Ten in Zero at Art Centre

A group exhibition entitled “Ten in Zero” was officially opened by artist Pande Gde Supada at Art Center Denpasar on January 20. The exhibition will run through until February 5. The group consists of ten Balinese students studying art at the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta. The group came to Yogyakarta in 2002, and decided to form the group named “Kayon 02”. The Kayon are professional puppeteers presenting a shadow show symbolizing “the universe”, life itself, with the word Kayon meaning “hope”.

Through the group, the ten artists wishing to gain hope in creating art and to become prominent artists in the future. The Kayon 02, is the new generation of Sanggar Dewata Indonesia (SDI) which was established in 1970’s, more than three decades ago by Balinese students who learned art at the art institute in Yogyakarta at that time. Later on deciding to form a group for the new generation. Ten in zero is the first exhibition by the group which was held on their home island, Bali. All of them have been studying art f both fine art and craft art at the Plastic Faculty, the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta.
At the exhibition, the students exhibit their own art works. The only female student, Ni Nyoman Widya Prabandari (Riri) exhibits her work entitled “Chili” (Stoneware, 13 x 13 x 50 cm, 2004). I Made Gede Putra (Kajeng), shows his art work, made of teak wood, 2004 entitled “Mencari Celah-Seeking the Direction”. A.A. Ngurah Surya Wijaya (Kellyud), in this show creates a work entitled “Perjalanan Hidup-Journey of Life”, (76 x 50 x 41 cm, carpet, 2004). Through the medium of aluminum, 2004, Ida Bagus Dewangkara (Gus Apeng) with his work entitled “Wanita-Woman”. “Menangkap Bintang-Cathing the Stars”, (125 x 20 cm, 2004) is the work by I Wayan Agus Eka Cahyadi (Gatef).
The other five students displaying their paintings are : Tjokorda Bagus Wiratmaja (Cok Gus, Budi Agung Kuswara Gede, I Kadek Agus Ardika (Dek Kunk , I Wayan Gede Bhuyhana (Yande and I Wayan Legianta (Lawat) . (BTN/Lanus Sumatra)

5th Gita DenPost Award

In appreciation of Balinese pop music and song, 5th Gita DenPost Awards (GDA) was held at Nikki Hotel Ballroom, Gatot Subroto Street, Denpasar, last Saturday. About 136 Balinese Pop Song albums spread in the market (period of 1 December 2003 – 30 November 2004) were participated within the assessment of GDA 2005. These numbers were selected into 32 albums of solo songs and 12 group band albums, and then categorized by the jury to become the best of five nominators and finally up to the winner category.

On GDA 2005, Lolot succeed in receiving three award trophies for the best album (Bali Rock Alternative), as the best band group and most favorite band group. Dek ulik’s song, entitled “Somahe Bebotoh”, was selected as the best Balinese Pop Song.
The event hosted by Ayu Laksmi and Gus Purwa selected Agung Wirasuta and Dek Ulik the best male and female singer, whilst Manik and Sri Sumahardani as the best male and female newcomers. The Best Duet/group awarded to Tiga, whilst the best music arranger awarded to Eko Wicaksono, and the best album cover awrded to “Jingkrak-jingkrak” of the group Triple X. The best video clip awarded to “Cicing Borosan” from Badengan.
This event was attended by tens of Balinese Pop singers chose the song entitled “Ojog Camat” sung by Agung Wirasura as the favorite song, Widi Widiana as the favorite male singer and Dek Ulik as the favorite female singer.
The jury which consisted of Nyoman Darma Putra (cultural observer), Gus Martin (journalist), Gde Kurniawan (composer), Hendra (radio broadcaster), and Dodot (musician) voted the children album record categories; the best singer awarded to the duet couple Eka and Dek Sri with the album “Bali Ne Bali”, the song entitled “Nyonto I Semut” as the best album, “Rare lara” as the best children song.
This musical award event was attended also by Chief of Bali Tourism Authority, Gde Nurjaya and Chief of Cultural Department of Bali Province, Nyoman Nikanaya. On this prestigious night, a special achievement awarded to senior musicians and a man of letters I Gde Darna. Darna who is an artist from Sukasada, Buleleng, on 27 October 1931 named as the founder composer of Balinese song.
According to Adnyana, the committee leader, GDA began in February 2001 as an appreciation of Balinese Pop song recording. “I do hope this annual event will raise the spirit and creativity of Balinese musicians for better works in the future, and to haul up the image of Balinese pop songs as well,” he said. (BTN/015)

World Tourism Body Upbeat about Post-tsunami Outlook

Tourism officials from around the world met yesterday in an emergency session to discuss plans aimed at reviving the tourism industry in tsunami-affected countries. About 100 representatives from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) convened on this resort island for two days to unveil the plan, known as the Phuket Action Plan. Officials said the plan would focus on the “human element”, such as tourism-related jobs, re-launching small businesses and recovering visitor flows, officials said at the meeting, while hotel infrastructure would be left to other agencies. While all speakers acknowledged the tsunami’s short-term impact on local communities, the overall conclusion of the WTO secretariat was that the “tsunami will not sink world tourism”. “Speaking strictly from the standpoint of tourism, the human catastrophe and the material losses caused by the tsunami have been confined to a few coastal resorts in each country,” the secretariat said, Monday (31/1).
For instance in Thailand, while tourist areas such as Phuket were badly struck, other popular tourist destinations like Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya remain fully operational. The story is similar for other affected countries. In the Maldives, two-thirds of the 85 tourist resorts are operating or will be shortly and in Indonesia, the country worst affected, damage has been mainly confined to the northern region of Sumatra, while popular destinations like Bali, Java and Lombok were unaffected.
All this has led the WTO to conclude that the volume of tourism actually affected in the five countries in question will account for less than 1 per cent of total world arrivals. The WTO said the affected countries constituted a very minor section of the world tourist market. And the five most severely affected destinations – India, Indonesia, the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka – were undergoing rapid growth in their tourism sectors, and represented just 3 per cent of total world tourist arrivals last year.
Given such small market share, the WTO has concluded global tourism will only be affected “slightly” in the tsunami’s wake. The WTO has also retreated from referring to affected “countries”, instead drawing emphasis to the localized nature of the impact. (BTN/The Nation)