The first Bali Art+Design Guide X Bali Arts Road, a pocket guidebook that charts a plethora of events around the island, ranging over three months beginning in October, until the end of December 2019.
The Balinese Pawukon calendar is not used to measure time; it encompasses smaller cycles within larger ones. Its purpose is to pinpoint certain days that help to provide a cultural framework of how the people may most effectively conduct certain social, religious, agrarian and creative activities on the most auspicious days according to their sacred beliefs. The month of October presents many appropriate dates to hold artistic events; therefore it is crammed full with art and creative happenings; unofficially it is the ‘Bali Art Month’.
The favourable circumstances of timing have provided the unique opportunity, and inspired the creative communities of Bali, along with visiting internationals, to present a diverse program of events of the calibre to rival that from the creative hubs of Java, and the popular JAW (Jogja Art Weeks) held earlier this year throughout the Central Java regency, and Bandung Art Month, that recently concluded in mid-September in West Java.
Opening of “Mahardika” group exhibition 19 October at TiTian Art Space, Nyuh Kuning, Ubud
2019 welcomes the publication of the first Bali Art+Design Guide X Bali Arts Road, a pocket guidebook that charts a plethora of events around the island, ranging over three months beginning in October, until the end of December. These events include exhibitions, film screenings, music, dance and theatre performances, discussions, open studios and festivals complete with the relevant details and appropriate maps.
“When I travel to other cities within Indonesia or abroad, I find having a guidebook focusing specifically on art and design is very helpful for discovering and exploring the local creative scenes,” said Suriawati Qiu, Bali Art+Design Guide X Bali Arts Road co-director and co-founder of CushCush Gallery in Denpasar. “There are many art and creative communities and spaces in Denpasar and Bali that are, unfortunately, relatively unknown to the public. Having Bali’s own Art+Design guidebook will benefit both our creative communities who are doing amazing works, as well as travellers and locals alike who are interested in art and design.”
The opening of Art Bali 2019 ‘Speculative Memories’ was highlighted by a fashion parade by the Fashion Council of Western Australia (FCWA) which annually holds the Perth Fashion Festival (PFF)
The Bali Art+Design Guide X Bali Arts Road is an evolution from the DenPasar Art+Design Map first published in 2017 in conjunction with DenPasar Art+Design program, a collective effort by the creative communities of Denpasar along with CushCush Gallery as the central activities venue. It set out to mark the city with its distinct character as a hub for contemporary arts, design and culture.
In 2019 CushCush Gallery collaborates with ART • BALI, the second edition of the annual Indonesian contemporary art exhibition organized by Heri Pemad Management of Yogyakarta, Central Java. Themed SPECULATIVE MEMORIES, open 13 October 2019 – 13 January 2020, it is held at the AB • BC Building, Bali Collection, ITDC District, Nusa Dua, Bali. The exhibition presents forty-nine selected works, consisting of paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, multimedia and video from 32 Indonesian and overseas artists who also reside and, or work in Indonesia. It showcases some of the finest established and emerging contemporary artists in Bali’s premiere; purpose-built international standard exhibition space to local and foreign audiences.
Seminyak Design Week – exhibition view
Bali Arts Roads (BAR) was an initiative introduced by ART • BALI in 2018 as a side program to highlight and promote the depth of the Bali art community through exhibitions, events and open studios programs throughout the island. This year it combines with the DenPasar Art+Design Map into 180-page booklet helping to consolidate Bali’s diverse array of creativity. This year the guide covers events and programs not only in Denpasar but also in Ubud, Seminyak, Canggu and Nusa Dua, during October – December, with over 130 events listed. The booklet features a QR Code that pinpoints selected event destinations on Google Maps to allow direct and straightforward navigation.
The guide also includes important cultural and institutional locations such as museums, government and cultural institutions, art and design educational institutions, cultural heritage sites, public spaces and monuments within the city of Denpasar. Some of the festivals featured are Seminyak Design Week 2019 18 – 27 October themed “Designing for a Better Community” and runs with a program of exhibitions, talks, pop-up markets, a design trail and workshops at Gallery Vivere and Uma Seminyak. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, 23 – 27 October (festival events noted within the booklet), and Kita Lo Gini 5 at ISI Denpasar, a student art party presenting artworks and performances 25 – 26 October.
