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| Art Gallery |
Bali seems filled with art galleries, selected locations in any major tourist area, Ubud, Kuta, Sanur and Jimbaran, and several other galleries are located in the city of Denpasar. However, from the many “art galleries” is more often regarded as “art shops” which since the 1970s and 1980s only to comply with the sales of works and souvenirs to foreign tourists. The galleries and the “art shops” in Bali was mostly appeared in the seventies and eight puluhanan whose orientation lots meet the market demand for traditional painting and neo-traditional. Some are interested in contemporary art, but they are more giving priority to the paintings that depict traditional themes of rural life the people of Bali, dances, cremation (Ngaben), or the beauty of rice fields.
Since the early 1990s contemporary Balinese artists have a certainty of success in promoting and selling their work. However, they are often still found it difficult to find a gallery willing to exhibit his paintings. Until now, the only place available for the exhibition is the hall of the Museum of Bali, Denpasar Art Centre, or some five-star hotel lobby.
Ironically, the artists of Bali is now a more traditional style of working has trouble finding a place to hold exhibitions in Bali. Limited places available for contemporary Balinese artists who are considered worthy only slightly in a few years ago. Now much more is possible if we are witnessing an exhibition of contemporary art in commercial galleries anywhere, and even Bali Museum, Denpasar Art Centre, a five-star hotels and museums owned by an individual who was more often an exhibition of contemporary art in Bali.
Along with the increasing number of contemporary artists in Bali and the lack of exhibition spaces, representative of commercial galleries tend to focus on contemporary art that have been there ten years ago was well received by the artists and art lovers.
In each year, an art lovers are expected to visit several exhibitions of contemporary art in Bali. Synchronize many galleries exhibition schedule that coincides with the annual holiday season, and the coming peak season for tourists. This time they hope for is that many domestic and foreign tourists, art lovers and collectors to visit the island.
Recently I conducted a tour mainly to commercial galleries in Bali. I decided to limit ourselves to the galleries that have a regular exhibition schedule of programs throughout the year.
Seniwati Gallery of Art is owned by women, bahwasannya first gallery in Asia is solely for female artists, was founded in Ubud in 1991. This gallery aims to expose the wishes of the artists in Bali which independent women, to train and encourage young Balinese women who hope to become an artist, and to facilitate the sale of works of art as artists are a talented woman. Seniwati Gallery every Sunday he held a drawing class for mothers and children, like that developed by itself, workshops, demonstrations, performances, and community art projects.
This gallery exhibit and sell works of more than seventy women artists from Indonesia and abroad, who were all inhabitants living in Bali. Artists who exhibit there have variations of style and excellent technique, from traditional to contemporary.
Ganesha Gallery at Four Reasons Resort Jimbaran formed in November 1995. There is more than seventy solo exhibitions and group exhibitions since the gallery was standing. The list that has been exhibiting there for the past nine years ago was like seeing a note that includes well-known contemporary artists of Indonesia, and many foreign artists who lived and worked in Bali, also given the opportunity to exhibit there.
Ganesha Gallery, the exhibition presents innovative works, paintings, sculpture, photography and graphic art, which ranges from traditional art style until the post-modern. In addition to the rather small size, the gallery has become one of the most influential galleries in Indonesia.
Sika Contemporary Gallery, the exhibition provides a creative space for artists who think of Bali forward (a forward-thinking), especially those already shown his skill in the art multimedia and anyone who lives close to the spirit of arts and culture. As the owner, Wayan Sika made himself an artist with a vision of an idealistic and progressive in the future. To realize his vision, he founded the Sika Contemporary Gallery in Ubud in 1996. The program focuses on an exhibition gallery and the promotion of contemporary Indonesian art. There were several exhibitions of contemporary artists’ works from local and foreign artists each year.
Sembilan Gallery is located in Lodtunduh, three kilometers south of Ubud. Founded in 1999, Nine Gallery directing a first place for the new generation of Indonesian artists. Collection gallery main focus solely on the abstract painting style and expressionis, and very careful in choosing to hold an exhibition that explores extensively about Indonesian contemporary art. This gallery held a solo exhibition and group exhibitions of contemporary art.
Paros Gallery, located in the village of Sukawati middle road between Denpasar and Ubud, standing on the moon in December 1999. Owner and manager of the gallery is an artist named Made Kaek Bali. Locations gallery became one with his family, and his home to create an exciting atmosphere in contrast with traditional Balinese architecture. Paros Gallery is an alternative place for solo exhibitions and group exhibitions of contemporary painting, sculpture and photography.
Jezz Gallery, located in Denpasar, the opening of civil servants in December 2000 held a solo exhibition of painter Bali, Agung Mangu Putra. Gallery owner, Gusti Bagus Arimbawa said, “We can no longer limit our role to the purchase and sale of works of art such as art dealers. Jezz Gallery to take a position that is far more important, an agent to facilitate the public interest that interest to the life of art and culture , in the mind of a broader healthy about this terminology. ” He believes, that the galleries and artists supporting each other. A gallery could not exist without the artists, and without a gallery, an artist chain is very important in linking his work with the public, both in terms of economy and dialectics.
Gaya Fusion of Sense, at Sayan open in August 2000. Architecture of the building is very interesting, the location of the gallery is located in a room downstairs and upstairs rooms there are restaurants with views of rice fields. Size very large, open gallery space as high as the ceiling (high-ceilinged) and natural light let in for free. The owners emphasize a diversity of contemporary artistic and cultural expression in an atmosphere that can stimulate the emotions and thoughts through the mind healthy. Organize their schedules so full, exhibitions, concerts, installations, video projection and dance performance.
In this visit quite a few other galleries well worth it, even while somewhat rare exhibition, Darga Gallery in Sanur and Ubud Komaneka Gallery, a commercial gallery that is considered only an educational focus on artists of his high-art and experienced in his life or study outside country. Two gallery promotes contemporary art works of high quality, including those from Indonesia and overseas artists, and each of them hold several exhibitions each year, as well as from the rest of the time there was this gallery focuses on the collection itself.
[Translated by A. Anzieb]
* The original text in Bahasa was published in Garuda Inflight Magazine, April 2004
