Tommy Soeharto Scores Ten Stories: What’s With That, Really?
This image comes from the website of the Pecatu Indah development which has engulfed Dreamland beach and everything around it in the Bukit Jimbaran area of south Bali. The endearing little erection here depicted, called modestly “The Terrace,” will reach to ten stories. Count ‘em. Plus those “Rapunzel-Does-Denpasar” appendages on top, which ostensibly give this generic tenement block its Balinese character. The whole Pecatu Indah mega-development of which this is a part, has been captained since the beginning by none other than Tommy the Wild Child of Indonesia’s late, long-reigning despot, Soeharto.
Oh, just incidentally and not worth mentioning at all, Tommy was actually convicted of the gang-style murder of a high court judge in broad daylight a few years back, and managed to mitigate his sentence to nearly nothing, if he ever served a minute of it. Pundits proclaim that he paid a “stunt double” lookalike to sit in his posh executive cell while he gallivanted around the world, and I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if it were true. OK, nevermind, so here we have Tommy erecting edifices on a grand scale in Bali, an island already starved of electricity, water and necessary space to revv all its motorbikes, not to mention the Range Rovers, Hummers and Ferrari Testarossas. So Tommy scores ten stories plus.
Javanese Antique Furniture Enters the Realm of Fine Art
ICON Asian Arts (Bali) and Editions Didier Millet (Singapore) are collaborating to raise Javanese antiques to the level of fine art. The Bali gallery will host on 3 December 2009 two simultaneous events: the opening of the world premier exhibition of the Smith-Tirtoprodjo Collection of Javanese antiques; and the launch of a comprehensive illustrated book on the subject, Javanese Antique Furniture and Folk Art, published by Editions Didier Millet.
The Smith-Tirtoprodjo Collection is the most extraordinary group ever assembled of 18th and 19th century artworks in teak from the villages of Central and East Java. These masterpieces challenge preconceived ideas about Javanese art and furniture, compelling us to regard them not as mere objects of use, but as works of art in their own right. With their primitive purity, power of form, and visceral expression of humanity, these works hold their own among the most celebrated tribal art from all corners of the Indonesian archipelago.
Bali Quality Development: Alila Soori Survives in Tabanan
The Alila Soori project near Tanah Lot temple in Bali has had its challenges during development. Issues over land use (an opaque and intentionally obfuscating area of local law), and permitting (more opaque and more obfuscatory), had become a thorn in the side of the Alila development team. Well, breathe a sigh of relief. Alila is now emitting press releases heralding the imminent opening of Alila Soori, after many bumps in the road.
Known for it’s high quality, regionally appropriate and stylish properties around Southeast Asia, it seems a shame that Alila was given such a runaround on this development in Bali. While, at the same time, many horrendously mismanaged and ill-conceived developments of every stripe and type have plowed ahead unchecked.
I for one, welcome a reasonably sensitive, reasonably sustainable, and high quality new arrival like the Alila Soori in the Canggu-Seseh-Tanah Lot area. Now if only there were ways to rein in the more rapacious, quick-cash, destructive development elements at work all over the island.
Photography in Bali: Mixed Bag of Goodies at the Alila
Last night we attended the opening of a photography exhibition by a dozen or so emerging Indonesian imagemakers at the Alila Ubud. The show was a pre-event for the Bali Photography Festival 2010, (which seems to be identical with BLIPFest, but I can’t tell for sure).
The most impressive works on the wall last night were those of Muradi (above), whose original eye, technical rigor, and intrinsic involvement with his (her?) subject matter is extraordinary. The rest of the exhibition was not quite as strong, but the talents and potential are there. Bearing in mind that these are young photographers, I wasn’t surprised to see some over-obvious devotion to the global pantheon of popular imagemaking. I also sensed ambitions to get ahead in advertising. Much of the work exhibited evidenced a lack of courage, and perhaps too much concern for future commercial success.
In summation, I think these young photographers may be looking at too many magazines, when they should be looking more at the world, and with more scrutiny and an independent eye. “Toss the icons, trust your eye, and train it,” I would say.
Worth mentioning here are three other photographers in the show who had something tangible going on . . . Read more…
Jewelry as a Tactic: Madeleine Albright’s Brooches
There’s a beautiful and unusual exhibition on at the Museum of Arts and Design (New York), showing over 200 brooches from the collection of former US Secretary of State, Madeline Albright. Her use of brooches as signals in diplomacy was truly extraordinary. She drew from her vast and expanding collection to send a wide repertoire of signals, sporting pin-on insects, weapons, angels, and even a snake (above), which she donned for a meeting on Iraq in 1994, after Saddam Hussein had called her a “serpent.” The full story is in the Christian Science Monitor here.
The exhibition, which runs through the end of January 2010, coincides with the publication of Albright’s book of her memoirs, ”Read My Pins: Stories From a Diplomat’s Jewel Box” (HarperCollins, 2009). Photo: John Bigelow Taylor
Photography in Bali: Imagemakers of the Future at the Alila Ubud
Come up to the Alila on Saturday for an exhibition of emerging Indonesian photographers, “Imagemakers of the Future”. It looks very interesting indeed, with about a dozen young photographers exhibiting. Their work spans a huge spectrum of styles and approaches, so this will not be a boring show by any stretch of the imagination. It’s more likely to stretch your imagination past its present limits. Read more…
Bali High in the Low Season: Three Gig Night (Gaby, Oka, Warisan)
The gay mad whirl of the Bali High Season is supposed to end in September, but it seems we’re not having any of that! Last night there were three unmissable events on our agenda, and we made it to all three.
Korakot: A Direct Flight from Chula Kites to High Design
His grandfather was a master Chula kitemaker, now Korakot Aromdee makes masterpieces of bamboo using the same fine materials and craftsmanship. His work includes large-scale sculptures, lighting, decorative accessories and architectural pieces. Read more…
Tribal Art Special Issue on Beyeler Foundation Tribal+Painting Show
Previously, I posted a piece about the “Visual Encounters” exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler, juxtaposing masterpieces of modern painting with masterpieces of tribal art. It’s worth mentioning again, because Tribal Art magazine has just published their first special issue, a volume devoted to the exhibition. It’s 52 pages, full colour, with in-depth text, including a feature on curator Oliver Wick. Buy it at Tribal Art Magazine, for just $10.
Opera of McPhee’s “A House in Bali” Premieres in Berkeley
Tonight at 7pm an opera based on Colin McPhee’s book of memoirs, “A House in Bali,” premieres at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California in Berkeley. If you’re in the Bay Area, go. See info in yesterday’s SF Chronicle article.
I had the great pleasure and honour to see the world premiere in Ubud a few months ago, on the open stage over the lotus pond at Taman Saraswati (above). It was, in fact, a sort of dress rehearsal of a work in progress, and it was splendid. Without any expectation of anything in particular, I found myself charmed, inspired, enthralled, and took copious notes, intending to do an immediate blog post.
Audiences unfamiliar with Bali and McPhee will not fail to appreciate this unique operatic multimedia performance. Those who are familiar with Bali or McPhee will find even more to resonate with their own impressions and emotions. There’s everything here for the long-time Baliphile, and much of it strangely similar to our experience today in Bali. There are difficult building labourers, opaque banjar politics, woes, worries and scams. There is a classic love-hate relationship with Bali. There is even an annoying female anthropologist who over-analyses everything (Margaret Mead). Keep track of this opera, it will be around a while, and if you have a chance, go.