Friday, September 19, 2008

Can and should the museum commission a cremation tower for its exhibition?

We had our second Bali team exhibition meeting last week and we discussed what ephemeral arts we might include. If money is no obstacle, which of course it always is, we would like to see if we could possibly commission a bade (cremation tower) to be erected in front of the museum or in Civic Center Plaza.

What issues might this raise for people? I imagine we might meet with concerns about religious art in public spaces. Might there also be discomfort from the Balinese community about having a sacred art form with a very specific funerary function commissioned for purely aesthetic and cultural education purposes? What will we do with the bade once it is dismantled? Clearly we need some input from the Balinese community on these questions.

My first step will be to reach out to local Balinese advisers and specialists, and at the same time to folks I met in Bali to see if a) this plan is even feasible and b) if it can be done without making a serious cultural gaffe. Tomorrow I will have a chance to bounce this idea off some folks with intimate knowledge of Bali, as I am attending the open house hosted by Gamelan Sekar Jaya in their new Oakland studio.

3 comments:

baliwwwdotnet said...

it is a delicate question, as long as the bade does not given specific offering (banten pangulapan or banten pamelaspas and banten pasupati)it is just a structure made of wood and paper, does not have any religious significance or function but it may irritate some of Balinese since Bade it is inappropriate to use bade as installation art's product since it is should be used in cremation ceremony

baliwwwdotnet said...

it is a delicate question, as long as the bade does not given specific offering (banten pangulapan or banten pamelaspas and banten pasupati)it is just a structure made of wood and paper, does not have any religious significance or function but it may irritate some of Balinese since Bade it is inappropriate to use bade as installation art's product since it is should be used in cremation ceremony

Gus Dark said...

Dear Deb,

Im Gus, Balinese 26 yo, my blog is at www.artinbali.blogspot.com and my opinion about the idea is... please stop playing the sacred art with contemporary art which will causing Young generation in Bali or other place will misunderstanding or misinterpreter it, until the art itself losing it meaning, losing it sacred and "magical feeling" or we Balinese call it "TAKSU". Feel free to search and create something new based on Balinese art but please don't put the sacred art into modern or street art things, these arts have their own place... and we all have to respect it. thank you for your concerning about bali, I love Bali and Bali will always loves you..

sincerely

Gus
Balinese artist