주소: Jalan Tegal Bingin, Mas, Ubud, Kemenuh, Gianyar
From the audacious dreams of a Balinese businessman, a space from which to fly off on the wings of fantasy - it’s the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, created 14 years ago by collector Hadi Sunyoto in order to preserve traditions at risk of being lost for the benefit of all. Spread throughout tiny wooden buildings known as “joglo”, the museum is immersed in a typical Indonesian village just outside of Ubud, where rice paddies trace the landscape. The museum holds 1700 masks and 5700 marionettes from all over Indonesia but also China, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia - ritual and religious objects but, above all, protagonists of the rich theatrical traditions that are common to all the regions of the area. To complete the collection, Sunyoto added pieces gathered from across the globe - thus, right next to the characters of Indonesian shadow theatre, we find masks and puppets from Africa and Japan, Venice and Papua Nuova Guinea. However, Setia Darma isn’t merely a museum - it’s spacious open-air amphitheatre can hold up to 500 spectators, desirous to enjoy some enchanting puppet theatre on its stage.
Dedicated to the cultivation of rice and the protection of the island from spirits, it is a temple with structural characteristics different from other sacred places in Bali. Its position is strategic for its centrality and coolness.
Located within a large forest of nutmeg trees, Pura Bukit Sari was built in the 17th century as a meditation temple by the son of the King of Mengwi. It is certainly an evocative place, especially at dawn, when the monkeys come down from the trees to feed while the rays of the early morning sun filter through the tree canopy.
Natural pigments & dyes in Balinese traditional crafts
Colors play a vital role in Balinese culture and identity: they are symbolic and their origins are sacred. Traditional Balinese arts and crafts arise from the interconnection between man, the forces of nature and the cosmos, resulting in a divine unity.
She is an artist who grew up in the intersection between the traditional Balinese culture into which she was born, and the contemporary art horizon with which she became familiar through her academic career in the city of Bandung.