways.

In fact, it is this idea that has captured the imagination of renowned Balinese writer, activist, and performer Cok Sawitri and film director Adrian Tan who are presently collaborating on an experimental theatrical film project entitled 'Rahim', that explicitly seeks to explore how a film can be made using distinctly theatrical devices. Sawitri first approached Tan with the idea of creating a new type of movie that would draw strongly on the theatrical traditions of Indonesia but also unitize the unique aspects of the film to present a new genre of cinema.

Cok Sawitri 's script for 'Rahim' was originally written as a monologue, which made it all the more interesting to work with for this project, explained Tan. The monologist nature of film represented by this script would be transformed into more of a dialogue for the theatrical film. This dialogue, however, though spoken by different characters in fact suggests a kind of inner dialogue within the character of Nagari. The script for Rahim (Womb) tells the story of a woman's struggle to face her own externalized inner demons and invites the audience to look beyond judgments of differences, to feel their way towards generalized compassion for themselves and others. The womb after all represents the common source from which we all come.

Although shot scene by scene as films are, Rahim is taking a unique approach to this process. On September 21, Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets hosted a theatrical presentation of the shooting of three scenes. "Having a live audience witness the filming is part of our attempt to maintain certain theatrical elements in the filming process", explained Sawitri. It soon became apparent to the audience, however, that this was no ordinary film shoot nor was it a theatrical performance as we know.

The stage area was separated into two spaces The first space included the seated audience, two television screens, and images projected onto the roof of the wooden building. The second space was visible to the audience only through a doorway to where the acting took place. Seated at a table, a lone actress is interrogated by (same actress different character) an unidentified authority figure about why she had her womb removed. While the live actress was visible to the audience through the doorway she was also being captured by a camera seated across from her through which her image was then projected onto the screens in the first room.

The non-present pre-recorded interrogator's image would appear on these same screens to ask a question and then the live capture of the actress seated before the audience would respond. This response was witnessed both live from the actress seen in profile and simultaneously on the screens in frontal view. Thus unfolded the interrogative dialogue in such a way that left the audience wondering if the woman was in fact being interrogated by another or if it was her own conscious that was persecuting her.

The next scene involved another live actress appearing as what seemed to be yet another manifestation of her own consciousness. With hair down and dressed in loose house dresses, the two actresses break into song but soon the one stands on the table and dances a kind of relaxed Legong much to the dismay of the other who tries to stop the dancing that she clearly takes as a kind of assault.

The scene brought to life a glimpse into the world of Balinese women beyond the pageantry and exotification that they are so often subject to, exposing the violent story that is seldom highlighted but is central to the Legong dance. The sub-text of this scene also spoke to the kind of subtle aggression that the exotification and commodification that the Legong Dance represents. The addition of song and dance into this scene added another dimension that severely blurred the lines between reality and fiction or experience and hallucination.

Before the next scene, the actresses did their costume changes and makeup in front of the audience, breaking the suspension of disbelief that is so highly valued in both film and theatre. Although somewhat jarring, this awkward moment underlined the fact that both performers and audience were in fact sharing a common time and space as opposed to the illusion of separation that performance implies. It is this type of illusion of separation underlying all forms of conflict whether internal or external that this project speaks to both in terms of form and content.

The third scene showed the interrogator chatting and laughing sardonically with her twin before they too break into song asking "and who are you?". The two continued singing as they approached the audience turning the question to the crowd. There was another uncomfortable moment as the members of the audience wondered if the separation between actor and spectator would not only be exposed for the fraud that it is but that the audience might also become subject to the interrogator's bitting question of the very nature of identity.

The show then came to an end and Cok Sawitri stepped out of the doorway to address the audience. With characteristic charm and wit, she casually explained to the audience that what they had just witnessed was in fact the outcome of the latest in a series of eight workshops aimed at creating a new type of collaboration between film and theatre. Unlike film which allows for multiple takes and clever editing, theatre demands of the actors a sense of responsibility for their actions or acting. Similarly, the story of 'Rahim' exposes the need for us all to take responsibility for our own actions, how we position ourselves on the social stage of life and how we react to different pressures.

