A major milestone in Indonesia's cultural landscape has begun with the launch of the inaugural FOTO Bali Festival at Nuanu Creative City. The groundbreaking event brings together 34 artists from 10 countries, showcasing a total of 32 photographic projects that include 241 prints, 3 multimedia works, and 5 photo books. The festival spans 23 days of exhibitions, workshops, conferences, and tours, establishing a new precedent for contemporary photography in the region.
"We are very focused on art, and the launch of the FOTO Bali festival particularly interests us, as this medium is a striking example of the meeting between the physical world and art," said Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City. "It is an honor to be able to count on such a diversity of artists and works exploring the beauty and curiosities of life. Supporting artists, creating a place for artistic discussion, and opening these discussions to our guests and partners is a way to create a creative space rich in meaning that we are eager to build."
The theme "LIFE" was chosen for its openness and the diversity of experiences it can accommodate without needing to be defined. It offered artists a space for reflection on what it means to live, lose, remember, and begin again. The works presented at the festival address grief, intimacy, resistance, and renewal, each shaped by the personal and cultural contexts from which they emerge. As the starting point for the first edition of the FOTO Bali Festival, "LIFE" seemed both grounded and vast.
"The curatorial process led us to works that make room for what is often overlooked," said Ng Swan Ti and Gatari Surya Kusuma, curators of the FOTO Bali Festival 2025. "We were drawn to artists who live in uncertainty. This process challenged us and asked us to slow down and stay open. What made this possible was Nuanu's trust; there was no pressure to explain, just the freedom to build. This is what shaped the foundations of this festival."
The exhibitions take place in three outdoor and indoor venues: the Labyrinth Art Gallery, the Labyrinth Garden, and the Poppers Triangle, each designed to offer a unique gateway to visual storytelling. The FOTO Bali Festival 2025 includes artists from Southeast Asia and beyond, such as Ali Monis Naqvi, Arum Dayu, Atal Pamo, Azkaluna, Carolina Krieger, Catharine Neilson, Divya Cowasji, Ennuh Tiu, Gabriella Morton, Gorkey Patwal & Anubha Verma, I Wayan Ade Saputra, Karolina Gembara, Kim Hak, Kresnanta, Lê Nguyên Phương, Mediana Tahir, Rangga Yudhistira & Wulang Sunu, Reza Kutjh, Rivo Abdulhaq, Rony Zakaria, Rugun Sirait, Ryan Andrew, Shindy Lestari, Shwe Wutt Hmon, Sophal Neak, Swastik Pal, Tomasz Lazar, Vickram Sombu, Yoese Mariam, Yoppy Pieter, Yusi Yuansa, and Zishaan A Latif.
"This festival reminds us of what is possible when people passionate about art come together and truly collaborate," said Kelsang Dolma, director of the FOTO Bali Festival. "I am proud of the work accomplished by the team: fast, thoughtful, and full of heart. For an inaugural edition, the reception has been wonderful and it has only motivated us more. Photography doesn't always have the place it deserves in this region. This is our way of starting to change things."
Beyond the exhibitions, the festival offers more than 25 public sessions with over 20 speakers and facilitators. The programming extends from darkroom experiences and visual storytelling workshops to panel discussions and guided tours, led by some of the most respected figures in contemporary photography. Among them are Beawiharta, a veteran photojournalist recognized for his unfiltered human narratives; Edy Purnomo, whose work connects memory to image through education and practice; and the Film Photography Club, a collective dedicated to the revival of analog techniques through hands-on darkroom work. Other guests include Veejay Villafranca, a Manila-based documentary photographer and lecturer, and Anshika Varma, an Indian exhibition curator, editor, and artist exploring visual culture through different disciplines.
The launch of the FOTO Bali festival coincides with Nuanu Nights, a monthly evening of music, culture, and movement throughout the creative city. The program features an exceptional performance in front of Daniel Popper's Earth Sentinels sculpture, traditional Balinese dances at the amphitheater, and concerts that resonate into the night.
Among the featured projects are several standout works that exemplify the festival's theme. "The Land Forgets Nothing" by Ryan Andrew explores the Bissu, a sacred fifth-gender community of the Bugis people of South Sulawesi, once revered as spiritual leaders and guardians of nature but now facing marginalization and environmental loss. "Paradox" by Gabriella Morton, created in Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, captures outdoor environments that are both surreal and real, reflecting the tension between inherited values and emerging truths. "Giao Điểm" by Lê Nguyên Phương examines masculinity, intimacy, and hidden encounters shaped by war's legacy through photographic collaborations with the artist's father, a former Vietnamese soldier, and his partner.
Other notable works include "Landep" by Yoese Mariam, a journey through Javanese heritage through the keris, a traditional dagger linked to family history and conflicts; "Life in Motion" by Rivo Abdulhaq, featuring panoramic photographs of underage schoolchildren on motorcycles in the East Java countryside; and "HHH (Hantu Hantu Hunian)" by Rangga Yudhistira and Wulang Sunu, inspired by childhood ghost stories and reimagining abandoned spaces as realms animated by spectral presences. "The Waves Upon a Trance" by Kresnanta documents the Sanghyang Dedari, a sacred trance dance in Karangasem, Bali, practiced by prepubescent girls as vessels for benevolent spirits.
"Mpu Uteun: The Forest Guardian" by Yoppy Pieter presents portraits of a women-led group of forest rangers in Gayo, Aceh, safeguarding the Damaran Baru protected forest while overcoming gender barriers and ecopolitical challenges. "Co-Living" by Azkaluna examines intergenerational family communities as survival strategies in the face of rising housing costs, while "Cycle" by I Wayan Ade Saputra offers a sincere look at the hidden challenges of life in Bali, where frequent religious obligations shape work, finances, and modern aspirations.
Together, these works reflect the multiplicity of stories of identity, heritage, environment, and adaptation. They make room for what persists in the margins and affirm photography's power to illuminate the invisible, unresolved questions, and silent persistence. The FOTO Bali Festival: LIFE runs until August 17, 2025, with more information available at www.fotobalifestival.com and www.nuanu.com.