Artists pose with their works during the opening of ‘Art Exhibition by Children Sanggar Bares – There is no Truth only HONESTY’ 12 – 31 October at the Nyana Tilem Museum, in Mas
Other diverse happenings include tours, Urban Walk Denpasar a free open to the public guided tour of Denpasar heritage sites on 2 November, Herb Walk on 27 October, an investigation into the edible medicinal plants and related practices, Basic Macrame Workshop 12 October at CANAAN X ROU, Seminyak, Curator in Residence, a program initiated by DenPasar Art + Design: In Transition November – December at CushCush Gallery, Denpasar with the curatorial conversation #1 14 December, International Conference ICATUS 2019 the first international conference on architecture, technology and urban sustainability 27 – 28 November at Gedung Pascasarjana, Kampus UNUD, Denpasar, Parade Teater Canasta, 23 – 30 November at Canasta Creative Space Denpasar featuring Balinese theatre communities and the Odyssey Music Art Conference & Day Festival 2019 10 – 13 October at Artotel Sanur and Artotel Beach Club.
Just a few of the art exhibitions during October: Natisa Jones’s Love is Never Lonely 5 October – 9 November at Tony Raka Gallery, Ubud a ‘diversion’ from her signature style paintings. Frequency Balinese Art, Culture and Rerajahan a collection of Balinese amulet inscriptions known as rerajahan by Jro Mangku Badra, displayed within an art context and created without the sacred ritual and mantras to instil the ink drawings with their renown mystical powers, open 9 October at ARMA, in Ubud. From 10 October – 24 November at Artotel Sanur It Isn’t a Whole a solo exhibition by Putu Adi Suanjaya, and an Art Exhibition by Children “Sanggar Bares” There is no Truth only HONESTY 12 – 31 October at the Nyana Tilem Museum, in Mas.
‘Jalan – Jalan’ Indieguerillas at Art Bali
The ongoing mission of Kemal Ezedine and Ketut Moniarta from the Neo Pitamaha art movement is to invigorate Balinese art by inspiring young artists to explore fresh possibilities within the technical context of the Balinese painting traditions. Drawing Bali Today opens at Sika Gallery, Ubud from 10 October 10 November. Sudra Sutra, an iconographical interpretation of the Yeh Pulu reliefs and related history by Dr Wayan Kun Adnyana opened 11 October at Neka Art Museum, Ubud until 19th October is a continuation of his visual representation inspired by the ancient Yeh Pulu stone reliefs in Bedhulu Gianyar.
Megarupa 22 October opens at ARMA Ubud with coinciding exhibitions at two other venues, the Neka Art Museum and Bentara Budaya Bali featuring the works of 103 artists, presented by the Cultural Office of the Provence of Bali. TiTian Art Space in its new premises on Jalan Raya Nyuh Kuning, Ubud present Mahardika a group exhibition 19 October – 24 November. Also open 24 October at Taman Baca, Sanggingan Ubud, Stories from Mt. Agung children’s stories of trauma expressed through drawing and poetry. Maladjustment opens 26 October – 24 November at Neka Art Museum and presents iconic artworks by Indonesian artists Arahmaiani and I GAK Murniasih along with Australian artist Mary Lou Pavlovic who exhibits her landmark, 2004 work Liar!
The audience at the opening of ‘Drawing Bali Today’ at Sika Gallery
Denpasar and Bali are increasingly developing as exciting and engaging destinations for national and international creatives to visit regularly, or to reside permanently. In recent years its art and design infrastructure has witnessed defining new growth. This provides more opportunities for participants to thrive within the burgeoning 21st – century creative economy while leading to a healthier ecosystem. These developments, importantly become a stimulant in reviving art and cultural tourism on the island of Bali.
Bali Art+Design Guide X Bali Arts Road booklet is available from numerous program participants distributed to more than 70 points throughout Bali and from AB • BC Building, Bali Collection, Nusa Dua.
Or it can be downloaded: http://artbali.co.id/page.php?p=bar
‘Sarinin Angkus Prana’ by Jro Mangku Badra exhibited at ARMA in ‘Frequency Balinese Art, Culture and Rerajahan’
Words: Richard Horstman
Images: Richard Horstman
*Author’s note: No part of the written content of this website may be copied or reproduced in any form, along with article links uploaded to other websites, for any commercial purposes without the written permission of the author. Copyright 2020
life as art asia 