Time is flying for Garuda mega project

By Putu Wirata

DENPASAR, Bali (JP ): Noted sculptor Nyoman Nuarta is confident he can finish his Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a 45-meter grand statue, on the eve of the new millennium.

Intended as a cultural landmark on the island paradise of Bali, the statue's construction, started in l993, has aroused strong criticism from Balinese scholars, environmentalists and the community, as well.

According to the Balinese people, the mythic bird Garuda is considered sacred because it is a vehicle of the god Vishnu.

The controversial Garuda Wisnu Kencana's project was initially planned to be completed for the 50th anniversary of Indonesia on Aug. 17, l995. Due to financial and technical problems, the project was halted for a certain period.

Yet, Nuarta meets the right momentum. He is now racing against time to complete his dream project by the end of December l999 in order to greet the third millennium.

Born in Penatahan, a small village in Tabanan, Nuarta expected his masterpiece could become a benchmark in the history of arts in Indonesia, particularly in Bali.

The grand statue is now under construction again and is expected to be placed on Bukit Ungasan, 15 kilometers south of Denpasar. The location is part of a planned 170-hectare cultural complex comprising art buildings and facilities, amphitheaters and forested areas.

In l993, the construction of the statue was estimated to cost about Rp 60 billion. The cost now, of course, has skyrocketed in response to the devaluation of rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

It is interesting to note that millennial fever has hit many Balinese artists.

There is a tendency among local artists to produce colossal works in facing the new millennium. Many cultural events and even traditional and family rituals are organized at such a huge scale to attract massive attention from the public.

Nyoman Nuarta with his Garuda project is one of the biggest and fantastic millennial artworks.

Another example was the magnificent cremation of the late king of the Gianyar aristocrat family, Ida Anak Agung Gde Agung, last month, attracted ample attention from statesmen, diplomatic circles, scholars, nobility and foreigners.

Painter Made Wianta is planning a performing arts festival called Art and Peace, which will take place on Dec. 10, l999.

The festival, which will cost about Rp 1.4 billion, will present a number of prominent figures, such as former South African president Nelson Mandela, spiritual leader Ibu Gedong Bagoes Oka and other distinguished artists and scholars from Indonesia and overseas.

During the festival, 2,000 female dancers will present various dances and other forms of performing arts. The festival will be highlighted by the flying of huge and colorful banners carrying peaceful messages.

The banners will be carried by a helicopter flying from the Kelanting coast in Tabanan through Sanur beach in Denpasar.

On Dec. 20, Sanggar Dewata Indonesia, a group of Balinese artists who graduated from art school in Yogyakarta, will hold a joint painting exhibitions in five museums in Bali: Museum Neka, Museum Agung Rai, Museum Rudana, Museum Gunarsa and Museum Bali.

No less important are the planned activities by students of the Denpasar Arts Institute. By the end of December l999, they will jointly paint on a 2,000-meter-long piece of fabric.

Made Adnyana, one of the organizer, said, "For us, painting is a spiritual process."

Art activities will take place all night long to welcome in the year 2000.

These spectacular cultural activities planned for the new millennium reveal a new phenomenon in the Balinese art world.

Nuarta with his controversial artwork Garuda Wisnu Kencana has encouraged other Balinese artists to create sensational and bombastic artworks.

This phenomenon reflects social and psychological change within the Balinese society. They have started to be critical of their social cohesion, which unites them in a collective bond.

Prior to the l950s, the Balinese people held enormous religious and traditional celebrations as part of their Yadnya, offerings and self-dedication to gods and the Divine.

The artists worked anonymously; they created an anonymous society.

One clear example was the establishment of Museum Puri Lukisan by Cokorda Gde Agung Soekawati from Ubud. He refused to use his name but focused more on his efforts to set up a museum to record Balinese fine arts pieces.

Times have changed. Now, many artists prefer to create works individually. Their artistic creations reflect their personal talents and ego. New art galleries and museums mostly bear the names of the founders, such as Museum Neka, Museum Agung Rai, Museum Rudana and Museum Pendet.

The works of Nyoman Nuarta, Made Wianta and many other artists are the symbols of their own ego but stand on the Balinese collective culture.

In rural Bali, thousands of sekeha art groups and artists still strongly hold to a communal culture.

One interesting example is the artistic works of Nyoman Erawan from Banjar Dlodtangkluk-Sukawati. In his creative process, Erawan tries to place himself in the middle of the collective and individualistic cultures.

Since l996, Erawan's performing arts blend collective cultures with modern ones. He grew up amid traditional circles but his artistic creativity goes beyond traditions.

Erawan involved local artists and the community to jointly create pieces using a religious and ritualistic approach.

"We should appreciate their artistic capability because there is no clear definition or limitation on one's artistic talents," Erawan explained.

In his performing arts, Erawan has always asked and included all components in his neighborhood and even Hindu priests to participate.

He uses sacred hymns, gamelan music and ceremonial offerings as important parts of his works.

Erawan seems to tell his audience that he creates profane art to achieve spiritual goals.

His most recent creation entitled Ritus Seni Erawan: Ruwatan (The Ritual of Erawan's Arts: Purification Ceremony), performed first in Denpasar in l998 and in Tirtagangga, Karangasem, late last month, startled most of the spectators.

The audience felt this artistic creation was a real ritual ceremony. Erawan successfully evoked the emotions of the audience with all supporting elements, such as the use of ritual offerings and the presence of religious leaders.

Approaching the next millennium, the Balinese art and cultural world will witness transformations but it will certainly record a number of significant artistic works by famous artists, such as Nyoman Nuarta with his Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue and Made Wianta with his Art and Peace project.