Photo: ISI BALI lecturer I Gde Made Indra Sadguna, Ph.D. (left) and Professor Elizabeth A. Clendinning of Wake Forest University (right) at the premiere screening of the documentary Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali, Monday (29 June), at the Vicon Room, ISI BALI.
The Indonesian Institute of the Arts Bali (ISI BALI), in collaboration with Wake Forest University, United States, held the premiere screening of the documentary Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali on Monday (29 June) at the Vicon Room, Citta Kelangen Building, Level 2, ISI BALI. The event served as a platform for disseminating the outcomes of a collaborative research project conducted by I Gde Made Indra Sadguna, Ph.D., a lecturer at ISI BALI, and Professor Elizabeth A. Clendinning of Wake Forest University.
The collaboration represents the implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the former Indonesian Institute of the Arts Denpasar (now ISI BALI) and Wake Forest University, signed on 12 July 2023. Under this partnership, the two researchers have been conducting a joint study on Balinese traditional musical instruments—particularly the suling (bamboo flute) and sunari—since 2024.
According to Dr. Indra Sadguna, the research initially focused on the artistic dimensions of the Balinese suling. As the study progressed, however, the research team recognized that the suling cannot be understood independently of the sunari and the broader cultural ecosystem in which both instruments exist. Consequently, the project evolved beyond the study of musical instruments as artistic objects to examine the interconnections between bamboo as a natural material, community-based creative practices, cultural traditions, and the spiritual values embedded in Balinese society.
Dr. Indra Sadguna explained that the research seeks to introduce Balinese local wisdom to international audiences through an academic approach complemented by visual media.
“Our goal is to enable more people around the world to appreciate the richness of Balinese local wisdom. Although the project initially focused on the suling, we soon realized that both the suling and sunari are inseparable from Balinese culture. This led us to broaden the research into a more comprehensive exploration of the relationship between nature, humanity, art, and the divine through the use of bamboo,” he said.
He further noted that, within the Balinese tradition, bamboo is far more than a raw material for crafting musical instruments. It embodies philosophical values that reflect the principles of Tri Hita Karana—the harmonious relationship between humans and God, among fellow human beings, and with the natural environment. This perspective, he added, is expected to help international audiences gain a more holistic understanding of Balinese culture.
Photo: Discussion session following the premiere screening of the documentary Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali, Monday (29 June), at the Vicon Room, ISI BALI.
The collaborative research has generated several significant academic and creative outputs. Among them is a book chapter entitled Crafting Harmony: Sustainable Instrument Production in Bali, published in 2025 by Universitätsverlag Hildesheim, Germany. The research also resulted in the documentary Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali, which highlights the cultural values, philosophical foundations, and sustainable practices associated with the use of bamboo in Bali.
The documentary was produced with support from the Wake the Arts program at Wake Forest University and the American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS). Following the premiere screening, the event continued with a discussion session featuring the researchers, who shared insights into the research process, the documentary’s central themes, and its relevance to the advancement of scholarship on Balinese arts and culture.
As part of efforts to expand the international dissemination of the research, Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali will also be presented to a global audience during the Joint Symposium of the International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance (ICTMD) Performing Arts of Southeast Asia (PASEA) Study Group, to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 2–8 July 2026.
Photo: ISI BALI leadership, guest speakers, and researchers at the premiere screening of the documentary Guna Pering: The Use of Bamboo in Bali.
(ISI BALI Public Relations Office)
