Rainy day outing

Part of the lovely entrance ticket

There's never a bad time to visit a gallery, but rainy days are ideal. Yes, it's still raining on and off, much to the puzzlement of everyone. When we were down at the coast last week, we were told that there had been no rain at all. Yesterday also marked three calendar months since our arrival in Ubud. Three more (minus a few days) to go, so we are on the downhill run.

So once the heavy 'hujan' had eased, we headed up to town to visit Museum Puri Lukisan, the gallery just down from the Palace. This was another of the 'must visit one day' places as we had walked past so many times without going in. Ordinary admission is Rp50000 but for a little extra, afternoon tea is included and a little extra again, a full meal. We opted for afternoon tea in the small dining area set in gorgeous gardens. The museum was established in the 1950s, designed in part by Lempad whose works figure prominently. The other influential designer was the Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet who spent a great deal of time here. Puri Lukisan will host a large exhibition of Lempad's art in August next year with works being brought back to Bali from collections throughout the world.

The grounds are stunning, even in the drizzle. Four pavilions house the art that ranges from 16th century pieces on cloth (some in need of conservation) to as up to date as this year, more of which later. You could easily spend an hour in each pavilion seeking detail in the intricate paintings, drawings and carvings and reading the signage. We observed some Western teenagers obviously there under sufferance allowing an average of one second per piece, but perhaps they will return as interested adults one day.

Looking beyond Gallery 3

Sculpture in banyan tree

No photographs were allowed in these galleries but in the second area our viewing was accompanied by the security man practising his gamelan. Quite charming.

With three galleries down there wasn't a lot of time to visit the fourth, a new exhibition of young artists that had just opened, but we thought we would do a quick skim. What we hadn't realised was that the work was all in the Batuan style, a genre we had first seen and enjoyed at the Neka last year. Batuan paintings are still very dense, covering the entire canvas, but they include social commentary and have a Where's Wally (or Waldo, if you are reading in the US) quality. You could spend ages reading them and would notice something different with every viewing. These were for sale, and photographs were allowed. We would love to own one, but prices have already exceeded our budget. The Rp50000 catalogue was excellent value however as it has images of all the paintings and the text of the commentary.

And when I say as up to date as this year, this one was finished within a month of the incident. The picture is called 'Lion Floating Happily' and is by I Ketut Sadia.

We ran out of time, but we still have weeks to return and revisit this current exhibition. A section of this pavilion was devoted to the influence of one of Bali's most loved rulers, Tjokorda* Gede Agung Sukawati, who appears to be a most interesting and humble man. The memorabilia deserves more time than we could allow, and as there is nothing I can find on the Internet about him other than passing reference such as this list of monarchs, a few images and reference to a book he has written perhaps it's time for even Wikipedia to catch up.

More paintings from Batuan below:

Harley Rally (detail) by I Ketut Manggi

Benoa Beach* (detail) by Dewa Ketut Margawa

Funeral ceremony (detail) by Ni Wayan Merti

 *Modern spelling = Cokorda. C is always prounced Ch in Bahasa Indonesia.
** Benoa Bay is the site of a controversial plan to reclaim part of the harbour and construct a F1 racing track and a Disneyland 'attraction'.

A walk through Indonesia

Yesterday we traversed Indonesia from east to west and also through time. The journey started last week  on the way to Candidasa. We had passed a sign saying that the Indonesian Cultural Heritage Center was up a side road. Interesting, we thought, we might come back later and check that out. We probably would have at some stage, but yesterday morning in my inbox the latest newsletter from Bali Update included this item. That clinched it - a brand new museum to be visited before the crowds discovered it, and only about a half-hour drive away.

We weren't really sure what to expect. As we approached the site it was clear that it was still unfinished as workers were visible everywhere, however the welcome at the front desk was warm and clearly they were open for business. Even better, entry* is half price for the first month.