Although the presentation on Thursday night only included a few scenes of the entire story of the film, the talented cast and crew managed to express something essentially human about our struggle as individuals. The myriad ways that we seek to reconcile ourselves with both inner and outer conditions were clearly expressed despite the lack of a distinct storyline in the presentation.

Reaching beyond a sequential calculated and logical narrative the presentation nonetheless managed to invite the audience to appreciate our sameness as humans and in this appreciation of sameness to develop a greater capacity for compassion.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ruslan Wiryadi

Religion, art, healing,

The changing face of tourism in Ubud

Ubud has become a world-famous tourist destination based on its wealth of cultural and religious customs and the artistic renaissance that was born from these. The face of tourism in Ubud has certainly changed over the years. At first, foreign visitors were attracted by the elaborate religious ceremonies and associated customs supported by the local kingdom. The incredible displays of color, sound, scent, carvings, dances, and other aspects of what in the west is called art, used to be created solely for religious purposes. Under the influence of foreign artists, access to more varied materials, and a developing market for art through tourism, secular artistic practices began to emerge and soon flourished in Ubud.

This in turn attracted more foreign visitors who came to Ubud to see the vast array of art being produced here and to try their hand at some of the local craft techniques. Ubud became then became known as a hotbed of creativity with artists from all over the world being drawn to the general atmosphere that encouraged artistic expression rooted in deeper spiritual meaning. In recent years, it is this spiritual meaning that has come to the forefront of tourism in Ubud. Now yoga and all manner of healing modalities old and new are what many people seek on their journey to this international village. Art and local ceremonies remain important and great food and shopping also play rather central roles in Ubud's current tourism landscape.

Wayan Arka is a 65-year-old native of Ubud who has witnessed these changes firsthand. Pak Arka grew up in a family of farmers who could not afford to send him to school past grade 5. So at 9 years old, Wayan started to study art with his neighbor. He soon met Arie Smit a Dutch painter who had settled in Ubud and who had taken to teaching European-style painting to the local youth eventually giving birth to The Young Artist Style. After learning basic painting techniques from Mr. Smit, Wayan diligently worked to perfect these technics and after some months presented his first finished painting to the foreign artist. Smit was impressed and offered to buy it from the young boy. Wayan had not imagined selling his artwork, he was simply presenting it to the foreigner in thanks for the skills and materials that the foreign artist had provided.

After some insistence, Wayan finally agreed to take a sum of money in exchange for this painting. Wayan explained that he had trouble sleeping for some weeks after that, as he had never seen that much money before and was confused about what he should do with it. He ended up buying some art materials and so began his career as a "modern traditional Balinese painter".

Pak Arka has spent the better part of his life painting and bringing artists together (Suamba Artist Group) to sell their works in art shops and taking part in the regular exhibitions that Puri Lukisan organized to support local talent. In the 1980s, the local government provided very low-interest loans to artist groups so that they could buy the materials needed to create their world-renown works of art. Traditional Balinese Style Painting flourished in Ubud with many artists and artists groups earning a living from their art works. Puri Lukisan Ubud played and continues to play a central role in supporting artists from Ubud and surrounding villages (Mas, Batuan, Pengosekan, Keliki, ETC.) by presenting their works to a wider public.

In the 1980's Mr. Arka, was sent to Jakarta to represent young Balinese artists and eventually served in various community leadership roles associated with art and other customary activities. As the art market started to flail in the early 2000s, Arka and other artists returned to more agricultural-based businesses like raising ducks though a few art shops still manage to survive.

In the last few years as tourists have become less interested in buying art and more interested in personal experiences, Mr. Arka and his son decided to turn their home on Jl. Suweta into a homestay. Mr. Arka's son who grew up in rather different conditions than his father helped to design these accommodations to suit the needs of contemporary travelers. They still have an incredible collection of Modern Traditional Balinese paintings in their small gallery but Mr. Arka no longer paints as he has become busy tending to their guests.

The religious customs from which Balinese painting was born are still a strong attractive force for tourism, but today many tourists come to Ubud for peace of mind rather than to collect or create art. There is however also a new generation of Balinese painters creating works that are strongly influenced by the aesthetic style of their ancestors and also strongly responding to contemporary situations and challenges.

