Constellations: Global Reflections

Constellations: Global Reflections (CGR) channels the energy and attention from world leaders attending the G20 summit in Bali to the general public through 20 site-specific artworks reflecting on current environmental and humanitarian crises. Fung Collaboratives curator, Lance Fung, worked with the artists for a year to realize their thought provoking commissions and investigations of ecology, colonialism, and consumption amid the political arena.

The diverse and passionate group of artists in the G20 for Arts exhibition, ranging in age from thirty to ninety, include: Tony Albert (Australia), Arahmaiani (Indonesia), Dana Awartani, (Saudi Arabia), Xu Bing (China), Berkay Bugdan (Turkey), Genevieve Cadieux (Canada), Minerva Cuevas (Mexico), N. S. Harsha  (India), Kota Hirakawa (Japan), Ilya & Emilia Kabakov (Russia/Ukraine), Naledi Tshegofatso Modupi (South Africa), A.D Pirous (Indonesia), Paola Pivi (Italy), Liliana Porter (Argentina), Caio Reisewitz (Brazil), Thomas Ruff (Germany), Yinka Shonibare CBE (United Kingdom), Kiki Smith (United States), Kimsooja (South Korea), Ben Vautier (France).

Each artist offers personal views of the need for global cooperation and continued policy changes regarding environmental justice, sea level rise, ocean plastic pollution, gender equity and the return to basic humanity and empathy in this unprecedented exhibition. The highly visible exhibition may be seen in the day and night on Kura Kura Bali. Envisioned by Indonesian businesswoman, philanthropist and MoMA International Council member Cherie Nursalim, CGR is sited on Kura Kura, her eco-focused island in the heart of Bali.

Balinese textiles, lanterns, and Wayang, a traditional form of puppet theater, became the aesthetic inspirations for the exhibition. The 20 sculptures emit a quiet, reverent quality and act as beacons calling people from around the world to come together to experience art and act on creating a better and stronger future. The artworks, digitally printed on an eco-textile made primarily from recycled plastic, elevate the curatorial narrative to a monumental scale. Solar energy powers the rotation of the 20 huge, cylindrical lantern artworks and lights them after dark.

One of many goals for CGR is to celebrate the people and rich culture of Bali while uniting them with guests from the visiting G20 nations. All of the art in this exhibition, curated and project managed remotely, was fabricated within Bali. This ecologically sound and deliberate approach infused the Balinese people with a sense of ownership, pride, and employment. CGR aims to amplify Tri Hita Karana, the Balinese philosophy of life,” said Lance Fung. “Literally translated as “three ways to happiness or harmony”, the philosophy encompasses the three most important aspects of life on Bali including harmony with God, harmony among people, and harmony with nature.”

Following the G20 summit, Constellations: Global Reflections will be open free to the public. There will be an in person and virtual conversation on November 18. Plans of a publication and traveling the exhibition are in discussion.

Follow us on @constellationsbali or our website.

Exhibition Co-Organizers
United in Diversity (UID) started as a non-profit education forum co-founded in 2003 with MIT Sloan School of Management, University of Indonesia and GT Group Sinar Harapan. UID facilitates tri-sector leaders to create and implement sustainable solutions to the region’s biggest challenges. 

Kura Kura Bali is a 500-hectare canvas nurtured and developed to boldly paint the future island for happiness and investment projects and collaborations in leveraging Bali Branding. The Giti Group, founded in the 1930s, is the project developer. 

The Tri Hita Karana Forum for Sustainable Development (THK) is a pre-eminent sustainability collateral event to the G20 jointly organized by the United in Diversity Foundation, the B20, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network with the support of many distinguished partners. 

About Fung Collaboratives
Fung Collaboratives curates and realizes small and large international public art exhibitions. With a focus on relevant social issues, Fung Collaboratives collaborates with both well-known and emerging artists. The oranization’s curatorial approach is inclusive and elliptical often bringing the unexpected to their global audience.