As we were guided down a sweeping driveway we could see that initial appearances were indeed deceiving. Fifteen hectares have been devoted to fulfilling a long-held dream for the creator,  Ir. Santosa Senengsyah, and no expense has been spared. We got the impression that only a few people had been through in the short time (mere days) that the centre had been open as our welcome could not have been warmer. The two charming young people who were appointed as our guides turned out to be Grace and Edward, two of Pak Santosa's four children who share his vision. No wonder they were so well informed!

The concept is grand in every way: to document and preserve the cultural heritage of Indonesia's 34 provinces from East Nusa Tenggara to Aceh.** Why Bali for this project? Because it is the province visited by most people, and therefore the most suitable place for a major attraction.*** Why in Siden village, east of Gianyar? Because East Bali needs an economic stimulus to draw people to the area, and the centre will provide work for 200 people.

As Grace and Edward took is through the complex we passed Stone Age and Bronze Age Indonesia, and a scale model of Borobodur before reaching the first of many small compounds containing housing typical of the region. The diversity of the archipelago became quickly apparent, from the huts of West Papua, the longhouses of Kalimantan to the heavily Dutch-influenced dwellings of old Jakarta. One (and unfortunately I have forgotten from where) is one of only three examples of a particular style of housing still in existence. The other two, in situ, are in such poor condition that they are unlikely to survive. Conservation, preservation, information, inspiration should be the mantra of Taman Nusa.

At one stage (and we had been there for ages) Grace took a call and I had to smile as I heard her say (in Bahasa Indonesia) that 'we were in Kalimantan'. I was wishing. Part of Pak Santosa's vision is to inspire people to appreciate the rich culture of provinces other than Bali and encourage them to visit. The bug had already bitten both of us. Why hadn't we seen more than Lombok and Bali? Well, it's not too late.

As we continued our hands-on tour, visiting dwellings of many shapes and sizes furnished appropriately, we were entertained by traditional music and dance of the relevant region. Refreshments can be obtained at any of 11 stops with toilet facilities along the way.

Not long after Grace's telephone call we were joined by a man who she introduced as her father, the person behind the dream. As if it were not honour enough to be shown around by the younger generation, we were then accompanied by Pak Santosa himself. His passion is evident in his words as well as his actions in creating this marvellous site. He revealed that there happened to be a TV crew there and would we consent to be interviewed? No hesitation if it was to be a radio interview for me, but I had lost all pretence of cool, calm elegance in the heat and vanity demanded that only Eddie face the cameras. He didn't have to feign enthusiasm in his assessment of Taman Nusa.

In an unexpected and delightful turn of events, Pak Santosa asked us to join him, his wife and all four children (Alison and Robert as well as Grace and Edward) to be their guests for lunch in the very beautiful restaurant. Of course, it was delicious Indonesian food, and very welcome.

I could go on for pages. There is still a lot to be done before the vision is fully realised, but in many respects this was a terrific time to visit. It was possible to see in the site what was evident in Pak Santosa's vision - how much had been achieved, in his country and his project,  but also what the future holds. A library and a museum are yet to be completed  as is a model railway housed in a replica of Stasiun Kota Jakarta, an art deco building. Edward described what was unique about the model railway but I didn't really appreciate the finer details, not being a railway buff.

We came away not only impressed with what has been achieved so far at Taman Nusa, but with the unity of a family determined to achieve the dream of a charming, humble man. What a gift for Bali. What a gift for Indonesia. Australians need to know much more than we do about our nearest and largest neighbour. Here is an excellent starting point.

Eddie had his 10 seconds of fame. They didn't quite get his name right though, so that's probably the end of his TV career. But the program did Taman Nusa proud. It deserves to become a premier tourist attraction.

Another of those special days! We keep having them. And our thanks to the family for their generous hospitality.

