Every year, the city organizes a creative event called Denpasar Festival (Denfest) initiated by Bali Government Tourism Office. This festival comes from a synergy between tourism and economic creative as its foundation. It is the fusion where modernism and globalization meet Balinese culture and tradition to boost Denpasar’s cultural tourism. It purpose acts as display window for Denpasar’s best creative products. These products include expressions, creations and any contributions to the city. It is a space for people to channel their creative process and exhibit them to public.
This year, Denpasar Festival 2020 celebrates its 13th anniversary with the theme of “Creativity Beyond Limit” (Kreativitas Meretas Batas) and is going to be held for 3 months through online and offline platform. The festivals consist of activities and performances from food festival, virtual fashion show, theater, poem visualization, storytelling, sketch and essay competition, workshops and many more.
Other than that, there are exhibitions from different areas of art and culture, thus include photography, painting, sculpture and design. SHL Asia is participating in the design exhibition joining fellow architects from different communities like Ikatan Arsitek Indonesia (IAI) Bali, IYA (Indonesian Young Architects) and Arsitek Tanpa Nama (ATN).
IAI Bali exhibits award winning panels from IAI Bali Award 2019 including one from SHL Asia. Previously, Folk Pool & Garden—one of SHL Asia’s projects—have won IAI Bali Award in tourism accommodation category as a restaurant. Our panel consists of several pictures of the projects showing its overall design and ambience. Folk Ubud is a scaled up restaurant turned into swim up bar and backyard.
The design is very much represent the Ubud’s neighborhood where it is very laid-back and relaxing. While Folk was designed to be very rustic and exposed, it is still as Bali as it can get. Traditional Balinese buildings seek to be in harmony with the nature and the environment. It is presented on how Folk blend in with the surrounding through its humble concept and the nuance of familiarity.
Next panel is exhibited with others architects from Indonesian Young Architects (IYA). IYA was initiated after a group of young architects discussed their experience in Bali. With this exhibition, SHL Asia presents its architecture project, a contemporary villa in Seminyak. This villa takes on a more modern approach design with a touch of Balinese architecture element.
It has soft tone colors like white, pastel blue and natural wood. SHL Asia focuses on the details of the villa that are channeled through its unique contemporary pattern and material. The subtle hint of Balinese architecture is shown on building typography with an inspired Bale Kul Kul (a drum tower or watch tower that is crucial in Balinese temple) and a Balinese entrance door, Aling-alling. The panel is aimed to inspired visitors about contemporary design without neglecting the traditional value.
Last but not least, SHL Asia’s panel in Arsitek Tanpa Nama’s exhibition area. ATN is a non-boundaries architect community in Bali that regularly holds informal and casual sharing forums. For this one, SHL Asia presents its landscape project in Ubud, Tanadewa Resort and Spa. The project is located at the top of the cliff looking over the valley in the back.
Its landscape was designed to be lush and tropical blending in with the surrounding environment. Other than that, it serves purposes to soften the massive and rigid impression of the architecture. The local culture is infused through the placement of various artworks within the resort—one of them was inspired by the ‘Moon of Pejeng’, a relic of the largest single-cast bronze kettle drum in the world and considered sacred by the local people.
Through this exhibition, SHL Asia wishes to inspire and reintroduce few of our designs to the public (shameless self-promo! Hehe.) It shows a bit of insight on how creative process happens and allows designers as well as other creators and artists to freely channel their creativity and aspiration. Watch this video to see more of the festival. (Spot SHL Asia panels!)