Altered Natives

Altered Natives – A Series by Galeri Gula

Magnificient pieces of art inspired by Bali.

Contributing to humanity – No matter how we live, there is always a way to incorporate giving back into our lifestyles. 

We are bringing back a sense of community and humanity. It is essential that we acknowledge that we are all connected, and all our actions impact the world. We share this planet. Therefore, let us talk about our cultural differences in an accepting and inviting form. It is about coming together and expressing and sharing our ideas. We need trends that bring sustainability into luxury, acting in the name of luxury to incorporate giving back. We cannot deny materialism. That would deny our current reality.

There is a harmonious way to be in material abundance whilst acknowledging those who do not have it and seeing what we can do that will suit our lifestyle and what we can do to give back. Now is the time to begin this conversation openly and actively.

Galeri Gula is more than just a Bali art exhibition; it is a chance to be a part of something new.

It embodies the concept of having luxury and finding a way to contribute.

“Gula” stands for Galeri Untuk Lingkungan Artistik, which translates to “a gallery for the artistic community.” Its mission is to bring artists and art enthusiasts alike to open more intercultural dialogues and add more value to everyday life with creativity.

Suppose you are interested in an art installation at your venue. In that case, GALERI GULA, with its community and network, brings together multiple artists who are willing to join the project to build this unique original piece. They will birth an entirely new creation that various artists with different backgrounds have worked on. Therefore, it will be more than just an artist’s profile, and it is about the creative urge that they all work together for. That’s why we’re curating altered natives.

It is about the piece, and it goes deeper and encourages discussion, so people can start seeing art as a multi-dimensional object. There is more than the visual aspect, the concept, and the story of all the artists and what message they are trying to convey.

It brings us deeper into the piece and hopefully deeper into ourselves.

Altered Natives – Chapter I. Voyages

We are all contributors to each other’s creations.

Balinese culture is beautiful, and it combines many different cultures. Be humbled by how those cultures combined into one.

Perhaps this could widen our perspective on how we see the world by acknowledging the simple fact that this is a worldly planet.

For example, the artist Walter Spies has been influenced by how he saw Bali. He created the fantastic dance performance known as the Kecak dance to bring his vision of Bali to the audience.

This is human culture.

It’s the same with Hinduism.

Bali would not be Bali without the Indians conquering the archipelago, and art would not be there without the culture behind it.

We need to acknowledge that whenever we can.

We all contribute to each other’s art.

Altered Natives is an exhibition that will encourage open conversation about how we all contribute in one way, shape, or form to another ones culture.

We are capable as human beings to come to a point of appreciation for our differences. For it is diversity that makes this world so beautiful. May it humble us, knowing that we are not entirely sure of the whole story and of who has contributed to our homeland being what it is today.

Chapter I. Voyages is all about the Balinese culture and giving back.

This is the first chapter in a series of exhibitions, each focused on another concept. The different series of Galeri Gula will continue to evolve, and each chapter will be a completely different experience from the next.

Altered Natives is the first of Galeri Gula’s fine art exhibitions in Bali.

Revolving around various topics, all pieces of Altered Natives Exhibition are part of a family collection, resulting in hundreds of magnificent works of art accumulated over 30 years. The variety of art found in this collection is a stylistic and colourful mix of paintings and other artworks that have been in the precious possession of the Tjahjadi Family.

Therefore, the display at art exhibitions around Bali and the subsequent sales of unique pieces will find a cause that matches each topic discussed in the respective show. In this first series, Galeri Gula features various artists inspired by the Balinese culture and lifestyle; therefore, a percentage of the proceeds will support remote villages and families requiring basic staple meals.

Teaming up with a previous Bandita, Wayan Anggie, Galeri Gula supports Rice for Bali, an NGO that Ibu Anggie is running and managing all by herself.

To make sure that each donation is appropriately used, Anggie checks the living circumstances of each household to determine if there is a need before going to deliver the donations.

The foundational thought of Galeri Gula is the following:

They received magnificent pieces of art inspired by Bali, and that is why the exhibitions can invite visitors to be humbled by the variety of creations. In turn, a percentage of the proceeds goes back into Balinese society, creating the full circle of contributing to humanity.

Find Galeri Gula at Hyatt Regency Sanur

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Photos by @balifoodies