‘Kisah Rimba’ Tells the Story of the Forest Through Art

An art exhibit held in Bali, Indonesia, draws inspiration from Pulitzer Center-supported reporting and highlights the importance of forest conservation in the region.

The Pulitzer Center joined forces with Balinese artists in Indonesia to explore the power of art in creating awareness of environmental issues.

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The art exhibition Kisah Rimba, which translates to Story of the Forest, featured installations, artwork, and photographs that spotlighted different climate concerns, especially those related to forests. The exhibition was held at Dharma Negara Alaya (DNA) Art & Creative Hub—a building in Denpasar, Bali, established to encourage younger folks to pursue work in the creative fields—between December 8 and 12, 2023.

Stories on rainforests produced with support from the Pulitzer Center served as inspiration for the artwork. But more than an art exhibit, Kisah Rimba was a call to action for the conservation of valuable rainforests, its biodiversity, and the lives of Indigenous communities who call the forest home and depend on it for their survival.

“Through visual arts and poetry, Balinese artists in the Kisah Rimba exhibition respond to investigative journalistic works supported by the Pulitzer Center, expressing our shared concerns over the rapid loss of forests, vanishing local food sources, and the threats to Indigenous people's rights,” said Intan Febriani, director of the International Education and Outreach Program (IEO) at the Pulitzer Center.

More than 250 people over the five days of the exhibit attended Kisah Rimbah, which featured a total of 46 works of art.

Among the artists featuring their work at the exhibit were Made Bayak and Damar Langit Timur, a father-son duo who showed their individual as well as collaborative artwork. Bayak, who is a painter, musician, educator, and an environmental activist, also co-curated the Kisah Rimba art exhibition alongside Ismar Patrizki, curator at the Museum & Gallery of Antara Photojournalism and a photojournalist at the Antara Agency.

Artist Slinat, for his part, painted a mural that explores the connection between human authenticity and nature. And artist Gus Dark used caricature to highlight environmental issues.

These pieces of art were complemented by visual stories by photojournalists Ulet Ifansasti and Hafidz Mubarak, whose work focused on the conditions of Indonesia’s forests.

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Kisah Rimba also featured photo stories, discussions, workshops, performances by local musicians, poetry, and film screenings.

The opening talk titled “What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About the Forest” featured prominent artists, ecologists, and journalists. The talk, moderated by Febriani, discussed issues of forest management.

Panelist Ahmad Arif, a Pulitzer Center grantee, talked about his experience reporting on a Center-supported project that sheds light on how a national program threatens forests and the food security of local communities in Indonesia. 
 

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The exhibition was part of the #ShowMeYourTree Campaign, which was developed to highlight the importance of conserving the valuable rainforests of the Mekong region.

“A dialogue between journalism and arts,” Febriani said, “this event is an opportunity to spark discussions and actions to protect our forests and demand accountability from those who should be protecting them.”