Bali is the final destination of the first touring art and music festival, ODYSSEY after the event has been held in Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta since April. The debut of ODYSSEY is an obsessive idea to combine arts and music under one platform that requires inter-discipline collaboration for the reciprocal vantage that can gain the value of progressive homegrown entertainment.
It is a daring attempt to showcase emerging artists and musicians as the main course of the festival without bringing any A-listed performers during the series of events that has travelled to seek the potential talent of local creative minds. ODYSSEY doesn’t fight with popularity as the organiser, ARTOTEL Play focuses on nurturing local artists and musicians from the ground level by providing a platform to encounter the possibility for experiment and unique creativity.
Being part of the finale, ODYSSEY has provided an alternative space to enjoy lifestyle entertainment that gives a chance to build a community. A room to exchange the idea was wide open as the festival’s ecosystem created an interactive conversation between industry insiders and enthusiasts during the festival in October.
Under natural lighting passing through I Putu Adi Suanjaya’s paintings, a contemplative performance ‘Selah’ by Kezia Alyssa Sandy and Dua Studio opened the final tour of ODYSSEY after a long run wandering to shine the gem of Indonesian creative souls in the prior urban destinations.
Situated at ARTOTEL Sanur, ODYSSEY was started with a conference that invited industry experts in arts such as young painter Abenk Alter, the founder of Art Dept ID Amalia Wirjono, and the founder of Erudio School of Arts Monika Irayati Irsan. Held in the open air at the rooftop bar, the art connoisseur Joeng Ok Jeon moderated an unconventional conference that brought up the issue in the sense of building a career in the art industry, which concluded to a large opportunity in the line with a growth of digitalisation that has transformed the field.
“In the digital era, being an artist is not only a job in the industry. As the industry evolves in the near future, there are many opportunities, multiple career choice that is required in the art world. Research is needed,” said Amalia Wirjono who has vast experience in Christie’s and Art Basel.
From the artist’s perspective, Abenk Alter said, “Many artists use social media to publish their art or create merchandise to support the business, but we have to know what kind of artist what we want to be. We have to know our self and how to find a balance between ideal and commercial works.”
During music scene, disc jockey and Creative Event Manager of ARTOTEL group Bharata Yudha led the sharing session focusing on the development of homegrown electronic music with Ali The beat, Ibam Adam & Hudi Ardianto (Sonar Inc.), Johny Grim (Tantra Bali/Socasora), and Muztang (JavaBass/Goodfellas). Halim Ardie (Rainforest Pavilion), Harvey Abdurachman (Double Deer) and Fadi & Mikey Moran (Bali Praia).
The discussion captured specifically about the ecosystem in Jakarta and Bali as the biggest destination of electronic music in the country that needs to be improved through education, community engagement with related business, and experimentation. “What we have been doing in Bali Praia is focusing on education for young DJs or producers as well as helping them to enter the community and present their music to the public,” said DJ Mikey Moran who is also known as one of the founders of GoJek.
Meanwhile, Bali electronic music scene moves in a progressive way that uses electronic music as a tool for some good cause. It also counters the negative connotation about DJs and nightlife, for example, the creative minds behind Rainforest Pavillion Halim Asad Ardie spread the mission about conservation through mixing beats. “Bali is a good place to start this initiative. As the ecosystem supports us, we have been able to create a festival that promotes the rainforest protection from deforestation and invites experts to lead the conservation. Through music we also encourage people to join tree planting and live in consciousness,” Ardie said.
As the sun goes down and the day has changed, Day Festival validated the mission to marry both art and music on three consecutive nights. Opened with heat by Tantra Bali, the festival located at ABC – Sanur presented various performance including electronic beat from more than 20 local DJs including Candice Halliday, Sunset People Project, Darkbark, Fadi x Mikey Moran, and PNNY as well as a live performance from Asteriska, Floop, Rollfast and Wake Up Iris.
International acts from Wehbba, Tobtok, Little Boots, Oscal L, Rafael Cerato, Bolier, Alexander Alar and Marten Horger lit the techno vibes at Tropical Garden and Beach stage decorated with collaborative installation from Nus Salomo, I Putu Adi Suanjaya, Jessica Auditama and OUAUI. In the festival corner, muralist Zent Prozent performed live mural along art workshops creating wall decoration from recycled packaging while people were connecting with independent communities who showed up at the event.
Finished with a performance by Tech on Sunday, Odyssey sent big hope for local creative minds to keep the spirit on. Teaming up with Wonderful Indonesia, the event was a good start and the start of a long journey for ODYSSEY to spread the word. Next year, the art and music festival will continue to explore other destinations from Semarang to other cities in Indonesia.