How Balinese painting and the market that contributed to its flourishing will evolve remains for time to tell. What is clear is that even though many tourists come to Ubud to shop and enjoy the vast array of culinary delights on offer, the main things that attract visitors to Ubud are still intimately related to the healing power of religious-based art and other associated customs.

How the people of Ubud experience and react to the changing demands of tourism is varied, though most would agree that promoting and maintaining harmony remains fundamental. For Mr. Akra, these changes mean that he spends more time telling stories about Bali's rich cultural heritage and arranging for visitors to experience some of these firsthand, than he does creating paintings than depict this heritage.

His son is more interested in the practical aspects of how to provide general comfort to visitors and is perhaps still grappling with how to balance providing creature comforts while simultaneously inviting people to step outside of their comfort zone into a way of being in the world that has kept Ubud so harmonious that people from all over the world seek refuge here. There is little question that the art and culture of Ubud have tremendous value both socially and economically. What is in question is how the art and culture of Ubud can remain firmly rooted in the spiritual harmony that made it famous as the next generation becomes increasingly focused on short-term profits.

I wayan Arka in his family compound with numerous Ubud-Style paintings

Leviathan Lamalera: monsters, whales, and multimedia

Eastern Flores comes to Bali

Leviathan is the name given to a giant underworld monster from the bible and Lamalera is a small village on the island of Lembata off the eastern tip of Flores known for being home to traditional sea mammal hunters. Leviathan Lamalera is the name of Prehistoric Soul's multimedia art and social exchange project led by Javanese artist and anthropologist Jns Sestakresna exploring the giant threats facing these island people.

For many hundreds of years, the men of Lamalera have been setting off on small wooden boats to hunt numerous sea mammals including giant whales. The whale hunt for which they have become known is conducted as part of their overreaching cosmo-vision and although the people of Lamalera are now Christian, they still practice many of their cultural customs as a way to maintain harmony. The women of Lamalera are avid weavers who still use natural dyes to color their hand-spun yarn, They do not join the men at sea but they do play a role in the whale hunt and every single person in Lamalera is given a portion of the meat from the hunt.

The customs of the people of Lamalera are currently threatened both by environmentalists who protest their whale hunting and also by the tides of commercialization and tourism. For hundreds if not thousands of years, the people of Lembata island have engaged in trade with their fellow islanders. Those in the mountains trade fruit and vegetables for meat and salt from their coastal neighbors. With the increasing amount of commercial goods from other parts of Indonesia making their way into their marketplace come both benefits and challenges. In recent years, increasing numbers of tourists have also started coming to visit Lamalera.

Prehistoric Soul became interested in exploring some of these challenges, particularly in relation to how the younger generation can maintain their traditions while participating in the complexities of global economics and the cultural influences that follow. Focusing both on the way of life that is intimately tied to the whale hunt and other skills that have value in the global marketplace, Prehistoric Soul spent a month preparing for a multi-media performance on the coast of Lamalera.

The multi-media project involved constructing a giant bamboo stage that evoked the shape of a boat and whale, preparing audio-visual material to be projected on and around this structure using video mapping as well as scenography for the performers. Throughout the month, young villagers were taught how to work with bamboo, how to capture, edit and create audio-visual material as well as staging. Through a series of informal workshops given by the Prehistoric Soul crew, the youngsters learned both hard skills but perhaps more importantly, they learned to have a sense of pride for their traditions as a relevant part of contemporary times and how these traditions can be shared with others in a way that is satisfying to all involved.

The performance took place on the shore of Lamalera on August 17th, to honor Indonesia's independence day and the motto of the nation "Unity in Diversity. The elders of the village were honored and excited about the event asking the crew to return again next year. Following the performance on Lembata Island, Prehistoric Soul brought the project to Bentara Budaya Bali. On September 16-17, there was a video mapping workshop given by Jonas Sestakresna, Yudi Chandra, and Bimo Dwipoalam to some 30 enthusiastic youngsters. Actors from Sanggar Purbacaraka and Senja Theater performed the adapted version of Leviathan Lamalera to a full house on September 17 in Bentara Budaya's Bali's gallery that was transformed into a virtual Lamalera.