* Normal adult admission is USD50. It may sound a lot but you could spend five hours here easily. Anything less than two hours could not possibly do Taman Nusa justice. Our half-price admission proved to be excellent value, but we would not have regretted paying full price once we had experienced all that was on offer.
**The provinces are further divided into regencies, of which Bali has eight. The Gianyar regency includes Ubud, but the administrative capital is the city of Gianyar.
*** And a far more relevant attraction than a current controversial proposal to reclaim part of Benoa Bay for a F1 racing circuit and Disneyland. There is a lot of opposition. Fortunately.

The village of Mas

On Tuesday night we listened to environmentalist Emerald Starr talk about sustainability in Bali and came away quite depressed. While I continue to figure out my reaction to the information he presented, an easier post is to write about Mas. 

On our way to Sukawati market last week for our shopping expedition, we drove through areas that we hadn't explored for a while, including the village of Mas. It seemed like time to return. Once, not so long ago, all the villages that comprise Ubud were distinct identities but these days they tend to run into each other along the busy roads. Unless you keep your eyes open it is easy to miss the stone markers on the roadside that herald the start of each village.

In days past Mas was famous for being a wood carving village. Carving is still the primary craft, but mask making and glass blowing have become important too. Mas is also home to the Setia Darma, the House of Masks and Puppets, which is an interesting event space as well as a museum. 

We are finding lack of independent transport a real hindrance to getting out and about so we are investigating rental options but have made no decision yet. We therefore took transport and asked the driver to drop us off at what we thought was the start of the village so that we could amble and explore. It turned out that we were at the tail end of Peliatan, but no matter it wasn't far to the Mas marker. We found Waroeng Bernadette and Ubud Deli along the way, places we had heard good things about and later wished we had availed ourselves of. If possible, the pavements and roads were even worse here than areas we are more familiar with. 

The general wares of Peliatan soon gave way to vast timber storehouses and furniture showrooms. So much timber and how much of it sustainably harvested? There's no way of knowing. Huge pieces of cut and polished tree trunks were chalked with their destinations - Brisbane, Australia; Paris, France. Artisans work close to the pavements chipping and carving the timber into incredible shapes. We stopped at one, watching for a long time, chatting to a friendly and informative local man who appeared to be in charge. We learned of the process. Men in this village learn to carve from a very early age, but refine their skills for three years at a carving school. Some then get jobs working in big places like this. A master craftsman reads the wood to determine what it will become and makes the basic shape. The 'apprentices' then use their tools to allow the wood to give up its secret - it may be a horse, a dolphin, a goddess or, as we saw, a sow and her piglets. 

All quite wonderful to watch. The finishing off, smoothing and polishing, is done by women. Nothing is wasted - even massive root systems can be made into something incredibly beautiful.

Factory upon factory, gallery upon gallery - so much wood and quite overwhelming. You can't imagine that it can all be sold but the artistry cannot be denied.

Further along the road we investigated a lovely older building with intriguing objects in the window. Amaly Gallery is run by Ketut and his wife, the collection of antiquities having been gathered by Ketut's father over many years.

The vast space, upstairs and down and a little faded these days, is filled with beautiful fabrics and objects. We spent well over an hour looking and admiring, with Ketut patiently explaining function and origin. It was like wandering through a private museum. Our money would have been of more practical use than our interest but Ketut didn't seem to mind that we were just looking. We chatted with his wife and his two small daughters and promised to return. I hope that it is a promise that we can keep. If you are in the market for something old and lovely, the place isn't glitzy but it is authentic, and well worth a visit.

More carving, more masks, more glass. But not too many places to stop for a drink or something to eat. My newly acquired language skills failed me when I thought a stall holder wanted $7 for an orange juice when all she required was 70c and we had to resort to the old handful of money strategy letting her take what she needed. By now the heat was becoming uncomfortable and the galleries much of a muchness so a fortuitous passing taxi transported us back into town for a R & R afternoon tea at Kue, always a treat.

I have managed to procrastinate a little longer over writing about the Emerald Starr talk last week. It's a powerful set of ideas that still has you mulling days later. I'll respond soon.