JP/18/SCULPT

JP/18/SCULPT

Hotel introduces sculptors to wider audience

I Wayan Juniartha
The Jakarta Post/Denpasar

Bali's fine arts scene is a place where painting, modern works
particularly, rule and sculpture takes a back seat.

To a large extent, the failure of sculpture to gain the
recognition and support enjoyed by painting is caused by its
unfortunate inability to shed the image, unfounded or otherwise,
of being a handicraft product instead of the end result of an
exhausting, creative process.

This has forced many art galleries in Bali to think twice
before organizing a sculpture exhibition. This reluctance has
further driven the island's sculpture into near obscurity.

From this perspective, a joint effort of the five-star Melia
Bali Villas & Resort, Bali Indonesia Sculptors Association
(BIASA) and Bali Artist Painters Association (BAPA) to hold a
huge sculpture and painting exhibition will certainly play a
major role in addressing the situation.

The exhibition will run until Aug. 17 on the spacious ground
floor of the 495-room Melia Bali Villas and Resort, which lies at
the island's tourism enclave of Nusa Dua, some 30 kilometers
south of Denpasar.

Melia public relations officer Evy Suryaningsih stated that
the event was part of the hotel's continuing effort to supporting
the art form by providing the space and time through which
aspiring local artists could gain wider audience and recognition.

The timing of the event, Evy said, had been carefully chosen
to achieve precisely that objective.

"August is one of our busiest months. This August, we are not
only fully booked, but, for several days, overbooked. It means
wthat the exhibition stands a good chance of attracting a large
number of visitors," she said.

"It doesn't matter whether the visitors buy the artwork or
not. Giving them a chance to sample the dynamic and esthetic
world of Balinese sculpture and widening the artists' audience
are our primary objectives," she said.

Largest exhibition

The exhibition involves 38 sculptors and 32 painters, the
members of BIASA and BAPA, respectively.

"This is the biggest exhibition we have organized so far --
probably the largest sculpture exhibition on the island, " BIASA
chairman IB Alit stated.

It features a total 350 artworks -- 200 sculptures and 150
paintings -- which, said Alit, was also the exact number of
hotels operated by the Sol Melia chain in 30 countries worldwide.

"It is our way of showing our appreciation to the management
of this hotel, which has committed its time and energy to make
this exhibition a reality," he said.

Ever since its establishment on January, 2004, BIASA has
organized or participated in five major exhibitions. The first
was at Pendet Museum of Sculpture, Nyuh Kuning, Ubud, and the
last at Singapore's high-tech center, Suntec city.

Contemporary themes

The exhibition clearly shows that a large majority of Balinese
sculptors have departed from the conventional themes based on
Balinese Hindu epics, iconography and traditional everyday life.

In their places are now modern themes of personal anxiety,
private longings and modern torment, expressed through a
contemporary set of symbols and metaphors.

Symmetrical harmony of structure and individual expression
replace the free-flow carving and communal symbolism of
traditional Balinese sculpture.

The results are distinctively different sculptures
characterized by their bold, unadorned simplicity of forms and
mathematical precision.

"Many of the participating sculptors have a solid academic
background, which explains their ability to use modern techniques
and to draw inspiration from contemporary phenomena of the global
world," Alit said.

Several displayed works also reflect the artists'
experimentation with new materials, from ceramics to recycled
paper, and new spatial and structural arrangement.

The exhibited works carry price tags ranging from US$90 to
$4,500.

in box:

Sculpture and painting exhibition at
Melia Bali Villas and Resort
Nusa Dua, Bali
tel. (0361) 771510

exhibition runs through Aug. 17