The walls of the gallery hosted a photographic exhibition by Dwianto Wibowo who had joined the expedition to Lamalera. Unlike in other parts of the world where unwed women lack respect and in some cases are fully ostracized, women in Lamalera who choose not to marry are known as "tata" and are considered valuable members of society. In the case of the whale hunt, for example, these women are given an equal portion of meat. The photos of the exhibition depicted some of these women and described some of their activities, including one woman who opened a small library to encourage young people to read.

During the performance, the audience was transported to Lamalera, experiencing the slow but steady pace of daily village activities and the dramatic break in routine that the monumental whale hunt brings. Leviathan Lamalera plans to visit coastal villages throughout the archipelago in the coming months.

Abundance of diversity in epic performance by Pancer Langiit

for celebration of Bali Post's 69th anniversary

Last night (Sep. 10), saw a fully packed house at the Denpasar Art Center's Adicandra open stage, from where every single person present no doubt went home fully satisfied with the truly colossal 4.5-hour show.

Indonesia is world-renowned for its truly astonishing array of diverse cultures, beliefs, customs, and arts which are represented by Pancasila's motto "Bhinekka Tungal Ika' (Unity in diversity). Although every island in the archipelago and each region of every island has its own unique and rich performing arts heritage, it is perhaps only in Bali that these could be represented with such shocking pageantry and yet remain deliciously palatable.

Bali's Pancer Langit dance troupe put together a monumental performance in homage to Pancasila's motto: Bhinekka Tungal Ika (unity in diversity) in celebration of Bali Post's 69th anniversary and in recognition of Bali Post's steadfast dedication to Pancasila over the years. The starling diversity of both the dances and other acts that made up this unforgettable evening was a most fitting expression of the contribution that Bali Post has made to this great nation over the years.

A brief though vivacious gamelan music piece opened the great event followed by the Balinese dancers who combined traditional choreography with distinctly contemporary dance moves. The honored guests then took to the stage inviting the audience to chant in unison: "I am Indonesia, I am Pancasila, we are all family". The audience responded with subdued enthusiasm but everyone's fist was in the air. Governor of Bali, Mangku Pastika gave a short speech congratulating Bali Post and thanking them for their contribution to the media landscape.

The bondres (traditional Balinese comedy troupe), then took to the stage where they remained, accompanying the audience through the journey that this evening was to be. In typical bondres fashion, they fumbled around making silly though cutting jokes about media in general and power in particular and continued in this line of social commentary when the "king of Bali", joined them onstage making fun of the powerful but also demonstrating his own power. After two Barong opened the journey and Goddess Saraswati in full regalia descended to sing her blessings for the arts, the three buffoons set off on a journey across Indonesia on the king's behalf to invite dancers from all over the archipelago to come and perform in Bali.

Starting in East Java with the mystical Kuda Lumping dance and accompanying whip-yielding shamans, moving onto Ponorogo's equally mystically charged Reog dance, then onto West Java's Japongan dance, the Balinese buffoons introduced and explained each dance and then scrambled after the dancers to give them their invitations. This continued through Sumatera, Kalimantan, and finally to Papua with dances from each region being performed one after another with impressive skill and vitality, elaborate costumes and props, and with modern stage lighting that created a somewhat surreal experience. For most people, this would have already been a more than satisfying show, but the night was still young.

After their 'return' to Bali, the three bondres actors were greeted with a performance by a local pop legend who sang and bantered with the young men before they reported back to the king who then presented them with a gift of thanks for their efforts. From the very heavens, the king had summoned three nymphs for the young men. The three 'nymphs' it turned out were aged European ladies who the young men promptly refused. The ladies (who have their own bondres troupe), would not be refuted so easily. Hilarious antics followed in which the ladies demonstrated their mastery of Indonesian, Balinese, and the ancient court language of Kawi and a brief Balinese dance. One of the ladies even threatened to use the very language of the gods before launching into a local pop song. The ladies finally decided that they would be better off back in paradise and promptly returned from where they had come.

Before the young men knew what to do, the gates of heaven opened again and a beautiful Balinese singer descended dressed in Diva attire and serenaded the audience. Two more equally beautiful and talented divas took turns sharing their songs. After a few moments of determining which lady would be suited to which of the bondres actors, balanced had been restored. A younger Balinese pop star then joined the ladies onstage to sing a moving song about his love for Indonesia. His heartfelt voice might have brought tears to the eyes of the audience were he not interrupted after each line of his song by the bondres guys and the king translating his words into English, Balinese, Japanese, and grunts. His song nonetheless managed to move the audience who cheered with great applause.

The journey was however not over yet. Another pop band took to the stage along with four deities who paraded around in the background as the young men performed. Then there was some more comedy which one might have thought was bringing the whole show to a close, but this was not so.

First, the two Barong returned to the stage, only this time they were soon accompanied by about fifty other dancers holding giant wooden cow bells with Barong heads who all danced a traditional west Balinese dance that was both highly rhythmic and visually mesmerizing. Suddenly we were transported again but this time from the world of pop stars, glamour, and young love to an ancient ritual that called us out of this time and place to a space beyond time and place. The entire cast of the evening then joined the Barong crew on stage as pyrotechnics were set ablaze and the whole stage moved back and forth in unison. Believe it or not, this was not the finale.

Since it was established 69 years ago, Bali Post has seen its ups and downs and as any media outlet has ventured into the grey areas of the socio-political arena. Most however would agree that this celebratory performance represented the dedication and perseverance that this Balinese newspaper has shown for its commitment to serving as a voice for the people of Bali as part of the great nation of Indonesia.

After the pyrotechnics were done and the Barong has been encircled several times, the other dancers left the stage to make room for the gamelan players to backup the full Barong troupe, and as the giant dance troupe resumed its ranks and the pulsating rhythm reached a crescendo, what some might call raindrops started to fall gently from the sky as if the gods themselves wanted to show that they approved and gave their blessing with a brief sprinkle as Balinese priests do to mark the closing of prayers and ceremonies. As the show ended, so did the light rain, and the satiated gathering dispersed into the night.

The Golden Fruit: Nutmeg, Manhattan and Dance

Arma Museum Culture Exchange

This year marks 250 years since the Dutch colonized what is now known as Indonesia but was then referred to as the Dutch East Indies or the Spice Islands. One of the main spices that enriched the Dutch and allowed them to have an artistic and cultural renaissance was nutmeg. Nutmeg was a very rare spice that was only grown in the Banda Islands and given its high demand and rarity had a price that was higher than gold. In 1667 the British traded the Banda Islands with the Dutch for the island of Manhattan and the rest -as they say, is history.

The Golden Fruit is a collaborative dance project that Ubit Iskandar has been working on for the last year and has presented versions of it in Amsterdam and elsewhere. Ubit is of mixed heritage with parents from both Indonesia and the Netherlands and is interested in exploring the interactions between these two cultures.

As part of their Culture Exchange Program, on Sunday, September 3rd, ARMA Museum hosted a presentation of the latest version of The Golden Fruit. This version was born out of a collaboration with Indonesian choreographer Aidil Usman who thought it would be interesting to focus not only on the Dutch colonizer who was trading nutmeg at the time but more on his wife who was 30 years younger than him and her interaction with the Banda Islanders.

In this highly poetic and moving dance piece, Dutch dancer Soetlin Jacobs, and Indonesian dancers Retna Tan, Maria Bemaletta Apilandi, and Tebo Aumbara explored their own personal lineage as a starting point to interpret the storyline. Searching into their own DNA for memories of the past, they brought these to life with dance movements that were evocative of distinctly Indonesian traditions and as well as the more stiff movements of the Dutch.

The duet between the Dutch dancer and one of the Indonesian dancers expressed both the synchronicity and harmony between the two as well as a kind of distinct difference yielding a mesmerizing flow of dynamic movements.

The music that accompanied the performance was quite rhythmic but electronic and was combined with sounds of nature. The sounds of waves crashing on the shore and the two shorter dancers mimicking movements of hard labor were also spell-binding and invited the audience to be transported back in time to the moment when these two cultures met on the shores of the Banda Islands.

The Golden Fruit expressed both a little-known though highly influential part of history and also brought together two distinct cultures in a way that enhanced both. This collaborative dance piece truly managed to capture the feeling of both cultures in a way that allowed the strength of both to meld together into a new unified whole.

Dancers Soetlin Jacobs and Tebo Aumbara performing "The Golden Fruit"